Thinking back on my early days of studying piano, I have happy memories of playing Haydn’s sonatas. Some musicians and listeners think of his music as dull, but for me, Haydn strikes me as a severely under-appreciated composer known for developing the piano sonata form and becoming known as the “Father of the Symphony.” Mozart wouldn’t be Mozart without Haydn, and Beethoven wouldn’t be Beethoven. As I flip through the pages of Haydn sonatas, I realize just how much playing Haydn’s music helps aspiring pianists to develop essential skills and strong musical instincts. Maybe Haydn’s music isn’t something to perform if the aim is to leave audiences dazzled, but it builds an excellent foundation to work from as a pianist. His music is often simple, sweet-sounding and fits the hand well, making it light-hearted and enjoyable to play as well as physically endurable for lengthy practice sessions. It contains numerous patterns, phrases, slurs, ornamentations, and techniques that provide excellent material for beginners and intermediate students to play who want to expand their technique and develop greater ease at the piano. Many of his piano compositions follow a standard format, called Sonata Form, and the musical contours and lines found within his music will soon become a part of one’s musical makeup, like protein strands performing critical but often unseen functions in the healthy organic whole of the developing musician.

Haydn Sonata in B-flat Major- No. 11 Hob. XVI/2