Haydn, qui per vitam omnem in Austria habitavit, multum sui cursús musici in curia Domús Esterházyanae in praedio remoto degit. Ab aliis compositoribus et progressu musico usque ad ultimam vitae partem distans Haydn, ut ipse dixit, est "proprius fieri compulsus."[6] Tempore mortis suae fuit unus ex illustrissimis compositoribus Europae.
Iosephus Haydn natus est in Rohrau, vico in Austria prope finem Hungariae sito. Pater fuit Mathias Haydn, faber qui rotas fecit, qui etiam munere Marktrichter (praefecti vici simili) perfunctus est. Mater Maria, nata Koller, olim coqua laboraverat in palatioComitis Harrach, praesidentis patricii Rohrauani. Nec pater nec mater musicam legere potuerunt[7]; Mathias autem fuit fanaticus musicus popularis, qui se iam opificem harpa psallere docuerat. Secundum recordationes compositoris familia familiaresque fuerant musici peritissimi, qui omnes una cum vicinis saepe cecinerant.[8]
Quamquam aliquando appellatur "Franz Joseph Haydn", hoc nomen non adhibebatur compositore vivo et ab eruditis hodie vitatur (James Webster, "Haydn, Joseph," Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy, https://web.archive.org/web/20080516041031/http://www.grovemusic.com/). Vide etiam nomen Haydn.
Dies incertus, nam Haydn ipse amicis dicebat se hoc die natum esse (Geiringer 1982:9; Jones 1810:8), sed nonnulli cognati Kalendas Apriles, diem baptismi eius, dicebant. Illo enim tempore documenta publica non diem natalem sed diem baptismi perscribebant (Wyn Jones 2009:2–3).
Dies, Albert Christoph. 1963. Biographical Accounts of Joseph Haydn. In Haydn: Two Contemporary Portraits. Ed. et conversus Vernon Gotwals. Milwaukee: University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 0-299-02791-0.
Geiringer,Karl;Geiringer,Irene(1982).Haydn: A Creative Life in Music(3a ed.).University of California.ISBN0-520-04316-2. Prima editio 1946 Carolo Geiringer auctore solo.
Griesinger,Georg August(1963)."Biographical Notes Concerning Joseph Haydn".InGotwals, Vernon, translator and editor.Haydn: Two Contemporary Portraits.Milwaukee:University of Wisconsin Press.ISBN0-299-02791-0. Ex Theodisco Biographische Notizen über Joseph Haydn (Leipzig, 1810) conversus.
Brendel, Alfred. 2001. "Does classical music have to be entirely serious?" In Isaiah Berlin: A Celebration, ed. Edna Margalit et Avishai Margalit, 193–204. Sicagi: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-84096-4.
Celestini,Federico(2010)."Aspekte des Erhabenen in Haydns Spätwerk".InCelestini, Federico;Dorschel, Andreas.Arbeit am Kanon.Vindobonae:Universal Edition.pp.16–41.ISBN978-3-7024-6967-2
Clark, Caryl, ed.(2005).The Cambridge Companion to Haydn.Cantabrigiae:Cambridge University Press.ISBN0-521-83347-7
Griffiths,Paul(1983).The String Quartet.Novi Eboraci:Thames and Hudson.ISBN0-500-01311-X
Sutcliffe,W. Dean(1992).Haydn, string quartets, op. 50.Cantabrigiae:Cambridge University Press.ISBN0-521-39103-2
Webster,James(1991).Haydn's "Farewell" symphony and the idea of classical style: through-composition and cyclic integration in his instrumental music.Cantabrigiae:Cambridge University Press.ISBN0-521-38520-2