Piano Trio in E minor H.XV/12 (1788)

In August 1788 Haydn promised the Viennese publisher Artaria three new “pianoforte sonatas with accompaniment of a violin and violencello.” Two months later he wrote to him again with the news that “in order to compose your 3 pianoforte sonatas particularly well I had to buy a new fortepiano” and asked him for a loan of 31 gold ducats to pay for it. The composer having discovered a new keyboard instrument, there was even less chance than usual of the violin and cello being liberated from their conventional accompanying role. In fact, the cello would not be set free from doubling the keyboard bass line in any of Haydn’s piano trios. The Trio in E minor, one of those three works for Artaria, is no exception in that respect. As for the violin, while it has a share of the melodic interest, it is allowed scarcely an independent thought.

With the help of his new Schanz fortepiano, however, Haydn did compose the work “particularly well.” The structure of the serious-minded first movement is unusually impressive. It has a broadly conceived exposition, with a comparatively light-hearted second subject in the relative major, a contrapuntally intense development, and a recapitulation that cuts short the first subject to make room for further development of the two main themes. The E major Andante is beautifully written for the piano which, having introduced the siciliano main theme to a pizzicato accompaniment on the strings, elaborates a second subject so seductive in its decorative melodic line that it draws the violin into conversation with it. The momentary slip into minor harmonies on the recapitulatio of the main theme emphasises rather than detracts from its serenity. An E minor episode has a similar effect in confirming the high spirits of the brilliantly scored and rhythmically ingenious rondo finale.

In August 1788 Haydn promised the Viennese publisher Artaria three new “pianoforte sonatas with accompaniment of a violin and violoncello.” Two months later he wrote to him again to tell him that “in order to compose your 3 pianoforte sonatas particularly well I had to buy a new fortepiano,” adding that “since you have long since realised that scholars are sometimes short of money” he would need a loan of 31 gold ducats to pay for it. The composer having acquired a new piano on which to apply his considerable keyboard skill, there was even less chance than when he was writing for harpsichord that the violin and cello would be liberated from their conventional accompanying role. In fact, the cello would not be set free from doubling the keyboard bass line in any of Haydn’s piano trios. The Trio in E minor, one of those three works for Artaria, is no exception in that respect. As for the violin, while it has a share of the melodic interest, it is allowed scarcely an independent thought.

Although Haydn had difficulty in repaying the loan for his new Schanz fortepiano, he liked it so much as to recommend it to others and he did compose the work “particularly well.” The structure of the serious-minded first movement is unusually impressive. It has a broadly conceived exposition, with a comparatively light-hearted second subject in the relative major, a contrapuntally intense development, and a recapitulation that cuts short the first subject to make room for further development of the two main themes. The E major Andante is beautifully written for the piano which, having introduced the siciliano main theme to a pizzicato accompaniment on the strings, elaborates a second subject so seductive in its decorative melodic line that it draws the violin into conversation with it. The momentary slip into minor harmonies on the recapitulation of the main theme emphasises rather than detracts from its serenity. An E minor episode has a similar effect in confirming the high spirits of the brilliantly scored and rhythmically ingenious rondo finale.