I’m going to have to do some research on the baryton.

I’d like to know why 95% of Haydn’s baryton trios to which I’ve listened so far were written in the key of A.

Is that just an easy key in which to play? Was the baryton made for the key of A?

I’ve seen a couple of keys of D.

But mostly A.

That strikes me as odd.

So there must be a reason, right?

There is.

And I missed it the last time I perused this entry on Wikipedia:

John Hsu estimates that the Prince [Esterhazy] was probably not a virtuoso on his instrument, judging from the difficulty of Haydn’s writing. The composer used only the top five of the seven bowed strings, and seldom required the player to pluck and bow simultaneously. The keys chosen are also the simplest to play in: D major and the neighboring keys of G major and A major.

And there you have it.

The keys in which Haydn composed were the “easy” ones for Prince Esterhazy to play on his own instrument.

While this may have pleased the Prince no end (and kept Haynd gainfully employed), it makes for listening at this date a bit of a chore because all of these trios sound the same. Very little variation in tempo. Hardly any variation in key.

So, there’s not much for me to write about other than the background on the instrument or the Prince.

Sorry.

Here are the members of the Esterhazy Ensemble playing today’s Baryton Trios:

Michael Brussing baryton
Andras Bolyki viola
Maria Andrasfalvy-Brussing cello

Here’s what I listened to this morning. NOTE: One was composed between 1765 and 1773. The others – Nos. 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 24 – are unknown in their composition date. Haydn was 33 – 41 years of age. for No. 17 and likely about that age for the others.

Here’s what I listened to today:

Haydn Baryton Trio No. 15 in A

Haydn Baryton Trio No. 16 in A

Haydn Baryton Trio No. 17 in D (Composed before 1773)

Haydn Baryton Trio No. 19 in A

Haydn Baryton Trio No. 20 in D

Haydn Baryton Trio No. 21 in A

Haydn Baryton Trio No. 24 in D