The Creation (German: Die Schöpfung) is an oratorio written in 1797 and 1798 by Joseph Haydn (Hob. XXI:2), and considered by many to be his masterpiece. The oratorio depicts and celebrates the creation of the world as narrated in the Book of Genesis. The libretto was prepared by Gottfried van Swieten. The work is structured in three parts and scored for soprano, tenor and bass soloists, chorus and a symphonic orchestra. In parts I and II, depicting the creation, the soloists represent the archangels Raphael (bass), Uriel (tenor) and Gabriel (soprano). In part III, the bass and soprano represent Adam and Eve. The first public performance was held in Vienna at the old Burgtheater on 19 March 1799. The oratorio was published with the text in German and English in 1800.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He emerged in the Classical period under mentors such as Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, then expanded on what he was taught to incorporate more complex musical structure and emotional expression. His musical style was central to the development of Romantic music and the expansion of forms such as the symphony and string quartet. Among his most popular compositions are the Moonlight Sonata, Für Elise, Symphony No. 9, and Symphony No. 5, which continue to attract both casual and scholarly interest. Beethoven is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential composers in the history of music. Born in Bonn, Beethoven was a musical prodigy. He was initially taught intensively by his father, Johann van Beethoven, and later by Christian Gottlob Neefe. He found relief from a dysfunctional home life with the family of Helene von Breuning, whose children he loved, befriended, and taught piano. At age 21, he moved to Vienna, which subsequently became his base, and studied composition with Joseph Haydn. Beethoven gained a reputation as a virtuoso pianist, and was soon patronized by Karl Alois, Prince Lichnowsky for compositions, which resulted in his three Piano Trios, Op. 1, (the earliest works to which he accorded an opus number) in 1795. His Pathétique Sonata was composed in 1798. Around this time, Beethoven began experiencing symptoms of hearing loss. His career is divided into three periods. In the first, he composed in the classical style of Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Beethoven's First Symphony premiered in 1800, and his first set of string quartets was published in 1801. In the middle period (1802–1812), he developed a distinctive style. His Third (Eroica) and Fifth Symphonies premiered in 1805 and 1808, respectively. The former was unprecedented in scale and scope. His opera, Fidelio, premiered in 1805, and was later revised. His Violin Concerto appeared in 1806. His Razumovsky quartets were published in 1808. Other middle works include the Waldstein and Appassionata sonatas for piano, the Kreutzer sonata for violin and his Seventh Symphony. His Emperor piano concerto premiered in 1811, without the composer as soloist. His late period (1812–1827) included some of his most innovative works. His Missa solemnis and his final symphony, the Ninth, premiered in 1824. The latter was the first major example of a choral symphony. His Diabelli Variations and late piano sonatas, particularly the Hammerklavier, are summits of the keyboard literature. His late string quartets, including the Große Fuge, of 1825–1826, are considered pinnacles of the genre. After several months of illness, which left him bedridden, Beethoven died on 26 March 1827 at the age of 56.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

The Seasons (German: Die Jahreszeiten, Hob. XXI:3) is a secular oratorio by Joseph Haydn, first performed in 1801.

The Creation (German: Die Schöpfung) is an oratorio written in 1797 and 1798 by Joseph Haydn (Hob. XXI:2), and considered by many to be his masterpiece. The oratorio depicts and celebrates the creation of the world as narrated in the Book of Genesis. The libretto was prepared by Gottfried van Swieten. The work is structured in three parts and scored for soprano, tenor and bass soloists, chorus and a symphonic orchestra. In parts I and II, depicting the creation, the soloists represent the archangels Raphael (bass), Uriel (tenor) and Gabriel (soprano). In part III, the bass and soprano represent Adam and Eve. The first public performance was held in Vienna at the old Burgtheater on 19 March 1799. The oratorio was published with the text in German and English in 1800.

