Haydn Raphael Pidoux

Haydn, leading light of symphonies and quartets, has left his mark on the Classical period. This album follows in the wake of this transmission: the token that Haydn passed on to Mozart and so many others, but also of the outstretched hand of Raphaël Pidoux, a renowned soloist and teacher, to the academicians of l’Orchestre de l’Abbaye aux Dames de Saintes, who accompanied him in these two cello concertos, little gems of virtuosity and eloquence. An unprecedented collaboration, driven by sharing and Papa Haydn's sparkling energy.

The great popularity of the piano trio enabled Haydn to explore countless formal and harmonic experiments; while the keyboard remains the central element in the musical structure, the strings give the discourse a subtle colouration, and the violin is often assigned independent musical ideas. This elegant three-way dialogue, conducted here by the Trio Wanderer, is as impressive for its originality as for its supreme stylistic virtuosity. Haydn was a past master at this little game, and still remains so centuries later!

To celebrate their 60 years of activity, Harmonia Mundi has released 2 commemorative CD boxsets to showcase classical artists and composers. This first volume invites you to relive the highlights of the first 30 years of the label and pays tribute to the artists who built Harmonia Mundi on the heights of Saint-Michel-de-Provence, leading with a passionate quest for excellence a real revolution in the world of early music.