I listened to this CD three times today, as background while I graded papers and watched through the window at Panera as more record snow and freezing temperatures made our lives hell.

All three times I noted the same passages as being standouts.

And I didn’t know I was doing that.

I was just listening along when something would jump out at me. So I reached for my pen and paper to write down which track it was and – surprise! – it was the same track each time.

That tells me (a) I’m stuck in a rut and only like what I really, really like, and/or (b) once I hear something, it remains indelibly etched in my brain, and/or (c) these objectively are standout performances.

The tracks are:

Track Three: Movement III (“Finale: Allegro”) from Baryton Trio No. 53 in G

Track Five: Movement II (“Menuet: Un poco allegretto”) from Baryton Trio No. 54 in D FAVORITE!

Track Twenty: Movement II (“Allegro”) from Baryton Trio No. 59 in G  FAVORITE!

The rest of the music was adequate. But something in each of those movements, uh, moved me – enough to cause me to write them down for future reference.

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

Michael Brussing baryton
Andras Bolyki viola
Maria Andrasfalvy-Brussing cello

Below is what I listened to this morning. NOTE: I don’t know if people didn’t keep track of such things back then, or if these are just too old. But the date of composition on these seems to be nebulous, anywhere from 1766 to 1776, give or take. Haydn was in his early thirties for most of these. Give or take.

Haydn Baryton Trio No. 53 in G

Haydn Baryton Trio No. 54 in D

Haydn Baryton Trio No. 55 in G

Haydn Baryton Trio No. 56 in D

Haydn Bayrton Trio No. 57 in A

Haydn Baryton Trio No. 58 in D

Haydn Baryton Trio No. 59 in G