Sometimes, it’s not what you say, but really, how you say it. Imagine angrily demanding an extension on a past-due term paper, rather than calmly outlining your case, emphatically expressing your gratitude if the request is granted. Which approach do you think might be more apt to win the extension? Joseph Haydn understood the power of persuasion and learned it’s easy to get what you want if you just ask in the right way.

Haydn spent nearly 30 years of his life in the service of Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, head of one of the wealthiest and most powerful Hungarian families of the late 18th century. The prince, a musician himself, played the baryton (a now-obsolete bowed instrument related to the viola d’amore), and had a great interest and respect for the arts. Rumor has it that Esterházy’s fondness of hunting led him to build his spectacular summer residence, the Eszterháza Palace, in the remote countryside of Hungary. Unfortunately, this meant the servants and musicians who resided at the palace were a great distance from their homes and families in Eisenstadt, the region’s major city. Typically, the musicians returned to their families in the fall, but in 1772, their stay at the palace became longer than expected when the prince decided to extend his summer vacation. Homesick and anxious, the staff turned to Haydn for reconciliation.

By this point in his career, the composer wielded much authority. His responsibilities at the palace included composing works that the prince requested, then conducting and training the musicians to perform the pieces. Fortunately for Haydn, this not only afforded him the opportunity to develop his compositional skills, it conveniently placed him in a position where his music could influence the prince. On this occasion, he utilized his post to demonstrate the concerns of the musicians, while avoiding any direct verbal confrontation regarding the matter.

He composed Symphony No. 45, known as the Farewell Symphony, and included a little surprise message for the prince. The first three movements seemed typical of Haydn’s style. In the fourth and final movement, however, the presto broke off into an adagio. Meanwhile, the players snuffed out the candles that lit their stands and exited the stage, one by one, until only two musicians remained: Haydn and Alois Tomasini, the concertmaster. The two violinists finished the piece, and Prince Nicholas quickly got the hint that the musicians wanted to go home.

The court packed their bags and headed for Eisenstadt the very next day, no doubt thanks to Haydn’s clever musical influence.

5 Practice Tips
These tips can help you master Haydn’s Symphony No. 45.
• Keep the hair of your bow flat while using a détaché stroke to achieve maximum sound quality.
• Keep your bow close to adjacent strings while making string crossings to help avoid excess movement during fast passages.
• Remember to count rests even when you practice, because the silences are just as important as the notes you play.
• Keep your left hand fingers close to the fingerboard while practicing fast runs in the presto section of the last movement.
• Try to keep your left hand relaxed and tension-free while utilizing your bowing hand to control volume and tone.