Haydn Piano Trios - music new to me

[Barbirollians]

I have to admit that I do not know this music at all .

In Presto's recent Hyperion sale the Florestan's recordings of some Haydn piano trios were reduced to half price so I bought a couple of CDS .

Volume 1 includes HB 24-27 and what wonderful joyful cheering music this is on a stormy Sunday morning .

Any favourite trios and performances forumites ?

[LMcD]

I have to admit that I do not know this music at all .

In Presto's recent Hyperion sale the Florestan's recordings of some Haydn piano trios were reduced to half price so I bought a couple of CDS .

Volume 1 includes HB 24-27 and what wonderful joyful cheering music this is on a stormy Sunday morning .

Any favourite trios and performances forumites ?

I think that can be said of just about every one of his piano trios.

[vinteuil]

what wonderful joyful cheering music this is

... many thanks for the reminder - I haven't listened to them properly for ages, but there was a time when I thought they were just the most perfect life-enhancing pieces of music, and listened to them endlessly. I began with the lovely Beaux-Arts set ; nowadays I wd probably go for period performers (Cohen/Hobarth/Coin, Trio 1790, &c). The Florestans are lovely too, as are the Wanderers.

It irritates me so much that Radio 3 seems to think he only wrote one - nay, only one movement of one, the 'Gipsy' rondo : there is, as you are discovering, a whole mine of treasure there






.

[Sir Velo]

This is probably my favourite set.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9326709--haydn-trios-avec-piano

[smittims]

I too have learned to love the Haydn piano trios, a wonderfully satisfying body of music which is (to borrow a phrase form another context) the very essence of well-being .

Before they were systematicaly recorded in the Lp era,the one 'classic' set was the G major , Hob. VVI : 25, by Cortot, Thibaud and Casals, which I listened to repeatedly on my father's 10" 78s. I didn't catch up with the rest until I herad the Beaux Arts play some at the QEH over 40 years ago.

The decline of the piano trio medium is, I think, to be regretted. There are a few 20thcentury good 'uns by Ravel, Shostakovitch and Ives , and I treasure the single examples by Hugh Wood and Huw Watkins. But the Beaux Arts Haydn set is true 'Desert Island ' listening.

[Pulcinella]

I'm afraid that the piano trio format seldom appeals to me, not least as I can't get this quote from The Green Man out of my head when I think of or hear one:

Hawkins:
[to three lady musicians playing in the lounge of the "Green Man" inn] Ladies! I've never heard a trio play with such brio! And, after that perfectly-judged andantino, perhaps you'd join me in a little vino?

That said, I don't know the Ives, but certainly like the Ravel and DSCH.

[LMcD]

I'm afraid that the piano trio format seldom appeals to me, not least as I can't get this quote from The Green Man out of my head when I think of or hear one:

Hawkins:
[to three lady musicians playing in the lounge of the "Green Man" inn] Ladies! I've never heard a trio play with such brio! And, after that perfectly-judged andantino, perhaps you'd join me in a little vino?

That said, I don't know the Ives, but certainly like the Ravel and DSCH.

There's a fine recording on Naxos by the Gould Piano Trio of John Ireland's works for piano trio, and what is arguably an even finer Chandos 2-CD set of his chamber works with Lydia Mordkovitch, Karine Georgian and Ian Brown.

[Pulcinella]

There's a fine recording on Naxos by the Gould Piano Trio of John Ireland's works for piano trio, and what is arguably an even finer Chandos 2-CD set of his chamber works with Lydia Mordkovitch, Karine Georgian and Ian Brown.

Ah: I'd forgotten them, which I have in a Lyrita 3CD set.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7957051--john-ireland-sextet-trios-sonatas

The Naxos version of the Ravel (c/w trios by Debussy and Schmitt) is labelled Volume 1, but I don't think a successor has ever appeared.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7954610--french-piano-trios-vol-1

Apologies to Barbirollians for straying away from Haydn.

[smittims]

Thanks, LMcD. To my shame I should have mentioned Ireland's trios . The 'Phantasie' trio has always been a favourite of mine: truly, music that speaks from the heart. .

