Medical Research Archives. Volume 5, Issue 9. September 2017. the Last

Medical Research Archives. Volume 5, issue 9. September 2017.

The Last Years of Joseph Haydn in the Light of Depression-dementia Medius

Author: Toshiyuki Kobayashi, Abstract M.D., Ph.D. In this paper, I introduce the concept of depression-dementia medius, presenting the last days of Affiliation: Franz Joseph Haydn as an example. Haydn was a famous Department of Psychiatry, classical composer who spent most of his life as a court Jichi Medical University musician for the Esterházy family and composed some 700 works. This demanding work in the court was Correspondence: achieved under conditions of high psychological tension 3311-1 Yakushiji, (P. Janet), and after Haydn completed the first two Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi movements of his last string quartet, op.103, in 1803, he 329-0498, Japan. could no longer compose. At that time his psychological E-mail: health declined, possibly due to exhaustion after lengthy [email protected] creative work. Haydn retired to his house in Vienna, cared Tel: +81-285-58-7364 for by his familiar servants and sometimes evidenced FAX: +81-285-44-6198 depressive moods or cognitive impairment. It is likely that he developed subcortical vascular encephalopathy, but he did not critically develop depression nor dementia. His innate higher psychological tension and familiar circumstances kept him in a state of depression-dementia medius.

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Medical Research Archives. Volume 5, issue 9. September 2017.

The Last Years of Joseph Haydn in the Light of Depression-dementia Medius

1. INTRODUCTION birthplace. In 1739, Haydn was discovered by Georg von Reutter, the Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was a director of music at St. Stephen's famous 18th-century classical composer cathedral in Vienna, and he worked there who spent most of his life as a court for the next nine years as a chorister. musician to the Esterházy family in When his voice broke, he was deprived of Hungary. Nowadays, he may be his job and became a freelance musician overshadowed by Mozart, whose life was until he was employed by Count Morzin colored by his journeys to various regions as a Kapellmeister (director of music) of in Europe, and by Beethoven, who lived a the Count's orchestra in 1757. In 1760, turbulent life in the era of the French Haydn married Maria Anna Theresia Revolution. Yet, Haydn was a Keller, but it was an unhappy marriage. much-loved and acclaimed composer Haydn's wife was a spendthrift and lacked during his lifetime. He wrote over a understanding of her husband's music. hundred symphonies, some seventy string They had no children. quartets, over sixty keyboard sonatas, and Haydn's career progressed and in a number of operas, masses, and other 1762 he was offered the position of works. Vice-Kapellmeister by Prince Paul Anton After Haydn completed the first Esterházy, a great landowner in the two movements of his last string quartet, Kingdom of Hungary, then a part of the op.103, in 1803, he could no longer Austro-Hungarian Empire. The compose. In 1805, he abandoned all 29-year-old Haydn would serve the thought of completing the quartet and he Esterházys for some thirty years. The next affixed a card with the words “All my year, Prince Paul Anton died and Prince power has gone, I am old and weakened” Nikolaus I, a brilliant, enlightened despot to the score. and a music lover, succeeded him. The In this paper, I introduce the aged Kapellmeister, Gregor Werner, was concept of depression-dementia medius,1 engaged in only church music, and presenting the last days of Haydn2 as an leaving Haydn involved in all the other example. jobs that the Kapellmeister was required to perform. When Werner died in 1766, 2. THE LIFE OF HAYDN Haydn was elevated to full Kapellmeister and he composed a flood of works. Joseph Haydn, the son of a craftsman in In 1790, Prince Nikolaus died and Rohrau, Austria, received musical was succeeded as prince by his son Anton, training from his uncle Johann Matthias who lacked interest in music. Haydn Frankh, a schoolmaster and choirmaster became only a nominal Kapellmeister and in Hainburg, 12 kilometers away from his this gave him some freedom, allowing

Medical Research Archives. Volume 5, issue 9. September 2017.

