Day 110: Of Love Affairs and Gypsies

HaydnCD110Today’s collection of Haydn Piano Trios is uneven and hard to get into.

But there are delights awaiting those who stick with it.

Haydn Piano Trio in D HOB XV:24 opens with an Allegro Movement I that sounds less like an Allegro than anything I’ve ever heard. It’s lugubrious – until about 3/4 through when Bart van Ooort cuts loose on the piano and the notes start flying. Until that point, I was ready to doze off.

Movement II (“Andante”) is a snooze fest from start to finish, as is Movement III (“Allegro ma dolce”), which contrary to its name, is definitely no sweeter.

Haydn Piano Trio in G HOB XV:25 immediately sounds different from what preceded it. And it ends with a totally kick-ass Movement III that earns this trio its nickname “Gypsy.”

Haydn Piano Trio in F Sharp Minor HOB XV:26 is interesting. But not especially compelling. The instruments blend well together, effortlessly climbing, intertwining, and flowing from start to finish. It’s a brilliant composition. Just not one of my favorites.

Piano Trio in G HOB XV:32 consists of just two movements. Even at that, it seems long. It’s great music. But it’s not grabbing my lapels and shaking me.

As were the previous selections, these compositions (except as noted) are brilliantly performed by the Van Swieten Trio, which – on this CD – consists of:

Bart van Oort fortepiano
Franc Polman violin
Job ter Haar cello

Here’s a list of Haydn’s piano trios. The are referred to by their Hoboken catalog names, and their date of composition is not always certain. So I’ll list the probable dates after each composition below, and mention if they’re from his Early Trios era or his Later Trios era.

It should be noticed that three trios (Nos. 24–26) are dedicated to Rebecca Schroeter. One (HOB XV: 25) is nicknamed “Gypsy.”

Who was Rebecca Schroeter? You’ll be glad you asked because it’s a juicy story:

Rebecca (Scott) Schroeter (1751–1826) was an amateur musician who lived in London during the 18th and early 19th centuries. She was the wife of the German composer Johann Samuel Schroeter, and later, during her years of widowhood, a love interest of Joseph Haydn.

Joseph Haydn, probably the most celebrated composer in Europe in his lifetime, traveled to England during 1791-1792 and 1794-1795, where he led highly successful concerts and composed a number of his best known works, including his last twelve symphonies. He resided in London for most of his stay.

On 29 June, 1791, Rebecca Schroeter wrote Haydn a letter, inviting him to give her a music lesson:

Mrs. Schroeter presents her compliments to Mr. Haydn, and informs him, she is just returned to town, and will be very happy to see him whenever it is convenient for him to give her a lesson. James str. Buckingham Gate. Wednesday, June 29th 1791.

Haydn accepted the invitation. This is the first of 22 letters from Mrs. Schroeter to Haydn, which are preserved not in the originals, but in copies made by Haydn in his so-called “second London notebook”.

The letters indicate that, just like 16 years earlier, Mrs. Schroeter fell in love with her music teacher. These feelings were evidently reciprocated.

There are no letters following Haydn’s departure to England in 1792. On his return in 1794, he rented lodgings at 1 Bury Street, about 10 minutes’ walk from Mrs. Schroeter’s residence, and biographers conjecture that he continued his relationship with her. The two never saw each other again after 1795, when Haydn departed permanently for his home in Austria.

It seems clear, however, that they parted as friends. Shortly before leaving England for the last time in 1795, Haydn wrote a set of three piano trios (H.XV:24-6), considered today by critics as outstanding, and dedicated them to Mrs. Schroeter.

That answers that question. Please visit the Wikipedia article to read more, including excerpts from notes Rebecca wrote to Haydn. Reading them made me feel somewhat voyeuristic. But it really humanized Haydn, and shed new light (and greater appreciation) on his trio of piano trios.

If you want to read the entirety of Rebecca’s letters to Haydn, visit this web site.

So, why did one trio earn the nickname “Gypsy“? If you listen to the composition, you’ll know why. But here’s some background:

Joseph Haydn’s Piano Trio No. 39 in G major Hob. XV/25 was written in 1795. It is perhaps Haydn’s most well-known piano trio and sometimes nicknamed the “Gypsy” or “Gypsy Rondo” trio because of its Rondo finale in ‘Hungarian’ style. It consists of three movements:

Andante
Poco adagio, cantabile
Rondo a l’Ongarese: Presto

The breakout part in Movement III (“Finale: Rondo, in the gypsy style”) immediately makes this trio a FAVORITE. It’s a delightful surprise, a terrific piece of music.

Haydn Piano Trio in D HOB XV:24 (Later Trios, composed 1795. Hayden was 63.)

Haydn Piano Trio in G HOB XV:25 (Later Trios, composed 1795. Hayden was 63.)

NOTE: The above was performed by Trio Wanderer, which consists of Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian (violin), Raphaël Pidoux (violoncello), & Vincent Coq (piano). This is not the Van Swieten Trio performance that I heard this morning.

Haydn Piano Trio in F Sharp Minor HOB XV:26 (Later Trios, composed 1795. Hayden was 63.)

Piano Trio in G HOB XV:32 (Later Trios, composed 1792. Haydn was 60.)

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