# Piano Trios



## HaydnBearstheClock

I've recently been listening to a large amout of Piano Trio music, it's a very addictive, engaging genre. In your opinion, what may make this so?


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## helenora

haven't thought about it yet and don't want to reply just by guessing....but what I can say is that I have the same feeling about it. when I listen to piano trios it gets very addictive. It's not the same when I listen to quintets or other chamber music....probably it's something special , kinda phenomenon =D


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## Heliogabo

Three is a kind of magic number, symbol of wholeness and perfection in many cultures, piano trio music has this qualities as well I guess...


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## Mandryka

Heliogabo said:


> Three is a kind of magic number, symbol of wholeness and perfection in many cultures, piano trio music has this qualities as well I guess...


Which cultures?


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## HaydnBearstheClock

I think it's the combination of the vibrato-filled, warm sound of violins and cellos, working together and playfully conversing with the mellow, magical, candy-like foam of smooth piano goodness.


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## TurnaboutVox

How about a Freudian interpretation? Cello = mother's body and voice; violin = child's; piano represents father with its power and percussive qualities. Could be, I'm just sayin'...


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## senza sordino

TurnaboutVox said:


> How about a Freudian interpretation? Cello = mother's body and voice; violin = child's; piano represents father with its power and percussive qualities. Could be, I'm just sayin'...


interesting.......

Anyway.........The Piano Trio is a combination I do not listen to very often. There's no reason not it, I just haven't made an effort so to do. I own two CDs with piano trios, Chausson, Ravel and Shostakovich no 2. And that's it.

I think I'd like to see a dedicated recommended list of piano trios.


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## helenora

TurnaboutVox said:


> How about a Freudian interpretation? Cello = mother's body and voice; violin = child's; piano represents father with its power and percussive qualities. Could be, I'm just sayin'...


I'd agree with you and it doesn't matter Freudian or not Freudian ... let's say now he is not an "apostle" any more even among psychologists, but if they would have read this comment at least 20 years ago I believe they would have been very pleased to see their Father's name mentioned in classical music thread :lol:

another interpretation : piano - imperative power, law, etc
Cello - Humanity, human being
violin - inner voice ( the one which always contradicts reality 
and all together 3 of them are "beyond Good and Evil" , total harmony of the Universe, if someone prefers Holy Trinity 

or simply both cello+violin represent mankind while piano function is in organizing "chaos of a mankind"


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## TurnaboutVox

senza sordino said:


> interesting.......
> 
> I think I'd like to see a dedicated recommended list of piano trios.


Funny you should say that, I was wondering the same thing. I love the piano trio almost as much as the string quartet.



helenora said:


> I'd agree with you and it doesn't matter Freudian or not Freudian ... let's say now he is not an "apostle" any more even among psychologists, but if they would have read this comment at least 20 years ago I believe they would have been very pleased to see their Father's name mentioned in classical music thread :lol:
> 
> another interpretation : piano - imperative power, law, etc
> Cello - Humanity, human being
> violin - inner voice ( the one which always contradicts reality
> and all together 3 of them are "beyond Good and Evil" , total harmony of the Universe, if someone prefers Holy Trinity
> 
> or simply both cello+violin represent mankind while piano function is in organizing "chaos of a mankind"


Yes, I was also thinking of the Holy Trinity. But Freud is still very much an apostle in Psychoanalytic circles, even if the argument has moved on from Freudian theory itself.


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## helenora

TurnaboutVox said:


> Yes, I was also thinking of the Holy Trinity. But Freud is still very much an apostle in Psychoanalytic circles, even if the argument has moved on from Freudian theory itself.


yes, unfortunately I have to agree on that, he is still considered a chef of psychoanalysis, unfortunately for people as there are other theories which have proved to be not less functional but even more , but they are rather neglected. I can guess why, but here we must stick to the topic.

and getting back to our trios it's quite easy to find great piano trios is simply going through the list of trios written by great composers to begin with Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Franck, Dvorak, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Ravel, Hummel.


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## Heliogabo

Mandryka said:


> Which cultures?


From the ancient greeks (Pythagoras, for example) to contemporary cultures three is a simbolic number. For egiptians for example three was Cosmos number, because three was the elements of it: heaven, earth and the link between them. For the ancient peruviens, there was a god wich was composed by three elements, the father, the older son and the ' Benjamin', kind of Holy Trinity. In chinese mitology three brothers are earth and moon's owners. There is a very interesting book about this: El lenguaje de las trilogías, by Eulalio Ferrer, but i don't know if exists an english edition.


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## Balthazar

senza sordino said:


> I think I'd like to see a dedicated recommended list of piano trios.


There are a lot of great recommendations in this thread.

But I agree, a dedicated recommended list would be interesting.


