Haydn Piano Trios

[Gurn Blanston]

Hob.XV:16 D major is also one of my favorites. But I hope it is not too sinful to suggest a nonHIP version in this thread



Carlos
     

No, not at all. We (the best of us, anyway) are non-judgmental about that sort of thing. It is only important that you hear and enjoy the music. After all, we don't have to sit together and listen...

You might like this version though, Camerata Köln on cpo:

[val]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned them, but the two Trios recorded by Kogan, Gilels and Rostropovitch are a model never reached.

[Gurn Blanston]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned them, but the two Trios recorded by Kogan, Gilels and Rostropovitch are a model never reached.

Val,
Are those different trios than the ones mentioned above by ccar? Doesn't say on the cover so I don't know which they are...

[ccar]

  DOREMI edition (DRH 7921) - Haydn Piano Trios - Gilels Kogan Rostropovich

    Hob.XV:16    1951    Moscow   
                        1959    London      (also available in BBC Legends 4024)
    Hob.XV:19    1952    Moscow     

[Jo498]

I don't have Rosen's book -- the one on Classicism. And I have tried to see the text on-line but failed. But apparently there's a whole chapter on the trios and the claim .. well I dunno exactly. I guess that they are very very great, like Concertos 14 - 24 (but unlike the violin sonatas -- which are less than that)

I think Rosen mainly claims that the late trios are severely underrated and very good pieces that are/were hardly performed because the strings mostly double the piano and esp. the cello part is not very interesting to play.
The comparison with Mozart's piano concertos only seems to refer to the demands on the piano player, I believe. (This is p. 399 of the German translation, he says the late trios and Mozart's concertos are the most brilliant piano works before Beethoven. Which is probably not true anyway but Rosen's tends to ignore minor composers like Clementi or Dussek who wrote very brilliantly for the piano at the same time.)
When do the good ones start? I find Hob.15:12 e minor already a very good piece and more than merely charming. (All the earlier ones are also nice and charming if only occasionally more than that.) This makes about 20 pieces "lateish" (the numbers beyond 15:32 are actually early pieces again).
Overall even the great late ones are usually "lighter" in tone than some of the string quartets but this does not exclude "deep" movements; the great slow movement of symphony 102 started in a trio (15:26 f# minor).

[ShineyMcShineShine]

I went with Patrick Cohen, Erich Hobarth, and Christophe Coin on Harmonia Mundi. They didn't record all of the trios, but four discs is enough for me and I thought they sounded best of all the recordings I heard.

[Gurn Blanston]

I went with Patrick Cohen, Erich Hobarth, and Christophe Coin on Harmonia Mundi. They didn't record all of the trios, but four discs is enough for me and I thought they sounded best of all the recordings I heard.

Those are excellent, very commendable. Actually there are 6 disks, 5 of them with violin and the 6th with the flute trios.

And even though I disagree with the idea that the early works are in some way inferior, these begin at Hob 15:12 and continue to the end (Hob 15:29).  The trios he wrote in the mid-1780's (Hob 5-14) are all first rate music too, and it's sad to have them left out. Trio 1790 do them on Disk 1 of their set, definitely a winner!

[Jo498]

Of the HIP recordings I have heard (Van Swieten, 1790 (about half), Levin/Beths/Bylsma and 2 disks with Cohen/Höbarth/Coin) the last one has the "warmest" and fullest sound, so I can understand the preference. However, I think the other HIPster have a little more energy in the faster pieces and and a leaner sound has sometimes also advantages. But Cohen et al. are quite unique both in sound and in their somewhat leisurely relaxed approach.

[Que]

Another vote for the Van Swieten Trio!
Really great performances, beautifully recorded and a complete set for a very nice price.

I'd leave the "modern" renditions (BAT) for what they are - as can be expected of non-HIP Haydn: rather out-of-character IMO. 

Q

Ten years ago, I recommended the Van Swieten Trio (Brilliant).... Since then, I switched allegiances:

[asin]B005XP612S[/asin]

In addition, it's quite different compared to the van Swieten Trio, both in terms of instruments (harpsichord for the early trios) and performance (quite more "alert" than the interpretation on Brilliant Classics).

