<p>Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) has been called the father of the symphony and the string quartet. A friend of Mozart and a teacher of Beethoven, 'Papa' Haydn composed an amazing variety of music -- symphonies, string quartets, concerti, masses, operas, oratorios, keyboard works -- and his prolific output celebrates both the heights and depths of life.</p><p>In this fascinating book Calvin Stapert combines his skills as a biographer and a musicologist to recount Haydn&#39;s steady rise from humble origins to true musical greatness. Unlike other biographers, Stapert argues that Haydn&#39;s work was a product of his devout Catholic faith, even though he worked mainly as a court musician and the bulk of his output was in popular genres. In addition to telling Haydn&#39;s life story, Stapert includes accessible listening guides to <em>The Creation</em> and portions of other well-known works to help Haydn listeners more fully appreciate the brilliance behind his music.</p>