Haydn: Piano Trio No. 41 in E flat minor, Hob.XV:31

Haydn’s ‘piano trios’ (as his accompanied piano sonatas are known) are among the most delightful and inventive of all his works. They have a ‘domestic’ reputation, and indeed they were intended for playing at home. But we make a mistake if we think that this meant that Haydn expected music-making of limited accomplishment. Many outstanding musicians of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries never performed in public for one simple reason: they were women. Who knows how many gifted women musicians were denied opportunities that their male counterparts enjoyed. But when it comes to pianists, we can at least get some idea of their talents from the music that was written for them.

Among the women pianists whom Haydn met while he was in London in the 1790s, one of the most highly-regarded was Therese Jansen, a pupil of Clementi. Haydn named her as among the capital’s most important pianists. Haydn wrote for her a set of three piano trios which were published in London in 1797—Hob XV:28 and 29 on this disc, and No 27 in C major (on Hyperion CDA67719). The challenging piano parts suggests that she must have been a very fine performer—and indeed the string-writing is no less demanding. They are not only virtuoso works, but have an exceptionally wide range of expression.

The Florestan Trio, with their magnificent pianist Susan Tomes, dazzle in this repertoire. Their first disc of Haydn’s piano trios was enthusiastically acclaimed (see below) and this release is sure to follow its critical and commercial success.

These wonderful performances of Haydn's Piano Trios - eight in all, across the two volumes - have long been unavailable. They were enthusiastically greeted by Richard Wigmore with the following words upon their first appearance and are now reissued at super-budget price.

The Piano Trios, written between 1784 and 1797, represent Haydn’s art at its most enjoyable and fresh.

Three of the trios in this disc were dedicated to Rebecca Schroeter, who lived in London and was a close friend of the composer. The F sharp minor contains a version of the Adagio of Symphony No. 102, which it has been suggested was a favourite of hers. And the G major sports the famous ‘Gypsy Rondo’ finale (Rondo all’Ongarese), one of the most ebullient and best loved movements in the entire repertoire.

Haydn’s Piano trios are split into two sets, his early and late trios, the former seldom played except in the context of complete editions. The latter reflect the composer's full musical maturity and are greatly admired by critics. This complete set, new to Phoenix Edition collates all the works on 8 CDs released in good time to commemorate the forthcoming bicentenary anniversary of Haydn’s death in 2009.

Haydn’s early trios were composed in the mid-1750s when Haydn was Musical Director for Count Morzin. Haydn composed these in the style of baroque trio sonatas and he mostly chose “Divertimento”, “Capriccio” or “Partita” as a title. This makes it more difficult to determine how many works were specifically piano trios. In contrast to the earlier trios, the compositions from the 1780s and 1790s have titles such as “Sonate” or “Sonata” – the trios are representative of the genre “piano sonata with accompaniment” in which the piano was the focus of attention. These “late trios” are consistently more polished and demand far more virtuosity from the musicians.

Complete recordings give the listener an insight into the development of the genre itself but also Haydn’s ever more polished musical language and instrumentation. This complete box is performed by the multi award-winning Haydn Trio Eisenstadt who provide clear evidence here that every opus is a long way from being written off as “utility music”.

"The Haydn Trio Eisenstadt...are unfailingly stylish” Gramophone on a previous recording by the Haydn Trio Eisenstadt

Complete Piano Trios - A boxed set of 9 CDs with one new booklet for a special price!

Haydn’s Piano Trios in a nine CD boxed set performed on period instruments by the highly acclaimed Trio 1790.