Joseph Haydn worked as court musician, conductor, and composer for the House of Esterházy from 1761 to 1803. Since 2009, a permanent exhibition dedicated to this rich period of art has been established in the Sala Terrena of the castle in Eisenstadt.
The exhibition "Haydn Explosive. Music from Revolutionary Times” presents the composer, who was an astonishing innovator in his time, in a refreshing context. Historical autographs, sheet music prints, paintings, graphics, and musical instruments combine with works by renowned contemporary artists to create a vibrant whole (Curator: Herbert Lachmayer). The floor is covered with a colorful carpet by the pop art artist Roy Lichtenstein, the rooms are lined with wallpapers by Franz West, Verena Dengler, and Margit Nobis, sound installations beckon around the corners, and a huge projection seems to explode regularly on one ceiling; in short: it is an impressive experience for the eye and ear.
The starting point is the life and work of Joseph Haydn at the court of the Esterházys, but it was also a life in Europe. The ideals of the European Enlightenment and the effects of the French Revolution were felt everywhere, and Haydn contributed with his means. As the inventor of the string quartet, a renovator of the oratorio, and the composer of the imperial anthem, Haydn not only had a lasting influence on international music history but also composed numerous operas, symphonies, singspiels, and masses during his approximately 40-year tenure at the Esterházy court. In addition, he created works for the performances at the Eszterháza castle (Fertöd) and conducted more than 1000 performances. Through a technically improved sheet music printing and the rapid distribution activities of his publishers, he was able to achieve European "global significance" from Eisenstadt.
Using multimedia stations and unique historical documents from the Esterházy collections, the exhibition Haydn Explosive outlines a musical and cultural historical arc from Haydn's early years at the Esterházy court to his celebrated concerts in London, his late creative period, and to solemnly celebrated anniversaries and reviews in the 20th and 21st centuries.