C – D – E – F#. The keys of the four Haydn trios on this disc form an ascending progression

corresponding to the tritone, regarded since the Middle Ages as the most dissonant interval of all.

The octave, conversely, has been regarded since ancient times as a symbol of divine unity and

purity. The tritone divides the octave into two exact halves, thus destroying that unity – which is

why it is also known as the diabolus in musica.



To call Haydn’s music “diabolic” would be stretching the analogy too far. Nonetheless, in its

hovering, unstable quality requiring resolution in opposite directions, the tritone can illustrate one

of the most marked traits we find in this composer’s output. His music is known for its typical

element of surprise: Haydn indeed managed to foil the well-educated expectations of 18th century

audiences quite consistently. He must often have felt a quasi-diabolical pleasure in perturbing his

listeners with different kinds of jolts, constantly varied and renewed. Even in the “pure” area of

musical conversation – e.g. chamber music – Haydn stood apart from other composers thanks to

his witty sense of humour, his knack for inserting the most fitting punchline at exactly the right

moment. No other composer of Vienna Classicism possessed Haydn’s unique, infallible anticipation

of what the listener’s emotional state would be like at any given moment, foiling expectations and

bringing them out of balance with a decisive kick in the shins. (Excerpt from the booklet’s liner

notes by Martin Löhr)