Joseph Haydn wrote several works the baryton, a string instrument which is now largely forgotten and rarely played, and this disc for the Haydn bi-centenary gathers together some of those pieces that feature the instrument within an octet and in one case a quintet. They are performed by one of Holland’s longest established and most esteemed ensembles, Combattimento Consort Amsterdam. In 1761, Joseph Haydn entered into the service of the princes of Esterházy.

Prince Nikolaus I was a passionate player of the baryton, a rarely performed relative of the viola da gamba, and between 1766 and 1775, Haydn wrote more than 125 trios for baryton, viola and cello, taking care that the baryton parts were easy enough for Nikolaus to play. Haydn also composed a number of pieces for baryton with a larger ensemble, and the Divertimenti presented on this CD are nos. 1, 5 and 12, of a series of six written for baryton, strings and two horns.

Jan Willem de Vriend is the artistic director of Combattimento Consort Amsterdam and since 2006 the chief conductor and artistic director of the Dutch Symphony Orchestra. Combattimento Consort Amsterdam devotes itself to the music of about 1600 to 1830. Since its founding in 1982, it has performed throughout the world, as well as on many CDs, DVDs and television productions.