Joseph Haydn - Klaviertrios, Band II

In the Classical period, and well into the 19th century, piano trios were almost“fashion accessories”; At the end of his life, Haydn could look back proudly at the 39 piano trios which he now left to posterity. Volume II contains the Piano Trios Hob. XV:5–14; which were written between 1784 and 1790. This is the period when Haydn was gradually becoming more comfortable with the “Hammerklavier;” this clearly emerges from the style of piano writing in these pieces. All ten trios bear witness to Haydn’s mastery; they are music for the home, but of a genuinely lofty style and, thanks to their brilliance and variety, perfectly at home in the concert hall as well.