The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross (German: Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze) is an orchestral work by Joseph Haydn, commissioned in 1786 for the Good Friday service at Oratorio de la Santa Cueva (Holy Cave Oratory) in Cádiz, Spain. Published in 1787 and performed then in Paris, Rome, Berlin and Vienna, the composer adapted it in 1787 for string quartet, approved a version for solo piano in the same year, and finally adapted it in 1796 as an oratorio (with both solo and choral vocal forces). The seven main meditative sections are based on seven expressions attributed to Jesus during his crucifixion. The seven sections are labelled "sonatas" and are all slow. They are framed by a slow Introduction and a fast "Earthquake" conclusion, for a total of nine movements.

Franz Joseph Haydn ( HY-dən; German: [ˈfʁants ˈjoːzɛf ˈhaɪdn̩] ; 31 March 1732 – 31 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was pivotal in the evolution of chamber music forms like the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led him to be called "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String quartet". Haydn arose from humble origins, the child of working people in a rural village. He established his career first by serving as a chorister at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, then through an arduous period as a freelance musician. Eventually he found career success, spending much of his working life as music director for the wealthy Esterházy family at their palace of Eszterháza in rural Hungary. Though he had his own orchestra there, it isolated him from other composers and trends in music so that he was, as he put it, "forced to become original". During this period his music circulated widely in publication, eventually making him the most celebrated composer in Europe. With the death of his patron Nikolaus Esterházy in 1790, Haydn was free to travel, and augmented his fame—now as a performer before the public—in both London and Vienna. The last years of his life (1803–1809) were spent in a state of debility, unable to compose due to poor health. He died in Vienna in 1809 at the age of 77. Haydn was a friend and mentor of Mozart, a teacher of Beethoven, and the elder brother of composer Michael Haydn.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Il ritorno di Tobia (The Return of Tobias) is an oratorio in two parts composed in 1775 by Joseph Haydn (Hob. XXI:1). The work is the first oratorio the composer wrote and, according to Jones, was "his most extended and ambitious composition up to that time". The Italian-language libretto of the work is by Giovanni Gastone Boccherini, brother of the composer Luigi Boccherini. This libretto is harshly criticized by Olleson, who notes that the author de-dramatizes vivid episodes in the source (the story of Tobit in the Apocrypha), depriving Haydn of the opportunity for highly dramatic musical utterance. The work was premiered in Vienna on 2 April 1775, under the sponsorship of the Tonkünstler-Societät, a musician's benevolent society. The musical forces were substantial: Smither writes: "characteristic of the large forces used for the Tonkünstler-Societät concerts, the orchestra, chorus, and soloists possibly numbered more than 180 performers." He adds that the premiere was "enormously successful." In 1784, Haydn substantially revised the work, with cuts to make numbers shorter and provide two new choruses ("Ah, gran Dio" and "Svanisce in un momento"), for another of the Tonkünstler-Societät's benefit concerts. It is thought that at this concert Haydn first met Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who became his good friend. One of the soprano soloists was Nancy Storace, also a friend of Haydn, who later was Mozart's first Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro. "Svanisce in un momento", called "Der Sturm", was reworked in the sacred motet "Insanae et vanae curae". In 1808 the oratorio made a third appearance on the program of the Tonkünstler-Societät, this time in a revised version by the now-elderly composer's pupil, Sigismund Neukomm. The performance on the night of 22 December, which required the labors of most of the highly qualified musicians in Vienna, had regrettable consequences for a now-famous rival concert taking place in Vienna on the same evening, the benefit for Ludwig van Beethoven that premiered his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies. Today, Il ritorno di Tobia is eclipsed by Haydn's later works in this genre – The Creation and The Seasons – and is seldom performed or recorded.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

This is a list of piano trios by Joseph Haydn, including the chronological number assigned by H. C. Robbins Landon and the number they are given in Anthony van Hoboken's catalogue of his works. (Hoboken's listings of Haydn compositions are divided by musical genre, and the piano trios as a category are grouped under the Roman numeral prefix XV.) Haydn's early trios are considered minor works and are seldom played except in the context of complete editions. In contrast, the later trios, starting in the mid-1780s, reflect the composer's full musical maturity and are greatly admired by critics.

