Haydn: Baryton Trios, Vol. 3

Featuring

Matthew Baker
Brett Walfish
Ismar Gomes
Valencia Baryton Project
Joseph Haydn

Did you know?

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Instruments

The baryton, an instrument resembling a bass viol, has extra strings behind the neck that enhance resonance and can be plucked with the left thumb.

Critical Reception

Due to the baryton's scarcity, Haydn's baryton trios are among the least recorded areas of his extensive compositional output, yet they contain some of his most intimate music.

Composer Biography

Despite playing the baryton himself, Haydn took the subservient role of viola in performances for Prince Nikolaus of Esterházy, who played the lead baryton part.

Performer Biography

The Valencia Baryton Project, led by Matthew Baker, is one of only a handful of baryton performers in the world and has inspired audiences in sold-out concerts across the Americas and Europe.

Cultural Impact

The Valencia Baryton Project is committed to creating new compositions for the baryton, collaborating with contemporary composers to expand the repertoire of this forgotten instrument.

Composition History

Franz Joseph Haydn, the composer, wrote 125 baryton trios to directly benefit his patron, Prince Nikolaus of Esterházy, who had developed an affection for the instrument.

Compositional Technique

Haydn's baryton trios feature his typical originality and lack of repetition between works, while also being mindful of Prince Nikolaus of Esterházy's developing technical skill on the instrument.