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Haydn's active career at Esterhaz may be said to have closed with
the death, on September 28, 1790, of Prince Nicolaus. The event
was of great importance to his future. Had the prince lived,
Haydn would doubtless have continued in his service, for he
"absolutely adored him." But Prince Anton, who now succeeded,
dismissed the whole Capelle, retaining only the few members
necessary for the carrying on of the church service, and Haydn's
occupation was practically gone. The new prince nominally held
the right to his services, but there was no reason for his
remaining longer at the castle, and he accordingly took up his
residence in Vienna. Thus free to employ his time as he
considered best, Haydn embraced the opportunity to carry out a
long-meditated project, and paid the first of his two visits to
London. With these we enter upon a new epoch in the composer's
life, and one of great interest to the student and lover of
music.
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