George Richard Haydn (March 10, 1905 – April 25, 1985) was a British actor.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Theresienmesse (H. XXII/12) (also known in English as the " 'Maria Theresa' Mass") is a mass in B-flat major written by Joseph Haydn and named after Maria Theresa of the Two Sicilies, empress consort of Francis II. The empress herself was the soprano soloist at private performances of both The Creation and The Seasons in May 1801 at the Viennese Court. The title does not appear on the autograph score, which is labeled simply with the Latin word "Missa". Between 1796 and 1802, Haydn composed six masses to celebrate the name-day of Princess Maria Josepha Hermenegilde (1768-1845), who was the wife of his patron Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy II. The Theresienmesse, written in 1799, belongs in this series. The work is thought to have been premiered on 8 September 1799. The location was the Bergkirche, near the Esterházy family seat in Eisenstadt, Austria. The mass is scored for solo quartet, chorus, strings, two clarinets, two trumpets, timpani and organ continuo. Concerning the paucity of winds (no oboes, bassoons, horns, or flutes) John W. Ehrlich has written: The drastic reduction of the wind choir ... is unusual. We are indebted to [Haydn scholar Carl Maria] Brand for an explanation: a shortage of wind players at Eisenstadt in 1798 and 1799. This is why the Nelsonmesse, in its original version, also lacks winds. But Haydn has turned this lack into a virtue, the ensemble in each case imparting to the work a unique aura or personality that sets it off from its neighbors: in the Nelsonmesse the hard, metallic, fiery brilliance of D trumpets and solo organ; in the Theresienmesse the mellow glow and at times darkish hues of the B-flat instruments. While probably not as frequently performed as its companions the Nelson Mass or the Missa in tempore belli, the Theresienmesse has attracted critical admiration; Ehrlich for instance refers to it as an "extraordinary work." Another commentator writes, "Haydn's choral writing has all the variety, rhythmic energy and contrapuntal skill of a composer at the height of his powers."

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

The Harmoniemesse in B-flat major by Joseph Haydn, Hob. XXII:14, Novello 6, was written in 1802. It was Haydn's last major work. It is because of the prominence of the winds in this mass and "the German terminology for a kind of wind ensemble, Harmonie," that this mass setting is called "Harmoniemesse" or "Wind Band Mass". Besides flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns in B-flat, 2 trumpets in B-flat, the mass also calls for choir, timpani, strings, and organ, the latter supplying figured bass for most of the duration. The setting is divided into six movements. Kyrie Poco Adagio, B-flat major, 3/4 Gloria Vivace assai, B-flat major, common time "Gratias agimus" Allegretto, E-flat major, 3/8 "Quoniam tu solus sanctus" Allegro spiritoso, common time, B-flat major Credo Vivace, B-flat major, common time "Et incarnatus est" Adagio, E-flat major, 3/4 "Et resurrexit" Vivace, B-flat major, common time "Et vitam venturi" Vivace, 6/8 Sanctus Adagio, B-flat major, 3/4 "Pleni sunt coeli..." Allegro, 3/4 Benedictus Molto Allegro, F major, common time "Osanna" 3/4, B-flat major Agnus Dei Adagio, G major, 3/4 "Dona nobis pacem" Allegro con spirito, B-flat major, cut time The Kyrie has "the most striking 'introductory' shock in Haydn's late vocal music ... a rather long orchestral introduction ... [with] unceasing contrasts between soft and loud, and the unexpected entry of G-flat, the flat submediant, in the fifth bar." The Agnus Dei makes reference both to the Adagio of Symphony No. 98 and to Mozart's Coronation Mass. The Harmoniemesse was performed at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City for the Mass of the Solemnity of Pentecost on 31 May 2009, which coincided with the 200th anniversary of Haydn's death.

The Missa in angustiis (Mass for troubled times), commonly known as the Nelson Mass (Hob. XXII/11), is a mass setting by the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn. It is one of the six masses written near the end of his career that are seen as a culmination of Haydn's composition of liturgical music.

Il mondo della luna (The world on the moon) is a 211-minute studio album of Joseph Haydn's opera, performed by Luigi Alva, Arleen Augér, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Edith Mathis, Frederica von Stade, Lucia Valentini Terrani and Domenico Trimarchi with the Chœurs de la Radio Suisse Romande and the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne under the direction of Antal Doráti. It was released on LP in 1978 and on CD in 1992. Its CD version included nine bonus arias of Haydn's, mostly written to be inserted into other composers' works, performed by Mathis and the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne under the direction of Armin Jordan.

The Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo, Hob. XXII:7, Novello 8, is a mass in B-flat major by Joseph Haydn. The missa brevis (short mass) was written around 1775 for the order of the Barmherzige Brüder (Brothers Hospitallers) in Eisenstadt, whose patron saint was John of God. Scored modestly for soprano, four-part mixed choir, two violins, organ and bass, it is known as the Kleine Orgelmesse (Little Organ Mass) due to an extended organ solo in the Benedictus movement which also includes the only featured solo voice - a soprano.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Johann Michael Haydn (German: [ˈhaɪdn̩] ; 14 September 1737 – 10 August 1806) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period and the younger brother of Joseph Haydn.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

The Juilliard String Quartet (JSQ) is a classical music string quartet founded in 1946 at the Juilliard School in New York by William Schuman and Robert Mann. Since its inception, it has been the quartet-in-residence at the Juilliard School. It has received numerous awards, including four Grammys and membership in the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. In February 2011, the group received the NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award for its outstanding contributions to recorded classical music. As of 2025, the quartet's members are violinists Areta Zhulla and Leonard Fu, violist Molly Carr, and cellist Astrid Schween.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

The Nobel Peace Prize Concert (Norwegian and Swedish: Nobels fredspriskonsert) has been held annually since 1994 on 11 December to honour the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The award ceremony on 10 December takes place in Oslo City Hall, while the concert has been held at Oslo Spektrum, with the attendance of the laureate and other prominent guests. The Concert is broadcast to a global audience and reaches up to 350 million households in 100 countries. In 2015 the concert venue was moved from Oslo Spektrum to the much larger Telenor Arena. The concert was held there until it was cancelled in 2018, replaced by an outdoor Nobel Peace Party which was organised outside the Oslo City Hall. In 2021 the Concert was relaunched in collaboration with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, architectural firm Snøhetta and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. The concert features performers from a wide range of musical genres with the exception of the 1995 concert, which featured only classical works. Several editions of the concert are recorded, with different lengths and content, for airing in different countries. The hosts give descriptions of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate's work as well as an interview with the laureate. The laureate gives a speech during the concert.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Il mondo della luna (The world on the moon) is a 211-minute studio album of Joseph Haydn's opera, performed by Luigi Alva, Arleen Augér, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Edith Mathis, Frederica von Stade, Lucia Valentini Terrani and Domenico Trimarchi with the Chœurs de la Radio Suisse Romande and the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne under the direction of Antal Doráti. It was released on LP in 1978 and on CD in 1992. Its CD version included nine bonus arias of Haydn's, mostly written to be inserted into other composers' works, performed by Mathis and the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne under the direction of Armin Jordan.

Great Mass in C minor (German: Große Messe in c-Moll), K. 427/417a, is the common name of the musical setting of the mass by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which is considered one of his greatest works. He composed it in Vienna in 1782 and 1783, aged 26–27, after his marriage, when he moved to Vienna from Salzburg. The large-scale work, a missa solemnis, is scored for two soprano soloists, a tenor and a bass, double chorus and large orchestra. It remained unfinished, missing large portions of the Credo and the complete Agnus Dei.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

The Creation (German: Die Schöpfung) is an oratorio written in 1797 and 1798 by Joseph Haydn (Hob. XXI:2), and considered by many to be his masterpiece. The oratorio depicts and celebrates the creation of the world as narrated in the Book of Genesis. The libretto was prepared by Gottfried van Swieten. The work is structured in three parts and scored for soprano, tenor and bass soloists, chorus and a symphonic orchestra. In parts I and II, depicting the creation, the soloists represent the archangels Raphael (bass), Uriel (tenor) and Gabriel (soprano). In part III, the bass and soprano represent Adam and Eve. The first public performance was held in Vienna at the old Burgtheater on 19 March 1799. The oratorio was published with the text in German and English in 1800.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