[gurnemanz]

Back to Haydn ... In 2006 I acquired for a snip the Brilliant Classics 10CD box of Complete Piano Trios from the Van Swieten Trio and have greatly enjoyed dipping into them ever since (nla but still around second hand). The Trios date from 1760 to 1797 and the piano tends to dominate with other instruments often doubling its part and the indefatigable Bart van Oort on fortepiano uses different instruments to reflect contemporary keyboard development. Charles Rosen describes theTrios as "along with Mozart concertos, the most brilliant piano works before Beethoven".

[silvestrione]

Back to Haydn ... In 2006 I acquired for a snip the Brilliant Classics 10CD box of Complete Piano Trios from the Van Swieten Trio and have greatly enjoyed dipping into them ever since (nla but still around second hand). The Trios date from 1760 to 1797 and the piano tends to dominate with other instruments often doubling its part and the indefatigable Bart van Oort on fortepiano uses different instruments to reflect contemporary keyboard development. Charles Rosen describes theTrios as "along with Mozart concertos, the most brilliant piano works before Beethoven".

Ah yes, I thought I remembered high praise from Rosen. The drawback is just that, 'brilliant piano works'...not so interesting for the violinist or cellist!

[Mandryka]

I too have learned to love the Haydn piano trios, a wonderfully satisfying body of music which is (to borrow a phrase form another context) the very essence of well-being .

Before they were systematicaly recorded in the Lp era,the one 'classic' set was the G major , Hob. VVI : 25, by Cortot, Thibaud and Casals, which I listened to repeatedly on my father's 10" 78s. I didn't catch up with the rest until I herad the Beaux Arts play some at the QEH over 40 years ago.

The decline of the piano trio medium is, I think, to be regretted. There are a few 20thcentury good 'uns by Ravel, Shostakovitch and Ives , .

I prefer the Sviridov to the Shostakovich. I just think it's more interesting music!

[MickyD]

Back to Haydn ... In 2006 I acquired for a snip the Brilliant Classics 10CD box of Complete Piano Trios from the Van Swieten Trio and have greatly enjoyed dipping into them ever since (nla but still around second hand). The Trios date from 1760 to 1797 and the piano tends to dominate with other instruments often doubling its part and the indefatigable Bart van Oort on fortepiano uses different instruments to reflect contemporary keyboard development. Charles Rosen describes theTrios as "along with Mozart concertos, the most brilliant piano works before Beethoven".

Yes, I'd recommend that set very highly too. In fact I like all that Bart van Oort has done for Brilliant Classics - his mammoth 14 CD box of Mozart piano music is very good indeed, a worthy rival to Brautigam in my opinion.

[oliver sudden]

I too have learned to love the Haydn piano trios, a wonderfully satisfying body of music which is (to borrow a phrase form another context) the very essence of well-being .

Before they were systematicaly recorded in the Lp era,the one 'classic' set was the G major , Hob. VVI : 25, by Cortot, Thibaud and Casals, which I listened to repeatedly on my father's 10" 78s. I didn't catch up with the rest until I herad the Beaux Arts play some at the QEH over 40 years ago.

The decline of the piano trio medium is, I think, to be regretted. There are a few 20thcentury good 'uns by Ravel, Shostakovitch and Ives , and I treasure the single examples by Hugh Wood and Huw Watkins. But the Beaux Arts Haydn set is true 'Desert Island ' listening.

There is a very fine trio by Enno Poppe called ‘Trauben’, and an absolutely extraordinary one by a chap called Joseph Andrew Lake of whom you will certainly not have heard but here are my colleagues playing it (which I suppose already counts as a conflict-of-interest disclaimer?)…

https://www.musikfabrik.eu/en/label/work/lake-epiphanous-dim/

[Mandryka]

There is a very fine trio by Enno Poppe called ‘Trauben’, and an absolutely extraordinary one by a chap called Joseph Andrew Lake of whom you will certainly not have heard but here are my colleagues playing it (which I suppose already counts as a conflict-of-interest disclaimer?)…

https://www.musikfabrik.eu/en/label/...piphanous-dim/

The Poppe is one of the few pieces of music which I think is funny, makes me laugh. That probably just shows that I'm weird.


By the way, I just noticed that there's a new recording of Rihm's Fremde Szenen with Irvin Arditti.