Eisenstadt

Eisenstadt is a little city a few hours outside of Vienna. It is famed for being the residence of the Esterhazy family. This members of this aristocratic family were close friends of the Habsburgs and ruled over the Eisenstadt area. Eisenstadt is also famous for being the final resting place of Joseph Haydn, the famous classical music composer and father of the quartet.
To understand the Esterhazys, Haydn, and their relation to Eisenstadt better, we visited a museum in Eisenstadt called the Haydn Explosiv. This was a very strange museum that tried way too hard to mix the modern with the classical. The carpet was colorful and full of different patterns: stripes, polka dots, and diagnal stripes. The wallpaper was periwinkle with strange colored portraits of the Esterhazys. To be honest, it looked like Tim Burton threw up in there. The employees at the Haydn Explosiv were also very strict and would not let us take any photos of their precious wallpaper and strange carpet. It was all just very bizarre.
One of the most famous members of the Esterhazy’s is Paul II. He was part of the Order of the Golden Fleece. He worked part time as an envoy in Naples, there he fell in love with music and had hopes to renew an orchestra for his family. After the Count of Mortzen, the original patron of Haydn and his music, fell into some economic troubles, Paul II picked right where Mortzen left off and employed Haydn to renew his orchestra. After a year of working together, Paul II passed away.
Nikolas I, younger brother of Paul II, was the next to lead the Esterhazy family. He lived a gorgeous lifestyle and was famous for his lavish festivals. He was known as the lover of splendor and in the Haydn Explosiv museum the columns in front of his portrait are gilded to signify his opulence. Nikolas I was the patron for Haydn for the longest, 28 years.
The last of the Esterhazys to work with Haydn was Nikolas II. He did not understand the opulent lifestyle of his grandfather Nikolas I. Perhaps he was influenced by the Enlightenment for his reign was in the 1800s at the height of the Enlightenment period. During the Enlightenment, there is rise in the sense of reason, free-thinking, and practicality. In order to economize, Nikolas II dismissed the orchestra.
Nikolas II’s rule can be compared to that of Josef II of the Habsburgs. He was a very practical, not wasteful ruler. He closed the contemplative order, forbade lavish funerals, and he even went so far as to introduce the reusable coffins. He was for enlightenment and absolutism. Josef II imposed top-down reforms and that is probably why his reforms were not lasting even though they were revolutionary.
Franz Josef Haydn was born in Austria in the early 1700s and was most famous for his music composing. He had been very musically talented since he was a young boy. As a boy, he sang in the world renowned Vienna Boys Choir until his voice became too low. After being dismissed from the Vienna Boys Choir, Haydn had a difficult time getting on his feet. The next 10 years were difficult for him. He earned money by giving piano lessons and playing music on the street. Afterwards, he became the music director for the Count of Mortzen and after having some financial troubles was recommended to Paul II of the Esterhazys. He worked for the Esterhazys for nearly 30 years. His works were always a big hit and soon became famous all over Europe. At the beginning of his career with the Esterhazys, he was considered lucky to be under the patronage of the Esterhazy family; however, after a few years the sentiments changed and the Esterhazys were said to be lucky to have Haydn compose for them. His music is still revered and appreciated even today and Haydn’s name will always be sinonmous with great classical musical and melodic symphonies. “He has left us at least two truly magnificent choral works, the Nelson Mass and an oratorio, The Creation” (Parsons 181).