Haydn's presence was required most of the time at the palace of Eszterháza in Hungary some distance from Vienna, where his employer and patron Prince Nikolaus Esterházy preferred to live.
During the winter months, the Prince moved to the ancestral palace of his family in Eisenstadt, bringing Haydn with him.
The earliest at which it is likely they would have met is 22 and 23 December 1783, at a performance sponsored by the Vienna Tonkünstler-Societät, a charitable organization for musicians.
On the program were works by both Haydn (Jones: "a symphony and a chorus, both probably from [the oratorio] Il ritorno di Tobia") and Mozart ("a new concert aria, probably 'Misero!
For instance, he wrote to Franz Rott,[6] If only I could impress Mozart's inimitable works on the soul of every friend of music, and the souls of high personages in particular, as deeply, with the same musical understanding and with the same deep feeling, as I understand and feel them, the nations would vie with each other to possess such a jewel.To the musicologist Charles Burney, he said, "I have often been flattered by my friends with having some genius, but he was much my superior.
"[7] In a letter to his friend Marianne von Genzinger, Haydn confessed to dreaming about Mozart's work, listening happily to a performance of The Marriage of Figaro.
In one passage from his biography he says: High esteem for true merit, and regard for the individual, influenced his judgment of works of art.
[8]By "Haydns", Niemetschek refers also to Joseph's brother Michael, who was both Leopold and W. A. Mozart's friend and colleague during his many years in Salzburg as organist-choirmaster of the cathedral there.
[10] However, he welcomed Mozart's two surviving sons, Karl and Wolfgang Jr., into his home in the Lesser Quarter and became a foster father figure to them.
I entreat you, however, to be indulgent to those faults which may have escaped a father's partial eye, and in spite of them, to continue your generous friendship towards one who so highly appreciates it.
At that time Haydn made a remark to Leopold that is now widely quoted: Before God and as an honest man I tell you that your son is the greatest composer known to me either in person or by name; he has taste, and, furthermore, the most profound knowledge of composition.
[13] Haydn's admission ceremony was held on 11 February 1785; Mozart could not attend due to a concert that night.
[3] Although Mozart remained an enthusiastic Mason, Haydn did not; in fact, there is no evidence that he ever attended a meeting after his admittance ceremony,[3] and he was dropped from the lodge's rolls in 1787.
[14] Jahn relied on the testimony of Mozart's sister-in-law Sophie Haibel as well as Haydn's friend and biographer Georg August Griesinger.
When Haydn had settled ... his household affairs, he fixed his departure and left on 15 December [1790],[j] in company with Salomon.