Piano Trio in G

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) lived through the flowering of the keyboard as a solo instrument. And for Haydn, particularly after 1760 or so, keyboard meant the newer, hammer-mechanism fortepianos. Music lovers may know that he composed 104 symphonies and over 80 string quartets. He also wrote nearly 60 piano sonatas and 45 piano trios. Among the best known is the so-called “Gypsy” Trio in G major, which takes its moniker from the Hungarian folk inspiration for the finale. The opening Andante is charming, and the slow movement’s tender lyricism comforts and relaxes. But the robust finale clearly trumps both, setting the stage for later “ungarische” explorations by Beethoven, Brahms, and others.

(c) Jason Stell