Presents
Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf
Six Trios for 2 Violins and Cello
Not many people could say that they regularly sat down and played string quartets with Mozart and Haydn as Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739-1799) could. He knew both men personally and the three of them sometimes performed string quartets in Vienna along with Vanhal. Dittersdorf played first violin, Haydn second violin, Mozart viola and Vanhal played cello. Dittersdorf was born in Vienna and was recognized as a child prodigy on the violin and one of the great violin virtuosos of the 18th century. The first part of his life was spent as a touring virtuoso and especially in Italy he enjoyed many triumphs. The second half of his life was spent as a composer and music director at various aristocratic courts. His output voluminous and he is generally regarded after Mozart and Haydn as one of the most important representatives of the Vienna Classical era. Originally, his music showed the influence of the Italian composers but as time went by his familiarity with the compositions of Mozart and Haydn greatly changed his compositional style.
Dittersdorf's Six String Trios were composed sometime between 1760 and 1767, hence early in his career before the Viennese Classical Style had been developed by Haydn from the Mannheim School of the Stamitzes. Dittersdorf toured extensively in Italy and these trios, each of 2 movements and always ending with a Menuetto show the influence of the leading Italian composers of that period, in particular of Giovanni Battista Sammartini.
They are fun to play, make no unusual demands and can be warmly recommended to amateur trio groups looking for works to bring to concert. Our soundbite of all six trios was made by a bassist rather than cellist, but though they can be played by a bass, they were written for the cello.
Parts: $19.95
