In the Classical period, and well into the 19th century, piano trios were almost “fashion accessories”, At the end of his life, Haydn could look back proudly at the 39 piano trios which he now left to posterity.
One interesting feature of the collection Hob. XV:15-17 is that, thanks to their scoring for flute instead of violin, they differ from Haydn’s other trios. They were commissioned by the London publisher John Bland, who had paid a visit to Haydn in 1789. Haydn immediately put pen to paper and created three extraordinarily charming pieces full of imaginative touches and elegance, which were published in summer 1790. The use of the flute is undoubtedly due to the instrument’s unique popularity in the circles of the English middle classes and aristocracy; nevertheless, a performance with violin is also perfectly feasible and even explicitly suggested in the F-major Trio Hob. XV:17.
