Haydn never actually traveled to Paris during his lifetime. He was, however, commissioned to compose six symphonies for the Concert de la Loge Olympique. During the 1780s, the orchestra was one of the best in Europe.
Haydn's six Paris Symphonies (82-87) were an overwhelming success with the French and rank as some of Haydn's best work.
Mozart famously visited Paris as a child on two occasions as part of the Mozart family's "Grand Tour" of Europe. The visits in 1763 and 1766 were very successful and saw Mozart perform at the Palace of Versailles for King Louis XV and his court.
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| MOZART PERFORMING AS A CHILD FOR THE ROYAL COURT IN FRANCE |
Mozart's final visit to Paris came in 1778 when he, accompanied by his mother, traveled to the French capital in search of a court position. Mozart did not enjoy Paris and turned down a court position as organist at Versailles. While in Paris, Mozart's mother became ill and died, causing Mozart to be summoned back to Salzburg by his father, Leopold.
One particular triumph in Paris was the premiere of Mozart's so called Paris Symphony (#31) which was highly acclaimed by the Parisians.
Beethoven never actually visited Paris. However, in the early 1800s he did make plans to move there. Having been inspired by the egalitarian principles of the French Revolution and the success of Napoleon in liberating the French from aristocratic rule, Beethoven composed a number of works to ingratiate himself to the French. The most famous was his Symphony 3 which was initially dedicated to Napoleon.
In 1804, however, when Napoleon crowned himself as Emperor, Beethoven famously tore the dedication to the symphony and abandoned his plans to move to Paris.
Unfortunately, despite the multitude of pleasures that go along with a visit to Paris, many of the sights relating to Haydn or Mozart in Paris no longer exist. However, a few very significant sights are still available to enjoy today.
LOUVRE MUSEUM
PALACE OF VERSAILLES
