Today’s CD is a bittersweet one for me: It’s the last of Haydn’s piano trios.
I’ve grown accustomed to Haydn’s trios. At first, I wasn’t sure I’d like them. They seemed rudimentary and shallow. But his Later Trios period contains awe-inspiring compositions; like today’s selection, for example.
I was totally blown away by Movement III (“Presto”) of Piano trio in C HOB XV:27. What an astonishing piece of work, especially for pianist Bart van Oort, whose fingers must have been exhausted by the time the movement ended.
The performance on this piece reminds me of famed pianist Glenn Gould. When Gould’s fingers get flying it’s 
something to behold.
Three of today’s trios (Nos. 27–29) are nicknamed “Bartolozzi Trios” and are dedicated to Theresa Jansen (Bartolozzi). From the Wiki article:
Therese Jansen Bartolozzi (ca. 1770 – 1843) was an eminent pianist whose career flourished in London around the end of the 18th century. She was the dedicatee of piano works by a number of famous composers.
That explains why these piano trios are heavy on the piano. They were written for someone who has extraordinary skill. They could be played by no other.
Another standout trio: Movement II (“Allegretto”) from Piano Trio in E HOB XV:28. I swear I’m listening to jazz. The phrasing, the seeming random placement of notes (as if improvised). This is jazz, dudes and dudettes. Haydn created jazz some two centuries before it was supposedly invented in America.
I’ve never heard a piece of Classical music like this in my life. As my British mates would say, I’m gobsmacked.
Piano Trio in E Flat HOB XV:29 opens with a flourish (Movement I: “Poco allegretto”) that settles into a nice little groove of tinkling piano and flourishes of cello and violin.
Clearly, the piano is the star of this show on this CD. And it sounds great. Especially Movement II (“Andantino ed innocentemente”) of the aforementioned trio in E HOB XV:28. It has a gentle, melancholy feel to it that would make a terrific soundtrack to a movie. I can picture a Jesse Stone movie with this as its score. It’s a complex, yet delicate piece of music. (Its Italian meaning is “moderately fast and innocently.”)
Today’s CD is an amazing selection of music, a fitting ending to Haydn’s piano trios…and songs I’ll listen to again.
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.
Here’s what I listened to this morning:
Haydn Piano Trio In C HOB XV:27 (Later Trios, composed 1797. Haydn was 65.)
Haydn Piano Trio in E HOB XV:28 (Later Trios, composed 1797. Haydn was 65.)
Haydn Piano Trio in E Flat HOB XV:29 (Later Trios, composed 1797. Haydn was 65.)
Haydn Piano Trio in E Flat HOB XV:30 (Later Trios, composed 1797. Haydn was 65.)
By the way, in case you couldn’t tell the entire CD qualifies as a FAVORITE.