Top Ten Piano Trios
Welcome to IDAGIO’s pick of the top ten piano trios, an entirely unscientific selection but one that covers nearly two centuries of music and ten of the greatest works composed for that classic combination of violin, cello and piano.
Read more…- Haydn•Piano Trio in G major Hob. XV:25 “all'Ongarese”•I. Andante
- Haydn•Piano Trio in G major Hob. XV:25 “all'Ongarese”•II. Poco Adagio. Cantabile
- Haydn•Piano Trio in G major Hob. XV:25 “all'Ongarese”•III. Rondo all’Ongarese. Presto
- Pejačević•Piano Trio in C major op. 29•I. Allegro con moto
- Pejačević•Piano Trio in C major op. 29•II. Scherzo. Allegro
- Pejačević•Piano Trio in C major op. 29•III. Lento - Allegretto
- Pejačević•Piano Trio in C major op. 29•IV. Finale. Allegro risoluto
- Tchaikovsky•Piano Trio in A minor op. 50 TH 117•I. Pezzo elegiaco: Moderato assai – Allegro giusto –
- Tchaikovsky•Piano Trio in A minor op. 50 TH 117•IIa. Tema con variazioni. Andante con moto
- Tchaikovsky•Piano Trio in A minor op. 50 TH 117•IIb. Variazione finale e coda. Allegro risoluto e con fuoco – Andante con moto
- Brahms•Piano Trio No. 1 in B major op. 8•I. Allegro con brio
- Brahms•Piano Trio No. 1 in B major op. 8•II. Scherzo. Allegro molto
- Brahms•Piano Trio No. 1 in B major op. 8•III. Adagio
- Brahms•Piano Trio No. 1 in B major op. 8•IV. Finale. Allegro
- Shostakovich•Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor op. 67 (1944)•I. Andante – Moderato
- Shostakovich•Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor op. 67 (1944)•II. Allegro con brio
- Shostakovich•Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor op. 67 (1944)•III. Largo
- Shostakovich•Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor op. 67 (1944)•IV. Allegretto
- Mendelssohn Bartholdy•Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor op. 49 MWV Q 29•I. Molto allegro agitato
- Mendelssohn Bartholdy•Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor op. 49 MWV Q 29•II. Andante con moto tranquillo
- Mendelssohn Bartholdy•Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor op. 49 MWV Q 29•III. Scherzo. Leggiero e vivace
- Mendelssohn Bartholdy•Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor op. 49 MWV Q 29•IV. Finale. Allegro assai appassionato
- Ravel•Piano Trio in A minor M 67 (1914)•I. Modéré
- Ravel•Piano Trio in A minor M 67 (1914)•II. Pantoum. Assez vif
- Ravel•Piano Trio in A minor M 67 (1914)•III. Passacaille. Trés large
- Ravel•Piano Trio in A minor M 67 (1914)•IV. Final. Animé
- Schubert•Piano Trio No. 2 in E flat major op. 100 D 929•I. Allegro
- Schubert•Piano Trio No. 2 in E flat major op. 100 D 929•II. Andante con moto
- Schubert•Piano Trio No. 2 in E flat major op. 100 D 929•III. Scherzando. Allegro moderato
- Schubert•Piano Trio No. 2 in E flat major op. 100 D 929•IV. Allegro moderato
- Beethoven•Piano Trio in B flat major op. 97 “Archduke”•I. Allegro moderato
- Beethoven•Piano Trio in B flat major op. 97 “Archduke”•II. Scherzo. Allegro
- Beethoven•Piano Trio in B flat major op. 97 “Archduke”•III. Andante cantabile, ma però con moto
- Beethoven•Piano Trio in B flat major op. 97 “Archduke”•IV. Allegro moderato
We begin where the piano trio itself essentially began: with Haydn, in whose hands it grew from something akin to a sonata for violin and piano (with bass reinforcement from the cello) into a genre where all three instruments asserted themselves more and more – he's represented here with his G major Trio Hob. XV:25, with its famous "Hungarian" finale. Beethoven and Schubert took Haydn's developments further, giving the cello an even more integrated role – the instrument is especially prominent in the wonderful slow movements of the two works included here. The height of the Romantic period is represented by trios by Mendelssohn, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, as well as Dora Pejačević's magnificent, grandly Romantic essay in the genre. Ravel's mercurial Trio (with its brilliant Spanish-tinged finale) then brings us to the early 20th century, while Shostakovich's alternately moving and acerbic Second Trio, composed in 1944, alludes to the catastrophic events that later scarred the century.
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