The Last Years of Joseph Haydn in the Light of Depression-dementia Medius him to move to Vienna and compose for a frogs, complaining that it was in bad broader range of people. Two of Haydn's taste.4 journeys to London in his later years are Notwithstanding this, Haydn significant. During this period he completed The Seasons in 1801, and it composed the twelve symphonies known also received great acclaim. Although as the London (or Salomon) Symphonies, Haydn would compose two more including the Clock, Surprise, and large-scale works following The London symphonies. Seasons—the Creation Mass and During Haydn's second journey to Harmoniemesse—he became aware of a London, Prince Anton died. Haydn's decline in his creativity that had occurred fourth lord, Nikolaus II, wanted to revive during his composition of the oratorio. He the musical glory of Nikolaus I, and his wrote in a letter to the publisher Breitkopf interests in church music led Haydn to und Härtel in 1799: “because of my compose six great masses and an oratorio, impeding old age, and declining mental Die Schöpfung (The Creation). capacity, I can only fulfill the smallest part of my business […] some days my 3. HAYDN’S FINAL DAYS weak memory and the deterioration of my nerves bring me down so much […] that The oratorio The Creation, which was many days afterwards I am lost for composed in collaboration with the ideas.”5, 6 Finally, as has been mentioned librettist Gottfried van Swieten, a above, he could not compose anymore at diplomat, librarian, and government all from 1803. official in Vienna, was premiered in 1798 Haydn believed that he had fully and enthusiastically received. Haydn exhausted himself due to overwork while enjoyed great popularity in Europe, with setting Swieten's lumbering text to music, about 600 compositions published by 125 and that at last he had lost his health.4 publishers. From 1805 to 1808, Albert Baron Swieten planned Haydn's Christoph Dies, a painter and an admirer next oratorio, Die Jahreszeiten (The of Haydn, made a series of thirty visits to Seasons). He assembled financial the old composer to write his biography. sponsors and offered a libretto he had During this period, Haydn kept up his written himself to Haydn. However, lifestyle and on every visit he greeted Haydn was reluctant to compose to the Dies en grande tenue, except when he text, observing: "In The Creation the declined a meeting because of bad health. characters are angels. Now they are mere Haydn sometimes had trouble in walking, farmers."3 He felt the tone-painting and and was easily disturbed and moved to simulating expressions of the text tears. He despaired over the weakness of bothersome. Above all, he was opposed his memory and sometimes he actually to Swieten's inclusion of the croaking of forgot the reason for Dies's visit, although

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The Last Years of Joseph Haydn in the Light of Depression-dementia Medius he could recall the past well. But he could that he had subcortical vascular not compose at all. He told Georg August encephalopathy,6 which was once called Griesinger, another of his biographers, Binswanger's disease. However, his "My memory is gone, sometimes I still mental state did not fit the description of have some good ideas at the piano, but I a dementia or a depression. could cry, as I am not capable any more According to Dies's account,4 the of repeating them or writing them aging Haydn could disguise his bad mood down."6 He sometimes even had musical from visitors and he seemed to keep his hallucinations.4 character even in the very month of his However, Haydn's condition death. His memory became poorer, but he swung back and forth; he could still write did not show behavioral disturbance. His a letter in December 18083 and even servants made a point of driving away his played the piano when he felt well. The gloomy moods, because he was prone to last handwritten remark in his diary is fall into them. However, he was not still legible only a few months before his apparently demented or depressed. death.6 Dies pointed out that Haydn Haydn was taught, and acclaimed, "seems to take delight in picturing his cleanliness and order, and he once said own state of health worse than it really his way of working was to write down is."4 what he thought good and then arrange it On May 10, 1809, when the following the rules of harmonics.4 N. Ito, French army under Napoleon approached a musicologist, gave a plausible the borders of Vienna, four cannonballs description of Haydn' s music: works by detonated very close to Haydn's house. Haydn are not like a lavishly produced Haydn was absolutely horrified by this, dinner at a suit-and-tie restaurant, but but he gathered all his courage together more like a potluck meal (albeit a fine and screamed to reassure his servants: one) cooked in a limited time.7 In his later "Children, don't be afraid. Where Haydn life, Haydn still found good musical is, nothing can happen to you!"4 On May ideas,5 but he could not repeat them and 26, he played his beloved Kaiserlied three write them down.5 But this issue is times expressively. He passed away with possibly not a matter of memory. When his loyal servants at his side on May 31, he had a motif, Haydn could not put it aged 77. into a musical structure, including forms and harmonies, following the rules of 4. NOT DEPRESSED NOR cleanliness and order. If things went DEMENTED wrong, he said: "A lot of motifs always give chase to me as if to torture me".4 It We have no problem when considering was not that he caught musical motifs but Haydn's physical condition in his later rather that the motifs caught him. This years. Bäzner and Hennerici supposed complaint suggests musical hallucinations,

Medical Research Archives. Volume 5, issue 9. September 2017.

