Enter a zip code
CD
Haydn was so productive and enriched so many musical forms, it's absolutely mind-boggling. He left us more than 100 symphonies, at least 82 string quartets, no fewer than 60 piano sonatas, as well as these 42 trios for piano, violin, and cello. A full and proper appreciation of Haydn's genius could easily be a life's work. Not that appreciating his music takes much effort, as Haydn's principal aim was to delight his audience. Composed mainly for the delectation of talented amateur performers, each of these trios has crystalline textures, graceful melodies, and plenty of variety, ensuring that players and listeners would be charmed from their very first acquaintance with the music. Over the past three decades, the Beaux Arts Trio has recorded the vast bulk of the repertory for piano trio. This nine-disc set (made between 1971 and 1978) was clearly a labor of love, and remains the estimable ensemble's greatest achievement. Rarely has the delight of music-making been communicated so perfectly. The recorded sound remains a model of clarity and warmth, and in this latest reissue, the discs are accommodated in a svelte, space-saving box. Andrew Farach-Colton, Barnes & Noble