The Marriage of Figaro (Italian: Le nozze di Figaro, pronounced [le ˈnɔttse di ˈfiːɡaro] ), K. 492, is a commedia per musica (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna on 1 May 1786. The opera's libretto is based on the 1784 stage comedy by Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro ("The Mad Day, or The Marriage of Figaro"). It tells how the servants Figaro and Susanna succeed in getting married, foiling the efforts of their philandering employer Count Almaviva to seduce Susanna and teaching him a lesson in fidelity. Considered one of the greatest operas ever written, it is a cornerstone of the repertoire and appears consistently among the top ten in the Operabase list of most frequently performed operas. In 2017, BBC News Magazine asked 172 opera singers to vote for the best operas ever written. The Marriage of Figaro came in first out of the 20 operas featured, with the magazine describing it as being "one of the supreme masterpieces of operatic comedy, whose rich sense of humanity shines out of Mozart's miraculous score".

Mercury is the first planet from the Sun and the smallest in the Solar System. It is a rocky planet with a trace atmosphere and a surface gravity slightly higher than that of Mars. The surface of Mercury is similar to Earth's Moon, being cratered, with an expansive rupes system generated from thrust faults, and bright ray systems, formed by ejecta. Its largest crater, Caloris Planitia, has a diameter of 1,550 km (960 mi), which is about one-third the diameter of the planet (4,880 km or 3,030 mi). Being the most inferior orbiting planet, it always appears close to the Sun in Earth's sky, either as a "morning star" or an "evening star". It is the planet with the highest delta-v required for travel from Earth, as well as to and from the other planets in the Solar System. Mercury's sidereal year (88.0 Earth days) and sidereal day (58.65 Earth days) are in a 3:2 ratio, in a spin–orbit resonance. Consequently, one solar day (sunrise to sunrise) on Mercury lasts for around 176 Earth days: twice the planet's sidereal year. This means that one side of Mercury will remain in sunlight for one Mercurian year of 88 Earth days; while during the next orbit, that side will be in darkness all the time until the next sunrise after another 88 Earth days. Above the planet's surface is an extremely tenuous exosphere and a faint magnetic field just strong enough to deflect solar winds. Combined with its high orbital eccentricity, the planet's surface has widely varying sunlight intensity and temperature, with the equatorial regions ranging from −170 °C (−270 °F) at night to 420 °C (790 °F) during sunlight. Due to its very small axial tilt, the planet's poles are permanently shadowed. This strongly suggests that water ice could be present in the craters. Like the other planets in the Solar System, Mercury formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago. There are competing hypotheses about Mercury's origins and development, some of which incorporate collision with planetesimals and rock vaporization; as of the early 2020s, many broad details of Mercury's geological history are still under investigation or pending data from space probes. Its mantle is highly homogeneous, which suggests that Mercury had a magma ocean early in its history, like the Moon. According to current models, Mercury may have a solid silicate crust and mantle overlaying a solid outer core, a deeper liquid core layer, and a solid inner core. Mercury is expected to be destroyed, along with Venus, and possibly the Earth and the Moon, when the Sun becomes a red giant in approximately seven or eight billion years. Mercury is a classical planet that has been observed and recognized throughout history as a planet (or wandering star). In English, it is named after the ancient Roman god Mercurius (Mercury), god of commerce and communication, and the messenger of the gods. The first successful flyby of Mercury was conducted by Mariner 10 in 1974, and it has since been visited and explored by the MESSENGER and BepiColombo orbiters.

"Barbara Allen" (Child 84, Roud 54) is a traditional folk song that is popular throughout the English-speaking world and beyond. It tells of how the eponymous character denies a dying man's love, then dies of grief soon after his untimely death. The song began as a ballad in the seventeenth century or earlier, before quickly spreading (both orally and in print) throughout Britain and Ireland and later North America. Ethnomusicologists Steve Roud and Julia Bishop described it as "far and away the most widely collected song in the English language—equally popular in England, Scotland and Ireland, and with hundreds of versions collected over the years in North America." As with most folk songs, "Barbara Allen" has been published and performed under many different titles, including "The Ballet of Barbara Allen", "Barbara Allen's Cruelty", "Barbarous Ellen", "Edelin", "Hard Hearted Barbary Ellen", "Sad Ballet Of Little Johnnie Green", "Sir John Graham", "Bonny Barbara Allan", "Barbry Allen" among others.

