Haydn: Piano Trios, HOB. XV:14, 18, 21, 26 & 31 Trio Wanderer

• Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809): Piano Trio in A-Flat Major, Hob. XV:14:
• 1 Piano Trio in A-Flat Major, Hob. XV:14: I. Allegro moderato 07:47
• 2 Piano Trio in A-Flat Major, Hob. XV:14: II. Adagio 05:34
• 3 Piano Trio in A-Flat Major, Hob. XV:14: III. Rondo. Vivace 05:32
• Piano Trio in A Major, Hob. XV:18:
• 4 Piano Trio in A Major, Hob. XV:18: I. Allegro moderato 06:47
• 5 Piano Trio in A Major, Hob. XV:18: II. Andante 03:35
• 6 Piano Trio in A Major, Hob. XV:18: III. Allegro 03:31
• Piano Trio in C Major, Hob. XV:21:
• 7 Piano Trio in C Major, Hob. XV:21: I. Adagio pastorale. Vivace assai 04:25
• 8 Piano Trio in C Major, Hob. XV:21: II. Molto andante 04:19
• 9 Piano Trio in C Major, Hob. XV:21: III. Finale. Presto 03:46
• Piano Trio in F-Sharp Minor, Hob. XV:26:
• 10 Piano Trio in F-Sharp Minor, Hob. XV:26: I. Allegro 04:44
• 11 Piano Trio in F-Sharp Minor, Hob. XV:26: II. Adagio cantabile 02:56
• 12 Piano Trio in F-Sharp Minor, Hob. XV:26: III. Finale. Tempo di menuetto 04:40
• Piano Trio in E-Flat Minor, Hob. XV:27:
• 13 Piano Trio in E-Flat Minor, Hob. XV:27: I. Andante cantabile 07:32
• 14 Piano Trio in E-Flat Minor, Hob. XV:27: II. Allegro [Jacob's Dream] 03:26
• Total Runtime 01:08:34

Info for Haydn: Piano Trios, HOB. XV:14, 18, 21, 26 & 31

Prompted by a commission from a London publisher, Haydn took up the composition of piano trios, that is, sonatas for keyboard accompanied by violin and cello, on a grand scale in 1784.

By that time, piano trios had become extremely popular with ‘amateurs’ (Liebhaber) – non-professionals from the aristocracy and the upper bourgeoisie – and their composition promised financial success. The piano carries the main burden of the compositional substance in these works and always forms the centre of the instrumental texture, around which the violin and cello are grouped. The tasks assigned to the stringed instruments are less structural than colouristic, although Haydn frequently allows the violin to break free from the piano part, entrusting it with independent ideas and sometimes allowing it to engage in dialogue with the piano.

Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian, violin
Raphaël Pidoux, violoncello
Vincent Coq, piano

The Wanderer Trio
is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2012. All the members of the Wanderer Trio graduated from the National Music Conservatory of Paris and they have chosen journeys as their emblem. On the one hand, it embodies an inner journey, which closely links them to Schubert and German Romanticism, and on the other, it is a journey inspired by openness and curiosity that explores music ranging from Haydn to contemporary scores. Acclaimed for its extraordinarily sensitive style, almost telepathic understanding of each other and technical mastery, the Trio Wanderer is one of the world's foremost chamber ensembles. The Wanderer musicians, who studied with grand masters such as Jean-Claude Pennetier, Jean Hubeau, and Menahem Pressler of the Beaux-Arts Trio and the Amadeus Quartet, won the ARD International Music Competition in Munich in 1988 and the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in the USA in 1990. From 1988 to 1990, they took master classes in chamber music at the Festival of La Roque d'Anthéron - classes which they now teach.

Called a "Wandering Star" by the Strad Magazine, the Trio has performed on the most prestigious music stages: Berlin's Philharmonic, Paris' Théâtre des Champs Elysées, London's Wigmore Hall, Milan's Teatro alla Scala, Barcelona's Palau de la Musica, Washington's Library of Congress, Bejin's Opera, Rio de Janeiro's Teatro Municipal, Tokyo's Kioi Hall, Zürich's Tonhalle and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw. They have also performed at major festivals such as Edinburgh, Montreux, Feldkirch, Schleswig Holstein, Rheingau Musiksommmer, Colmar, La Roque d'Anthéron, the Folles Journées de Nantes, Granada, Stresa, Osaka and three times at Salzburg festival.

