Come to Papa – Papa Haydn, that is.

Franz Joseph Haydn, affectionately known as “Papa,” was the father of the modern symphony and the modern string quartet, but how much do we really know about the master? As is the case with so many composers, we tend to hear the same pieces over and over again.

Today, on the eve of Haydn’s 285th birthday, we look past the ordinary to get a peripheral view of Papa, with music inspired by Haydn, music by Haydn’s colleagues, and rarely-heard works by Haydn himself.

Other composers we may encounter along the way will include Johannes Brahms, Norman Dello Joio, Marcel Grandjany, Johann Michael Haydn (the composer’s brother), Roman Hoffstetter, Anton Kraft, Andre Previn, Maurice Ravel, Johann Peter Salomon, Alfred Schnittke, Ananda Sukarlan, and Joseph Weigl (Haydn’s godson). We’ll even have a piano concerto by Haydn Wood, who was named for Haydn by his music-mad parents, though they pronounced it “Hayden.”

At 10:00, I’ll be joined by representatives of Boheme Opera NJ, who will talk a little bit about the company’s upcoming production of “Lucia di Lammermoor,” which will be performed at The College of New Jersey’s TCNJ-Kendall Hall on April 7 at 8 p.m. and April 9 at 3 p.m., so we might just hear a selection or two by Donizetti, as well.

It’s a little early for Father’s Day, this morning from 6 to 11 EDT, on WPRB 103.3 FM and wprb.com. All the same, we celebrate Papa Haydn, on Classic Ross Amico.

IMAGE: Franz Joseph Haydn demonstrates that Papa knows best