Beaux Arts Trio: Haydn – Complete Piano Trios (9 CD box set, FLAC)

Performer: Beaux Arts Trio: Menahem Pressler, Bernard Greenhouse, Isidore Cohen
Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn
Audio CD
SPARS Code: A-D
Number of Discs: 9 CD box set
Format: FLAC (tracks+cue)
Label: Philips
Size: 2.64 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

CD 01
01. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.37 – 1. Adagio
02. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.37 – 2. Allegro molto
03. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.37 – 3. Menuet
04. Piano Trio in C, H.XV No.C1 – 1. Allegro moderatо
05. Piano Trio in C, H.XV No.C1 – 2. Menuet
06. Piano Trio in C, H.XV No.C1 – 3. Andante con variazioni
07. Piano Trio in G, H.XIV No.6/H.XVI No.6 – 1. Allegro
08. Piano Trio in G, H.XIV No.6/H.XVI No.6 – 2. Adagio
09. Piano Trio in G, H.XIV No.6/H.XVI No.6 – 3. Menuetto
10. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.39 – 1. Allegro
11. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.39 – 2. Andantе
12. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.39 – 3. Allegro
13. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.39 – 4. Menuetto
14. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.39 – 5. Scherzo
15. Piano Trio in G minor, H.XV No.1 – 1. Moderato
16. Piano Trio in G minor, H.XV No.1 – 2. Menuet
17. Piano Trio in G minor, H.XV No.1 – 3. Presto

CD 02
01. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.40 – 1. Moderato
02. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.40 – 2. Menuet
03. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.40 – 3. Finale
04. Piano Trio in G, H.XV No.41 – 1. Allegro
05. Piano Trio in G, H.XV No.41 – 2. Menuet
06. Piano Trio in G, H.XV No.41 – 3. Adagio
07. Piano Trio in G, H.XV No.41 – 4. Finale (presto)
08. Piano Trio in A, H.XV No.35 – 1. Capriccio
09. Piano Trio in A, H.XV No.35 – 2. Menuet
10. Piano Trio in A, H.XV No.35 – 3. Finale (Allegro)
11. Piano Trio in E, H.XV No.34 – 1. Allegro moderato
12. Piano Trio in E, H.XV No.34 – 2. Menuet
13. Piano Trio in E, H.XV No.34 – 3. Finale (Presto)
14. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.36 – 1. Allegro moderato
15. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.36 – 2. Polones
16. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.36 – 3. Finale (Allegro molto)
17. Piano Trio in B flat, H.XV No.38 – 1. Allegro moderato
18. Piano Trio in B flat, H.XV No.38 – 2. Menuet
19. Piano Trio in B flat, H.XV No.38 – 3. Finale (Presto)

CD 03
01. Piano Trio in F minor, H.XV No.f1 – 1. Allegro moderato
02. Piano Trio in F minor, H.XV No.f1 – 2. Menuet
03. Piano Trio in F minor, H.XV No.f1 – 3. Finale
04. Piano Trio in D, H.deest – 1. Allegro molto
05. Piano Trio in C, H.XIV No.C1 – 1. Adagio – Presto
06. Piano Trio in C, H.XIV No.C1 – 2. Menuet
07. Piano Trio in C, H.XIV No.C1 – 3. Finale
08. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.2 – 1. Allegro moderato
09. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.2 – 2. Menuetto (Allegretto)
10. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.2 – 3. Finale (Adagio con variazioni)
11. Piano Trio in G, H.XV No.5 – 1. Adagio non tanto
12. Piano Trio in G, H.XV No.5 – 2. Allegro
13. Piano Trio in G, H.XV No.5 – 3. Allegro
14. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.6 – 1. Vivace
15. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.6 – 2. Tempo di menuetto

CD 04
01. Piano Trio in D, H.XV No.7 – 1. Andante con variazioni
02. Piano Trio in D, H.XV No.7 – 2. Andante
03. Piano Trio in D, H.XV No.7 – 3. Allegro assai
04. Piano Trio in B flat, H.XV No.8 – 1. Allegro moderato
05. Piano Trio in B flat, H.XV No.8 – 2. Tempo di menuetto
06. Piano Trio in A, H.XV No.9 – 1. Adagio
07. Piano Trio in A, H.XV No.9 – 2. Vivace
08. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.10 – 1. Allegro moderato
09. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.10 – 2. Presto
10. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.11 – 1. Allegro moderato
11. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.11 – 2. Tempo di menuetto

CD 05
01. Piano Trio in E minor, H.XV No.12 – 1. Allegro moderato
02. Piano Trio in E minor, H.XV No.12 – 2. Andante
03. Piano Trio in E minor, H.XV No.12 – 3. Rondo (Presto)
04. Piano Trio in C minor, H.XV No.13 – 1. Andante
05. Piano Trio in C minor, H.XV No.13 – 2. Allegro spiritoso
06. Piano Trio in A flat, H.XV No.14 – 1. Allegro moderato
07. Piano Trio in A flat, H.XV No.14 – 2. Adagio
08. Piano Trio in A flat, H.XV No.14 – 3. Rondo (Vivace)
09. Piano Trio in D, H.XV No.16 – 1. Allegro
10. Piano Trio in D, H.XV No.16 – 2. Andantino più tosto allegretto
11. Piano Trio in D, H.XV No.16 – 3. Vivace assai