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## HaydnBearstheClock

helenora said:


> yes, unfortunately I have to agree on that, he is still considered a chef of psychoanalysis, unfortunately for people as there are other theories which have proved to be not less functional but even more , but they are rather neglected. I can guess why, but here we must stick to the topic.
> 
> and getting back to our trios it's quite easy to find great piano trios is simply going through the list of trios written by great composers to begin with Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Franck, Dvorak, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Ravel, Hummel.


You forgot Haydn's trios! They're magnificent, imo.


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## Avey

Loads of symbolism with three.

But I find it enticing merely because it is instrumental music entirely stripped of its often unnecessary overlay of repeating notes for dynamics or chords, etc etc. It seems to never be concerned with mass-populace performances; rather the trio is set for a small group connecting through sound, maybe performing for a select crowd, in a small theater, or home, or alone in the studio -- thus the categorization.

Also we should like merge: http://www.talkclassical.com/39281-trio.html?highlight=


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## Avey

Balthazar said:


> But I agree, a dedicated recommended list would be interesting.


Oh yes yes yes someone must take this on. TV responded, so......


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## Avey

Because of the thread, I will make a third response:

1. Comment: The trio is sort of out of fashion, no? And it has been like that for a while. Granted, I am not the preeminent historian of 20th/21st Century music, but are there many trios written since the 1950s or so?

2. Favorite Trio: Either Mendelssohn's 2nd or Ravel's. Probably the latter's, which is absolutely one-of-a-kind and makes me feel things.

3. Other lesser performed favorites: E. Korngold, obviously, and the _terzetto_! Amazing piece.


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## Mandryka

Avey said:


> Because of the thread, I will make a third response:
> 
> 1. Comment: The trio is sort of out of fashion, no? And it has been like that for a while. Granted, I am not the preeminent historian of 20th/21st Century music, but are there many trios written since the 1950s or so?


There are some fabulous post war piano trios. Feldman, Finnissy, Sveinssen, recently Birtwistle. Their trios are all well worth going out of your way to hear.


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## Bluecrab

Mandryka said:


> There are some fabulous post war piano trios.


Yeah, I'd definitely agree with that.

American composer Jennifer Higdon (b. 1962) has composed a fine two-movement piano trio. You can find it on youtube. Here's a link to the beautifully lyrical first movement.


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## Xaltotun

My favourites include Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Dvorak...

I think it's so rewarding because there is a maximized clarity combined with just enough fullness of sound to make it juicy and symphonic in spite of the low number of instruments.


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## Ilarion

Ravel's piano trio does stand out quite significantly - Imo, it encapsulates the whole musical language of Ravel.

My favorite recording of it: With Richter at the piano, Kagan on Violin, and Gutman on cello.

My second favorite: Arden Trio with my former piano teacher Thomas Schmidt, Suzanne Ornstein on violin, and Clay Ruede on cello.


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## elgar's ghost

I'm still irked that my beloved Hindemith didn't write at least one - quite bizarre considering the diversity of his large chamber output.

Favourites? Probably the two by Schubert, Shostakovich's 2nd and the one by Tchaikovsky. Korngold's is also very notable considering how young he was when he wrote it.


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## KenOC

Hummel wrote seven very good piano trios, which nicely fill two CDs. Worth hearing! Here's one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjJvmeXVXek


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## hpowders

The Piano Trio happens to be my favorite chamber music form. Composers seem to agree as Brahms and Mendelssohn wrote some of their greatest music for this form:

Mendelsohn, Trios 1&2; Brahms, Trios 1,2 & 3.

And of course there's quite a few by Beethoven, but they don't appeal to me.

Perhaps Beethoven's finest piano trio is found in his Triple Concerto. THAT appeals to me!!


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## Pugg

*All credtits to KenOC*

​A must have for all chamber music lovers :tiphat:


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## KenOC

Pugg said:


> A must have for all chamber music lovers :tiphat:


Why thank you Pugg! But I must say, all credit to Hummel.


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## Pugg

KenOC said:


> Why thank you Pugg! But I must say, all credit to Hummel.


To modest for your own good KenCO


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## KenOC

Nobody's ever accused me of THAT! :lol:


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## Pugg

KenOC said:


> Nobody's ever accused me of THAT! :lol:


You know how it goes, there's a first time for everything


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## majlis




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## majlis

¿Did you know this recording?. Its really rare!


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## Pat Fairlea

Been through my CDs, and can report piano trios by a number of composers:
Rebecca Clarke
Niels Gade
Rachmaninov
Ravel
Rubbra,
Scharwenka,
Clara Schumann
Fanny Mendelssohn
And a Poulenc Trio for piano, oboe, bassoon.
Recommendations - Clarke and Rubbra are interesting examples of these two neglected composers, but Ravel' s Trio gets my vote every time.


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