"It is impossible to overrate his creative powers." — Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
In his long lifetime, Haydn composed 31 trios scored for piano, violin (or flute, in some instances), and cello. This volume contains 12 of the finest of these masterly chamber works, reflecting the composer's great musical vitality and invention as well as his elegant sense of form. Designated according to the authoritative Hoboken numbering (Group XV of the Thematic Catalog), they are: No. 12 in E Minor, No. 14 in A-flat Major, No. 18 in A Major, No. 23 in D Minor, No. 24 in D Major, No. 25 in G Major, No. 26 in F-sharp Minor, No. 27 in C Major, No. 28 in E Major, No. 29 in E-flat Major, No. 30 in E-flat Major, and No. 31 in E-flat Minor.
As noted in the Preface to this edition, "Haydn's imagination is particularly luxuriant in these trios. Unconstrained by consideration of public effect, as in the symphonies, or by impressive refinements of style as in the quartets, Haydn wrote them for the sheer pleasure of the solo instrumentalists."
Musicians and music lovers will delight in this special compilation of Haydn's most popular piano trios, carefully reprinted from the definitive C. F. Peters Complete Works edition.