HAYDN, John Michael, a younger brother of Francis Joseph Haydn, was born at Rohrau in September 1737. After learning the elements of music, and how to play on the harp and harpsichord, in his father's house, he entered the imperial chapel at Vienna as a chorister. His voice had the remarkable compass of three octaves, from the lowest contralto F up to highest soprano F in alt. The emperor and empress were so much pleased with his singing, that they took him under their protection. He next studied organ-playing and composition; and, by a constant examination of classical compositions, without lessons from any master, he soon acquired skill as an organist and composer.
Haydon. In 1763 he was appointed music director in the chapel of the Bishop of Grosswardein, in Hungary; and in 1768 chapel-master to the Bishop of Salzburg, with the small salary of 300 florins, together with board and lodging. Afterwards this salary was raised to 600 florins. In the first year of his residence at Salzburg he married the daughter of Lipp, the organist. She bore him a daughter, who died in her third year; and the loss of this child deeply affected him for the rest of his life. At Salzburg he opened a school of composition, in which several distinguished artists were taught. In 1801 Prince Esterhazy gave him the title of his chapel-master, with a pension; but he still continued to reside at Salzburg. He died there, on 10th August 1806. He was considered by his brother Joseph as the best composer of church music of his time in Germany. He refused to allow any of his works to be published in his lifetime. Since his death, a number of his church compositions, and several of his symphonies, &c., have been published in Germany. Some pleasing specimens of his music are contained in Latrobe's Selections. (G. R. G.)