They have on many occasions collaborated with artists such as Yehudi Menuhin, Christopher Hogwood, James Loughran, Marco Guidarini, Ken-David Masur, François-Xavier Roth, Charles Dutoit and James Conlon, accompanied, in triple or double concertos, by orchestras as Toulouse, Nice, Montpellier, Liège, Santiago de Chile, La Coruna, Teneriffe, by Les Siècles orchestra, Radio-France's Orchestre National and Orchestre Philharmonique, Berlin's Radio Symphonic Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, Graz's Philharmonic Orchester, Köln's Gürzenich Orchester, Stockholm Chamber Orchestra ...

After producing two CDs released by Sony Classical, the Wanderer Trio began a new partnership with harmonia mundi in 1999. Since then, nine recordings have been released: trios by Chausson, Ravel, Haydn, Shostakovich, Copland, Saint-Saëns, Mendelssohn, Smetana, the complete piano trios of Schubert and Brahms, Schubert's Trout Quintet Schubert, Hummel's Quintet, Beethoven Triple Concerto conducted by James Conlon, and pieces of Liszt and Messiaen.

In 2005, a new CD dedicated to the Martinu's Triple Concerti was issued by Capriccio. With a particular fondness for contemporary music, the Wanderer Trio has premiered several works by Thierry Escaich (Lettres Mêlées, 2004), Bruno Mantovani (Huits Moments Musicaux, 2008), Frank Michael Beyer (Lichtspuren, 2008) and Marco Francescini (Triple Concerto 'Ego', 2011). This interest has resulted in recordings produced by Universal Accord (works by Thierry Escaich) and soon by Mirare (Mantovani, released in spring 2013).

An auspicious meeting with the Austrian baritone Wolfgang Holzmair led the Trio to make a recording with him of the folksongs of Beethoven, Haydn and Pleyel, released by Cypres Records in 2009.

In 2012, the complete Beethoven piano trios has been released by harmonia mundi. This will be followed by Arenki and Tchaïkovski trios recording in autumn 2013.

Their recordings have been awarded several prizes including Choc du Monde de la Musique, Fanfare's Want List, Critic's Choice of Gramophone, CD of the Month' by the BBC Music Magazine, Klassik.com Empfehlung, Cds des Monat Fono Forum, Diapason d'Or of the Year, Midem International Classical Music Award...The New York Times declared their recent interpretation of Mendelssohn’s piano trios the new reference, and this past March Trio Wanderer's 'Schubert's Trout quintet and Hummel's quintet recording has been included in Forbes's Top Quality Music Library.

Trio Wanderer's 2013-2014 engagements include performances at Paris' Théâtre des Champs Elysées (Beethoven Triple concerto) and Paris' Opéra Comique (Beethoven complete Piano Trios), London's Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, la Roque d'Anthéron Festival, Bath Festival, as well as concerts in Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, Brasil, Canada , USA... They will continue their residencies in Germany for the Aachen's Accordate concert society as well as in Denmark for Copenhagen's Mogens Dahl Hall. In Spring 2014, Trio Wanderer will premiere the Philippe Hersant's Triple Concerto.

In addition to radio and television recordings (Radio France, BBC, ARD, DSR, Mezzo, etc.), a documentary featuring the Trio, which was co-produced by Les Films d'ici, was aired on the Franco-German television channel ARTE in 2003.

The Wanderer Trio has won the prestigious Victoires de la musique award for Best Instrumental Ensemble of the Year three times (1997, 2000 and 2009).

Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian plays on a violin of Petrus GUARNERIUS (Venezia 1748). Raphaël Pidoux plays on a violoncello of Goffredo CAPPA (Saluzzo 1680)

Booklet for Haydn: Piano Trios, HOB. XV:14, 18, 21, 26 & 31