Many of the trios featured in this boxed set testify to the composer’s new interest in the wind instrument, known instead as one of the absolute masters of the string quartet. They were either originally conceived in this way, or transcribed in his own hand, or were published for the first time in England. Could he have intended this choice to honour the particular taste shown for this instrument by London’s aristocratic milieu?… This hypothesis is highly admissible: the transverse flute, in fact, before the great changes in its construction pushed it out of the catalogues of most of the great composers, had ardent followers, including King Frederick II of Prussia, himself a remarkable flautist… And while the difficulty of performance and the originality of the language of these trios may have baffled some performers of the time, they delighted instrumentalists (and composers) justly renowned for their virtuosity, such as the violinist Gavinies in France and the flutist Tromlitz and the violinist Stamitz in Germany.
The music of these nineteen trios is full of wit, verve and agility, tenderness and restrained passion.
Tracklist
CD1
01. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in D Major, Hob. IV:6: I. Adagio cantabile
02. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in D Major, Hob. IV:6: II. Allegro
03. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in D Major, Hob. IV:6: III. Tempo di Menuetto
04. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in G Major, Hob. IV:7: I. Allegro
05. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in G Major, Hob. IV:7: II. Adagio
06. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in G Major, Hob. IV:7: III. Allegro
07. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in C Major, Hob. IV:8: I. Allegro moderato
08. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in C Major, Hob. IV:8: II. Poco Adagio
09. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in C Major, Hob. IV:8: III. Presto
10. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in G Major, Hob. IV:9: I. Adagio
11. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in G Major, Hob. IV:9: II. Scherzo. Allegro
12. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in G Major, Hob. IV:9: III. Presto
13. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in A Major, Hob. IV:10: I. Andante con espressione
14. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in A Major, Hob. IV:10: II. Adagio
15. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in A Major, Hob. IV:10: III. Tempo di Menuetto
16. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in D Major, Hob. IV:11: I. Allegro moderato
17. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in D Major, Hob. IV:11: II. Adagio
18. Divertimento for Flute, Violin & Cello in D Major, Hob. IV:11: III. Vivace
19. Trio for Flute, Cello & Piano in G Major, Hob. XV:15: I. Allegro
20. Trio for Flute, Cello & Piano in G Major, Hob. XV:15: II. Andante
21. Trio for Flute, Cello & Piano in G Major, Hob. XV:15: III. Allegro moderato
CD2
01. Trio for Flute, Cello & Piano in D Major, Hob. XV:16: I. Allegro
02. Trio for Flute, Cello & Piano in D Major, Hob. XV:16: II. Andantino più tosto allegretto
03. Trio for Flute, Cello & Piano in D Major, Hob. XV:16: III. Vivace assai
04. Trio for Flute, Cello & Piano in F Major, Hob. XV:17: I. Allegro
05. Trio for Flute, Cello & Piano in F Major, Hob. XV:17: II. Tempo di minuetto
06. London Trio No. 1 for 2 Flutes & Cello in C Major, Hob. IV:1: I. Allegro moderato
07. London Trio No. 1 for 2 Flutes & Cello in C Major, Hob. IV:1: II. Andante (first version)
08. London Trio No. 1 for 2 Flutes & Cello in C Major, Hob. IV:1: II. Andante (second version)
09. London Trio No. 1 for 2 Flutes & Cello in C Major, Hob. IV:1: III. Finale. Vivace
10. London Trio No. 2 for 2 Flutes & Cello in G Minor, Hob. IV:2: I. Andante. Thema con variazioni
11. London Trio No. 2 for 2 Flutes & Cello in G Minor, Hob. IV:2: II. Allegro
12. London Trio No. 3 for 2 Flutes & Cello in G Major, Hob. IV:3: I. Spirituoso
13. London Trio No. 3 for 2 Flutes & Cello in G Major, Hob. IV:3: II. Andante
14. London Trio No. 3 for 2 Flutes & Cello in G Major, Hob. IV:3: III. Allegro
15. London Trio No. 3 for 2 Flutes & Cello in G Major, Hob. IV:3: London Trio No. 4 for 2 Flutes & Cello in D Major, Hob. IV:4
CD3
01. Baryton Trio in C Major, Hob. XI:82: I. Adagio
02. Baryton Trio in C Major, Hob. XI:82: II. Allegro
03. Baryton Trio in C Major, Hob. XI:82: III. Menuetto
04. Baryton Trio in F Major, Hob. XI:100: I. Allegro
05. Baryton Trio in F Major, Hob. XI:100: II. Menuetto. Allegretto
06. Baryton Trio in F Major, Hob. XI:100: III. Presto
07. Baryton Trio in A Major, Hob. XI:103: I. Moderato
08. Baryton Trio in A Major, Hob. XI:103: II. Allegro
09. Baryton Trio in A Major, Hob. XI:103: II. Menuetto
10. Baryton Trio in C Major, Hob. XI:109: I. Adagio
11. Baryton Trio in C Major, Hob. XI:109: II. Allegro
12. Baryton Trio in C Major, Hob. XI:109: III. Menuetto
13. Baryton Trio in C Major, Hob. XI:110: I. Moderato
14. Baryton Trio in C Major, Hob. XI:110: II. Menuetto
15. Baryton Trio in C Major, Hob. XI:110: III. Scherzo – Presto
16. Baryton Trio in D Major, Hob. XI:118: I. Moderato
17. Baryton Trio in D Major, Hob. XI:118: II. Menuetto
18. Baryton Trio in D Major, Hob. XI:118: III. Finale. Presto