# Help with Clara Schumann's Piano Trio in G minor, Opus 17



## Blaschke

Help! My teacher wants us to write about Unity and Variety in the third movement, andante, of Clara's piano trio, and I need some suggestions or ideas. Maybe there is unity through the melody that gets repeated, but how is there unity in the rhythm? To me the rhythm is varied. He also wants us to consider the harmonics. I am lost!


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## EdwardBast

What is the overall form of the movement? Is there an initial section and a contrasting one in the middle and then a return? Sounds like you are being given a hint that what sounds contrasting (variety) is actually closely related (unity) to the initial idea. How is it related? Perhaps the same melodic shape and rhythm are present but played faster or with a contrast of mode (major versus minor). I don't know if this is true but this is the sort of thing one should probably be looking for.


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## Blaschke

that's it! It starts out with a slow section, followed by a faster, agitated middle section, then returns to calm again. Thanks for your reply!


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## Genoveva

Blaschke said:


> Help! My teacher wants us to write about Unity and Variety in the third movement, andante, of Clara's piano trio, and I need some suggestions or ideas. Maybe there is unity through the melody that gets repeated, but how is there unity in the rhythm? To me the rhythm is varied. He also wants us to consider the harmonics. I am lost!


Type the following into google search:

_allmusic Clara Schumann piano trio_

and hey presto it will give you some information about this work that might assist you. I can't provide the text here in case there might be a copyright issue.

"Allmusic" is a music website that provides, inter alia, many good summaries of classical works.

Your teacher may have obtained part of his/her appreciation of the Clara Schumann piano trio Op 17 from the same source.

An additional point is that you could possibly note that it's quite a well regarded work and is listed at position No 40 in a recent T-C recommended list of piano trios.


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## Blaschke

Thanks for the tip!


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