Haydn wrote a larger number of almost everything than almost any other composer, including symphonies, string quartets, keyboard trios and curiosities such as baryton trios. At the time there was a trend to move away from the use of harpsichords towards the fortepiano and eventually something similar to modern pianos.
Do we know whether the keyboard trios were written for harpsichord, fortepiano, or simply a generic keyboard, or whether they were intended to be played on a piano like instrument? Often we see references to Haydn's piano sonatas, or Haydn's piano trios, yet it is possibly likely that some of these pieces were not written for piano, or that they were written for keyboard - with the player making a decision as to what instrument to use for performance. We can see that Mozart was keeping up with developments in instrument manufacture and design, and certainly many of his sonatas would have been written for piano, and similarly for Beethoven. What do we know about Haydn's use of keyboards?
Do we know whether the keyboard trios were written for harpsichord, fortepiano, or simply a generic keyboard, or whether they were intended to be played on a piano like instrument? Often we see references to Haydn's piano sonatas, or Haydn's piano trios, yet it is possibly likely that some of these pieces were not written for piano, or that they were written for keyboard - with the player making a decision as to what instrument to use for performance. We can see that Mozart was keeping up with developments in instrument manufacture and design, and certainly many of his sonatas would have been written for piano, and similarly for Beethoven. What do we know about Haydn's use of keyboards?
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