throughout his whole career, and never more than in this action.

Esterhazy "the Magnificent"

The composer had been rather less than a twelvemonth in his
service when Prince Paul Anton died on the 18th of March 1762. He
was succeeded by his brother Nicolaus, a sort of glorified "Grand
Duke" of Chandos, who rejoiced in the soubriquet of "The
Magnificent." He loved ostentation and glitter above all things,
wearing at times a uniform bedecked with diamonds. But he loved
music as well. More, he was a performer himself, and played the
baryton, a stringed instrument not unlike the viola-da-gamba, in
general use up to the end of the eighteenth century. Haydn
naturally desired to please his prince, and being perpetually
pestered to provide new works for the noble baryton player, he
thought it would flatter him if he himself learnt to handle the
baryton. This proved an unfortunate misreading of "The
Magnificent's" character, for when Haydn at length made his debut
with the instrument, the prince lost no time in letting him
understand that he disapproved of such rivalry. An amusing story
is told of Kraft, the Eisenstadt 'cellist, at this time, who
occasionally played the second baryton. Kraft presented the
prince with a composition into which he had introduced a solo for
himself as second baryton. The prince asked to see the part, and
proceeded to try it over. Coming to a difficult passage, he
exclaimed indignantly: "For the future, write solos only for my
part; it is no credit to you to play better than I; it is your
duty."

Compositions for Baryton