Piano Trio No. 38 (Haydn)

[1] According to Robert Philip, this work is unusual compared with other later piano trios in that it is serious in tone throughout, "with almost Beethoven-like earnestness".

The style of piano writing, with its rich chords, octaves in the bass and lively elaboration in the right hand, was much influenced by the sonorous English pianos Haydn came to appreciate while in London.

The second is a brief and solemn dance, based around an insistent baroque-style dotted rhythm figure.

The finale is a grave minuet-like movement with the triple time rhythm cleverly subverted by two-beat phrases and by the interplay of the instruments.

The work was published in October 1795 by the English firm of Longman and Broderip as part of a set of three with the opus number (seldom used today) 73.