Having been born in Rohrau, [[Lower Austria]], Haydn found his first musical education singing in the boy's choir in [[Vienna]]'s St. Stephen's Cathedral, but was forced to find other work after his voice broke. He eventually took a post as Cappellmeister to the Esterházy family in the distant town of [[Eisenstadt]], where he labored in isolation for most of his long life. Being away from the musical epicenter at Vienna would have been difficult for many with Haydn's musical gifts, but the composer once remarked that this isolation "forced [him] to become original." Late in his life, he made two journeys to [[London]] to promote his music, and was greeted with wild success. | Having been born in Rohrau, [[Lower Austria]], Haydn found his first musical education singing in the boy's choir in [[Vienna]]'s St. Stephen's Cathedral, but was forced to find other work after his voice broke. He eventually took a post as Cappellmeister to the Esterházy family in the distant town of [[Eisenstadt]], where he labored in isolation for most of his long life. Being away from the musical epicenter at Vienna would have been difficult for many with Haydn's musical gifts, but the composer once remarked that this isolation "forced [him] to become original." Late in his life, he made two journeys to [[London]] to promote his music, and was greeted with wild success. |