The Last Years of Joseph Haydn in the Light of Depression-dementia Medius though we can illuminate this in another required the highest psychological tension. way by applying P. Janet's concept of To revisit Ito's metaphor, Haydn's music psychological force (force psychologique) is a "potluck meal" rather than a lavish and psychological tension (tension dinner. In contrast to "lavish dinner" psychologique).8 music, which can be produced by lavishly To evaluate human mental activity, spending psychological force, this Janet introduced two parameters: potluck music can be produced only psychological force and psychological under the highest psychological tension: tension. Psychological force in this view with the cool-headed management of is nearly identical to biological power, limited assets. which every individual naturally As a court musician, Haydn's embodies and which provides a platform daily composition was subjected to for abilities involving swift, long-lasting, various restraints, including performance and multi-faceted action. Psychological time, musical genres, and the performers tension indicates the ability to use available, and he aimed to get the best psychological force to drive appropriate results. However, Haydn would not have behavior in social situations. Greater had an absolute ideal image of a psychological tension is required to composition in his mind before perform more complex and more varied composing it.7 He composed music like operations. Janet compared psychological calligraphy, something unmodifiable after force and tension to assets and its starting out, "hoping to reach an management, or to military strength and unpredictable frontier, catching a wave of strategy. slippage and gaps which calligraphy In Haydn's case, although motifs inevitably produces. He concentrated on equivalent to military strength or assets coming to such a frontier."7 Such work come to mind, Haydn could not utilize required high psychological tension, strategy or management. Thus, musical which Haydn had to maintain over his motifs were beyond his control and did entire career. It is no wonder that he not settle in his compositions, or finally became completely exhausted. sometimes became hallucinations. Janet points out that exhaustion after 5. DEPRESSION-DEMENTIA psychological stress is the major cause of MEDIUS declining psychological tension.9 Haydn's complaint that composing The Seasons Depression and dementia are both affected his health was not the mere common conditions in clinical practice. grumbling of an old man. It was an astute Both sometimes coexist, they can statement. sometimes succeed each other, and they If we think back, we see that often confuse clinicians. Recently a Haydn's composing process itself considerable number of studies have

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The Last Years of Joseph Haydn in the Light of Depression-dementia Medius shown early-life depression being sensible to view depressive associated with an increased risk of pseudodementia12 and depression in dementia, and late-life depression being a dementias as being located on a spectrum, prodrome of dementia.10 However, the that is, in "depression-dementia medius" mechanisms involved are not (Figure 1).1 When we consider the straightforward. manifestation of dementia symptoms, we The suggestion arising from our must look at it from the viewpoint of this clinical experiences that depression and dynamic equilibrium. As to depressive dementia are often not clearly pseudodementia, depressive states cause distinguishable states, but rather may the temporary decline of psychological coexist or interpenetrate each other, led to tension and subsequently reveal latent the concept of depression-dementia dementia. In contrast, recovery or medius.1 When we regard human life as a psychological tension can mean psychosomatic complex in a state of compensating for latent dementia. incessant dynamic equilibrium,11 it seems

Medical Research Archives. Volume 5, issue 9. September 2017.

The Last Years of Joseph Haydn in the Light of Depression-dementia Medius

Aging itself and other meaning that the same tasks require circumstantial factors can shift the curve higher psychological tension or reveal on the spectrum to the right (Figure 2), latent dementia.

The condition of Haydn's central nervous finished The Seasons. Then, Haydn fell system in his last years can be supposed into the field of depression-dementia to have included cerebrovascular lesions medius. However, after Haydn's innate along with the ordinary aging process, but higher psychological tension declined, it Haydn's higher psychological tension still maintained a relatively high level might have compensated for any (Figure 3). insidious cognitive impairment until he

Medical Research Archives. Volume 5, issue 9. September 2017.

The Last Years of Joseph Haydn in the Light of Depression-dementia Medius

He showed no cognitive impairment, but institutionalized elderly people. When the he could not compose his potluck music French army was approaching Vienna, any more. When he temporarily suffered Haydn's psychological tension rose from a depressive mode, latent cognitive temporarily, and he collected all his impairment may have surfaced under psychological power to reassure his conditions of impaired compensation servants. mechanisms in the brain due to functional incapacity caused by depression. When a 6. CONCLUSION patient recovers from depression, cognitive impairment returns to latency. Dementia is usually thought to be an We must detect one more factor irreversible condition. However, we must which kept up Haydn's psychological note that a fair number of patients tension: the circumstances surround him. presenting depressive symptoms are He continued to live in his familiar house instead in the depression-dementia with his familiar servants. A familiar medius, which has the potential to resist environment maintains psychological dementia. The concept of tension, which is often impaired in

Medical Research Archives. Volume 5, issue 9. September 2017.

The Last Years of Joseph Haydn in the Light of Depression-dementia Medius depression-dementia medius provides a comprehensive view of such patients, The author has no conflicts of interest focusing on psycho-social aspects as well directly relevant to the content of this as biological or psychopharmacological article. aspects, and offers the opportunity for better care for elderly people.

Medical Research Archives. Volume 5, issue 9. September 2017.

The Last Years of Joseph Haydn in the Light of Depression-dementia Medius

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