The baryton is a stringed instrument that combines bowed strings with a set of metal strings that can be plucked by the player, allowing for self-accompaniment.
Compositional Technique
Haydn's baryton trios often pair the baryton with the viola, frequently in melodic intervals of a third, with the cello providing bass accompaniment.
Composition History
Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, known as 'the Magnificent', commissioned Franz Joseph Haydn to write regularly for the baryton, an instrument the Prince avidly studied and became proficient in.
Cultural Impact
The Valencia Baryton Project is committed to expanding the baryton's repertoire by commissioning new compositions from contemporary composers like Steve Zink and Ivan Moody.
Performer Biography
The Valencia Baryton Project, comprising Matthew Baker (baryton), Estevan de Almeida Reis (viola), and Alex Friedhoff (cello), was founded to perform the nearly 170 works Haydn wrote for the baryton.
Compositional Technique
Haydn wrote over 125 baryton trios, in which the baryton takes the lead, and these trios typically resemble his piano trios in their three-movement structure.
Composer Biography
Franz Joseph Haydn served as music director for Prince Nikolaus Esterházy at the Esterházy Court in Eisenstadt for nearly 25 years, starting in 1766.
