Would you play Haydn in the same style as Mozart? For example, Mozart is generally restrained and controlled, whereas I've heard Haydn being played a lot more 'energetically'.

If anything I've always considered Mozart more energetic. I'm not so familiar with their piano music though, so it might be different.

Probably because in many of Haydn music got lots of dotted quaver or dotted semiquaver followed by semiquaver or demisemiquaver which make it sound a bit more energetic. When you play many of Mozart and Haydn piano pieces you hand just doesn't feel the same even you try to.

A very interesting and subtle question, not that I can really hope to answer it.

I've been listening to the two composers' sets of string quartets, and one key distinguishing factor between them is the wonderful wit and humour of Haydn. This is not a common quality in music, and Haydn has it in abundance. Mozart has elegance, depth, beauty and charm, but Haydn astonishes and amuses with his cheeky pauses, unexpected modulations, and so on. Therefore, I think, if you have to play a Haydn piece that has these qualities (and not all of them do of course), then you should bring that out.

To answer your question about "style", in the strict terms of performance practice then I don't see strong differences between them as they were largely contemporaries. Content is another question of course...

in my opinion, interpretating Mozart and Haydn in the same way is like playing a snare drum and piano the same way. Both have different qualities which need a specific interpretation to be played effectively

In one of their sample Viva Voce answers, the AB describes Haydn as a 'romantic before his time'. Any thoughts?

haydn's music was simpler than mozarts - however was lively - i always feel there are 2 characters playfully getting at each other in his piano music.

Mozart is probably more elegant and wrote more complex music.

Im not really an expert though

Hmmmm. Well, that's news to me, but as I don't have the full text here I can't really comment further. If one uses a "family tree" type of argument, one could claim that Haydn influenced Beethoven who then influenced Schubert, and because indisputably Schubert was a Romantic then Haydn is one "before his time": but that's a really weak argument.

Of the two composers, I'd be inclined to say Mozart was the most proto-romantic if were thinking in terms of emotional expression. In particular, the Mozart operas are still on the stage after 200 years due to their unrivalled portrayal of the human condition in Don Giovanni. Figaro, Cosi and so on.

Obviously, you cannot approach a Mozart and Haydn the same way, but it is a good question.

In my opinion, Mozart is more light and elegant, while Haydn is more lively and energetic. Generally, they have a lot of similarities though, such as difficult running passages and other things often found in classical music. However, I still think Haydn is a bit more technical and Mozart more complex.

I don't know why but I don't like Mozart that much...I mean he's good and everything but I don't like him as much as I like other composer's stuff... e.g. Beethoven!! And I like some stuff by haydn too.

I can't really judge as i havent heard enough Haydn...but Mozart definitely ROCKS!