I got the set by the Van Swieten Trio first, and hugely enjoyed it! But I have to say that the Trio 1790 takes it to another level. It is not just the more varied instruments, it is the level of intensity,  the nuance in playing, the expressiveness. I would describe the Van Swieten as a more "mellow" approach... Trio 1790 grabs me...

Q

[Jo498]

With the complete box available cheaply the Trio 1790 is certainly a top recommendation. While they are probably more correct with the harpsichord in the early pieces, I also like to have them with fortepiano. I probably should compare their disks of later pieces with the Van Swieten. Back when I bought the latter the 1790 was still in progress and I did not find the two disks I had better than the Van Swieten. Actually, I seem to recall that I found the slightly more mellow sound (esp. of the keyboard) preferable to the 1790... it was not a very strong preference but the former had both completeness and price as advantage.
Cohen/Höbarth/Coin certainly take the mellowness to another level, they are far more different from both Van Swieten and 1790 than the last two are between each other.

[SergeCpp]

Haydn Piano Trios — Mendelssohn Piano Trio

[ Vol. 1 | Vol. 2 | Vol. 3 | Vol. 4 | Vol. 5 | Vol. 6 | Vol. 7 | Vol. 8 ]

39 Trios (recorded)
—
1, 2, —, —, 5, 6, 7, (lost), (lost), 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, —
—, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45

No. 3 in G major, Hoboken XIV:6 (composed 1767)
No. 4 in F major, Hoboken XV:39 (composed 1767)
—
No. 8 in D major, Hoboken XV:33 (lost) (composed 1771; possibly 1760)
No. 9 in D major, Hoboken XV:D1 (lost) (composed 1771)
—
No. 15 in D major, Hoboken XV:deest
No. 16 in C major, Hoboken XIV:C1 (composed 1766; possibly 1760)

Numbering and other information — from Wikipedia page List of piano trios by Joseph Haydn.

//

[SonicMan46]

Ten years ago, I recommended the Van Swieten Trio (Brilliant).... Since then, I switched allegiances:

   

Note that this quote is from Que in 2018 indicating a preference for Trio 1790 in the 'period instrument' category - thought that I would revisit my collection of Papa Haydn's Piano Trios; currently own the three sets above - I'd like to cull out one set just to give me some storage, so having listened this morning to several discs of each box, I'd have to concur w/ Que, i.e. I prefer Trio 1790 over the Van Swieten Trio (been reading some reviews which helped me make a choice - attached for those interested).  As to Haydn Trio Eisenstadt on a modern piano - well, in this transitional instrument era, I often like to have both a PI and a MI version of works that qualify.  For further reading, there is a nice MusicWeb Essay HERE that discusses most of these releases.

Also, there was a post last year (by SergeCpp) discussing/linking the 8 volumes of these works by the Mendelssohn Piano Trio on Centaur - not sure that these have been put in a box?  At least some volumes are available on Spotify, so will take a listen.  Dave

[71 dB]

Some 20 years ago I felt the World didn't show much love for Haydn's Piano Trios, but this seems to have changed for the better.

I only have the BAT 9 CD set which I bought about 20 years ago for 299.99 mk (mk = Finnish Mark. This was just before Euros and 300 mk is about 50 euros). I enjoy that set a lot. I can't participate in the discussion about other sets.

[staxomega]

For HIP La Gaia Scienza are the best performances I've heard, I wish they'd record them all. I don't find Trio 1790 that engaging. Overall favorite set remains Beaux Arts Trio.

[Mandryka]

For HIP La Gaia Scienza are the best performances I've heard, I wish they'd record them all. I don't find Trio 1790 that engaging. Overall favorite set remains Beaux Arts Trio.

My own favourite, for reasons I can't explain, it just is, is the one with Jerome Hantai. 

[staxomega]

My own favourite, for reasons I can't explain, it just is, is the one with Jerome Hantai.

Superb in Op. 71/2! Just ordered that CD.

[Jo498]

Superb in Op. 71/2!

op.71/2 is a string quartet! Which trio are you referring to?

[staxomega]

op.71/2 is a string quartet! Which trio are you referring to?

You're right, I've even had the Auryn Quartet cycle in my heavy rotation since last year so that was a really half awake response.

It was Trio 36 I listened to.

edit: Auvidis has it wrong on the back of the CD, my mistake for not spending a fraction thinking about it.