Presents
Hyacinthe Jadin
String Trio No.2 in G Major, Op.2 No.2
Jadin's Op.2 No.2 is the second in a set of three which was dedicated to his friend the famous violinist Rudolphe Kreutzer. But the trios are not written in concertante from and are not a mere vehicle for the violinist, but rather show a good use of all three instruments. They were composed sometime in the mid 1790’s, before Beethoven wrote his famous Op.8 Serenade or his Op.9 trios. There is some confusion over the opus numbers with regard to these trios and a set of three string quartets which also bear the opus number of 2. Unfortunately, this was not at all an uncommon experience during this period when different publishers brought out a composer's works. The dotted rhythm of the main theme to the opening movement, Allegro, gives the music a rather bouncy feel. The middle movement is a bright Menuet which clearly reflects then current French rather than Austrian tastes. The trio section is the minor is slower and somewhat sad. The finale, an Allegro, sounds a bit like Haydn which seems to suggest that Jadin was familiar with the work of that master.
Hyacinthe Jadin (1776-1800) was born in Versailles where his father was a musician in the Royal Orchestra. He was one of five musically gifted brothers, the most famous of which was Louis-Emmanuel Jadin. His first lessons were from his father and Louis-Emmanuel who was four years his senior. Later he was sent to Paris where he studied with Hüllmandel, who had been a student of C.P.E. Bach. The French Revolution put an end to his studies as his teacher fled France. He eked out a living as a pianist and brief taught at the Paris Conservatory. Because of his early death, he did not achieve the same fame as Louis-Emmanuel but the famous music critic Fetis wrote that his chamber music was of a very high standard and deserved to be better known.
This is a welcome addition to the late 18th century string trio repertoire, with better part-writing than that which can be found in Haydn's trios. Historically important and a good choice for amateurs.
Parts: $19.95
Parts & Score: $24.95