"Men of Harlech" or "The March of the Men of Harlech" (Welsh: Rhyfelgyrch Gwŷr Harlech) is a song and military march which is traditionally said to describe events during the seven-year siege of Harlech Castle between 1461 and 1468, when the castle was held by the Lancastrians against the Yorkists as part of the Wars of the Roses. Commanded by Constable Dafydd ap Ieuan, son of the Baron of Hendwr, the garrison withstood the longest known siege in the history of the British Isles. ("Through Seven Years" is an alternative name for the song.) The song has also been associated with the earlier, briefer siege of Harlech Castle about 1408, which pitted the forces of Owain Glyndŵr against the future Henry V of England. "Men of Harlech" is important for Welsh national culture. The song gained international recognition when it was featured in the 1941 movie How Green Was My Valley and the 1964 film Zulu.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Franz Joseph Haydn ( HY-dən; German: [ˈfʁants ˈjoːzɛf ˈhaɪdn̩] ; 31 March 1732 – 31 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was pivotal in the evolution of chamber music forms like the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led him to be called "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String quartet". Haydn arose from humble origins, the child of working people in a rural village. He established his career first by serving as a chorister at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, then through an arduous period as a freelance musician. Eventually he found career success, spending much of his working life as music director for the wealthy Esterházy family at their palace of Eszterháza in rural Hungary. Though he had his own orchestra there, it isolated him from other composers and trends in music so that he was, as he put it, "forced to become original". During this period his music circulated widely in publication, eventually making him the most celebrated composer in Europe. With the death of his patron Nikolaus Esterházy in 1790, Haydn was free to travel, and augmented his fame—now as a performer before the public—in both London and Vienna. The last years of his life (1803–1809) were spent in a state of debility, unable to compose due to poor health. He died in Vienna in 1809 at the age of 77. Haydn was a friend and mentor of Mozart, a teacher of Beethoven, and the elder brother of composer Michael Haydn.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Joseph Haydn was a prolific composer of the classical period. He is regarded as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet" for his more than 100 symphonies and almost 70 string quartets. Haydn also produced numerous operas, masses, concertos, piano sonatas and other compositions. Haydn's works were catalogued by Anthony van Hoboken in his Hoboken catalogue. Unlike most other catalogues which sort works chronologically, the Hoboken catalogue sorts by musical genre.

Torquato Tasso ( TASS-oh, also US: TAH-soh, Italian: [torˈkwaːto ˈtasso]; 11 March 1544 – 25 April 1595) was an Italian poet of the 16th century, known for his 1581 poem Gerusalemme liberata (Jerusalem Delivered), in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between Christians and Muslims at the end of the First Crusade, during the Siege of Jerusalem of 1099. Tasso had a mental illness and died a few days before he was to be crowned on the Capitoline Hill as the king of poets by Pope Clement VIII. His work was widely translated and adapted, and until the beginning of the 20th century, he remained one of the most widely read poets in Europe.

Franz Joseph Haydn ( HY-dən; German: [ˈfʁants ˈjoːzɛf ˈhaɪdn̩] ; 31 March 1732 – 31 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was pivotal in the evolution of chamber music forms like the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led him to be called "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String quartet". Haydn arose from humble origins, the child of working people in a rural village. He established his career first by serving as a chorister at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, then through an arduous period as a freelance musician. Eventually he found career success, spending much of his working life as music director for the wealthy Esterházy family at their palace of Eszterháza in rural Hungary. Though he had his own orchestra there, it isolated him from other composers and trends in music so that he was, as he put it, "forced to become original". During this period his music circulated widely in publication, eventually making him the most celebrated composer in Europe. With the death of his patron Nikolaus Esterházy in 1790, Haydn was free to travel, and augmented his fame—now as a performer before the public—in both London and Vienna. The last years of his life (1803–1809) were spent in a state of debility, unable to compose due to poor health. He died in Vienna in 1809 at the age of 77. Haydn was a friend and mentor of Mozart, a teacher of Beethoven, and the elder brother of composer Michael Haydn.