It's been sometime since I last posted a commentary about a new record. This one is for real aficionados only . The complete works for the baryton (also known as the viola di bordone, paradon, etc) by Joseph Haydn, 21 cd's with the complete 126 trios, duets, quintets and octets. It'll take you more time to listen to all this material than it took Haydn to write it, that's for sure...
Delightful divertimenti that Prince Esterházy, Haydn's employer, ordered him to write, the prince being a baryton player himself.
The baryton may be described as a tenor (some say bass) viola da gamba with 9-24 additional sympathetic (metal) strings. It's a beautiful and apparently quite difficult to play instrument. Watch a demonstration of it here.
If you have the cash and time to listen to all this music that the Esterházy Ensemble recorded for the first time, please go ahead.
Now if you'll excuse me I must go on listening to it myself while I still have some years left...