Few small country towns have such an important place in the history of music as Eisenstadt; and few festivals other than the Haydntage offer the privilege of hearing music in the hall where it was first performed.

Eisenstadt is now in the Burgenland, the small province comprising the plain south-east of Vienna which before 1919 was part of Hungary. Dominating the townscape is a vast mansion, the principal seat of the Esterházy, the richest and most powerful noble family in Habsburg Hungary. Successive princes, but especially Nicholas (1762-90), were lovers of music who maintained a choir, orchestra and Kappellmeister whose duty it was to conduct and compose. For over forty years their Kappellmeister was Joseph Haydn.

The wooden floor that Haydn insisted be laid on the marble original to improve the acoustics is still in the Great Hall of Schloss Esterházy; here the orchestral concerts and operas of the festival take place. Further associations with the composer extend into the town of Eisenstadt and the countryside around.

Now in its 24th year, the festival has chosen Hadyn’s relationship to Italy as its theme and title. Although the composer never set foot in Italy - he turned down the offer to become Kapellmeister at the court of Naples - Haydn exhibited a strong affinity to Italian culture. The programmes, although dominated by Haydn, include works by a range of Italian composers such as Vivaldi, Tomasini and Donizetti.

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