Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809)
Trio in D major, for Flute, Cello, and Piano (1790)
It can be hard to fathom the sheer amount of music Franz Josef Haydn wrote. His catalogue counts at least 108 symphonies (a couple of which are now lost), 83 string quartets, nine violin concertos, and 13 operas, in addition to masses, oratorios, dances, songs, concertos for various other instruments (including trumpet, cello, oboe, and keyboard), and additional music for chamber ensembles. Many of these works are innovative and came to define their respective genres – Haydn’s often referred to as both the “Father of the Symphony” and the string quartet, after all – but much of his music is also very practical: to read Haydn’s correspondence with publishers and patrons is revealing in that it shows a major composer involved in the rather mundane business of making a living.
Such is the case with the trios for flute, cello, and piano written for the London-based publisher John Bland in early 1790. Bland contracted Haydn to compose three piano trios, but with the flute replacing the traditional violin part, a request that was likely made as a concession to some of Bland’s favorite clients. Haydn complied by composing three trios – in G major, D major, and F major, respectively – in which, following the conventions of the day, the piano dominates, while the flute and cello are given largely obbligato, accompanimental roles.
Like its neighbors, the D major trio is easy on the ears and not terribly difficult to play – it’s music that was intended for capable amateurs, though quite sophisticated in its harmonic language and not devoid of the occasional virtuosic flourish. The first of its three movements is cast in the traditional sonata form and opens with a graceful turn figure that is prominent throughout the movement. After a transition filled with subtle chromaticism, the movement’s second theme begins in the wholly unexpected key of A minor – a classic, jarring Haydn gesture.
The development continues with more Haydn trademarks: sudden pauses, unexpected turns of harmony, modulations to distant key areas, and the like. But the harmonic activity doesn’t really draw attention to itself – it’s a measure of Haydn’s skill as a composer that it all sounds so natural and inevitable.
The trio’s second movement is a delicate Andante in D minor. There’s a lilting, dance-like quality to this music that, as it progresses, becomes increasingly embellished. The movement’s short second half foreshadows – in its chromatic shadings – the world of Schumann and Chopin before leading directly into the finale.
For the last movement Haydn turned to the familiar rondo form, but this is a rondo filled with knowing wit and brilliance. The music again foreshadows 19th-century Romantic composers with its harmonic excursions, and Haydn’s gift for melodic invention is ever present, especially in the clever bridges that lead back to the movement’s recurring main theme.
© Jonathan Blumhofer
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