It was Prince Nikolaus of Esterházy’s increasing infatuation with the baryton that compelled Haydn, the prince’s Kapellmeister, to write an unprecedented body of 125 works for baryton trio. The instrument is more like a viola d’amore than a bass viol and has extra strings be-hind the neck that provide resonance and opportunities for plucking effects. The six works in this album are intimate expressions of great beauty with a sustained level of invention, all of which reflect the prince’s increasing confidence in the instrument. Volumes 1 and 2 are available on 8.574188 and 8.574504.