On more than one occasion the great composer Joseph Haydn remarked that he became well known in his own country only after he had made two visits to London in the 1790s. Although he was connected with the Esterházy court for over 40 years and his music was performed in many of Europe's major cities, London was to be the only European city, apart from Vienna, to welcome the composer in person. The essays in this volume examine the relationship between the composer and the commercial, political and social world and help explain the unparalleled popularity Hadyn and his music have enjoyed ever since.