CD 06
01. Piano Trio in G, H.XV No.15 – 1. Allegro
02. Piano Trio in G, H.XV No.15 – 2. Andante
03. Piano Trio in G, H.XV No.15 – 3. Finale (Allegro moderato)
04. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.17 – 1. Allegro
05. Piano Trio in F, H.XV No.17 – 2. Finale (Tempo di menuetto)
06. Piano Trio in G, H.XV No.32 – 1. Andante
07. Piano Trio in G, H.XV No.32 – 2. Allegro
08. Piano Trio in A, H.XV No.18 – 1. Allegro moderato
09. Piano Trio in A, H.XV No.18 – 2. Andante
10. Piano Trio in A, H.XV No.18 – 3. Allegro
11. Piano Trio in G minor, H.XV No.19 – 1. Andante – Presto
12. Piano Trio in G minor, H.XV No.19 – 2. Adagio, ma non troppo
13. Piano Trio in G minor, H.XV No.19 – 3. Presto

CD 07
01. Piano Trio in B flat, H.XV No.20 – 1. Allegro
02. Piano Trio in B flat, H.XV No.20 – 2. Andante cantabile
03. Piano Trio in B flat, H.XV No.20 – 3. Finale (Allegro)
04. Piano Trio in C, H.XV No.21 – 1. Adagio pastorale – Vivace assai
05. Piano Trio in C, H.XV No.21 – 2. Molto andante
06. Piano Trio in C, H.XV No.21 – 3. Finale (Presto)
07. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.22 – 1. Allegro moderato
08. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.22 – 2. Poco adagio
09. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.22 – 3. Finale (Allegro)
10. Piano Trio in D minor, H.XV No.23 – 1. Molto andante
11. Piano Trio in D minor, H.XV No.23 – 2. Adagio ma non troppo
12. Piano Trio in D minor, H.XV No.23 – 3. Finale (Vivace)

CD 08
01. Piano Trio in D, H.XV No.24 – 1. Allegro
02. Piano Trio in D, H.XV No.24 – 2. Andante
03. Piano Trio in D, H.XV No.24 – 3. Allegro, ma dolce
04. Piano Trio in G, H. XV No.25 – “Gipsy” – 1. Andante
05. Piano Trio in G, H. XV No.25 – “Gipsy” – 2. Poco adagio. Cantabile
06. Piano Trio in G, H. XV No.25 – “Gipsy” – 3. Rondo all’Ongarese (Presto)
07. Piano Trio in F sharp minor, H.XV No.26 – 1. Allegro
08. Piano Trio in F sharp minor, H.XV No.26 – 2. Adagio cantabile
09. Piano Trio in F sharp minor, H.XV No.26 – 3. Tempo di menuetto
10. Piano Trio in E flat minor, H.XV No.31 – 1. Andante cantabile
11. Piano Trio in E flat minor, H.XV No.31 – 2. Allegro

CD 09
01. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.30 – 1. Allegro moderato
02. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.30 – 2. Andante con moto
03. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.30 – 3. Presto
04. Piano Trio in C, H.XV No.27 – 1. Allegro
05. Piano Trio in C, H.XV No.27 – 2. Andante
06. Piano Trio in C, H.XV No.27 – 3. Finale (Presto)
07. Piano Trio in E, H.XV No.28 – 1. Allegro moderato
08. Piano Trio in E, H.XV No.28 – 2. Allegretto
09. Piano Trio in E, H.XV No.28 – 3. Finale (Allegro)
10. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.29 – 1. Poco allegretto
11. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.29 – 2. Andantino ed innocentemente
12. Piano Trio in E flat, H.XV No.29 – 3. Finale: Allemande (Presto assai)

Haydn’s piano trios deserve far more attention than they receive. As music lovers know, they are every bit as rewarding as his symphonies and string quartets, and also very numerous. They are not, however, true trios as we understand the term now. Essentially, Haydn took the sonata for violin and piano and added a cello part to strengthen the weak bass of contemporary pianos. This doesn’t inhibit the quality of the music in any way, but it has prevented modern piano trios from taking them up since the cellist usually wants something more exciting to do. All praise, then, to the Beaux Arts Trio for understanding that musical quality is more important than instrumental display. –David Hurwitz

A particular, perhaps peculiar collection

You’ll see that I’ve given it five stars, so I join in the accolades awarded elsewhere. But the peculiarities of these trios are also noted. Don’t come here if you want a truly trio sound: cello, piano, and violin joyfully trading leads and roles as they swerve through the music. The cello is often barely there — frequently I had to lean in to the speaker to ascertain if the cello was still playing or not.

But I suspect if they had labelled this “Complete-Piano-and-Violin-Duos-With-Some-Cello-On-The-Bass-Line,” it wouldn’t have sold as well. And really, who cares? Every one of these is glorious. As has been noted, there are an awful lot of them. I first listened to them front to start, CD1 to CD 9; somewhere along the line I wondered why I was doing it thus. Because I suspect that henceforth I shall dip into this pool higgledy-piggledy, a trio here and a trio there. Which means that buying this set brings you a lifetime companion, 10-plus hours’ worth, someone you shall learn more of as you grow older.

Well worth it.