Piano Trio No. 42

Joseph Haydn's Piano Trio No. 42 in E♭ major, Hob. XV/30 was completed in 1796 after his return to Vienna from England and first published there by Artaria in 1797. It is without a dedication: the piano part is less challenging than those trios dedicated to keyboard virtuosi. This is thought to have been Haydn's last piano trio and with a typical performance time of 20 minutes it is one of his largest. By the time of its publication, Beethoven had already published his first three piano trios (Op 1) setting a new direction for the form away from the 'accompanied piano sonata' towards a more equal and dramatic interplay between piano, violin, and cello.