Even though this is one of Haydn's late trios, it was still published as a "sonata for piano accompanied by violin and cello." Indeed, the piano remains the dominant instrument, but the violin often comes forward as a nearly equal partner; the cello, however, remains relegated to the background, playing along with the piano's bass line. The substantial opening Allegro begins with a flourish and proceeds through a sonata format with the piano providing the sparkling, almost perpetual-motion lead. The violin often shares melodic dominance, but usually with a longer, far less restless line; in the development section, its material is frankly more interesting than the piano's more accompanimental figures. The piano eases into the Andante movement with exceedingly gentle material that takes a mildly surprising harmonic turn. The strings enter and help the keyboard elaborate the melody. An agitated second section breaks the mood, but a passage featuring more easygoing material leads back to the music of the opening section and then to a playful coda that includes a miniature keyboard cadenza. Playfulness again characterizes the finale, a Presto in which the piano and violin shoot melodic fragments back and forth with the cello maintaining its unobtrusive bass line.

© James Reel, All Music Guide