# Favourite Piano Trios



## Sid James

After reading ScipioAfricanus' thread on chamber music genres, I thought I'd start one related only to _Piano Trios_, a favourite genre of mine.

This year, I have started going to concerts here in Sydney of Australian pianist Kathryn Selby and her "Trioz" group, with Nikki Vasilakis (violin) & Emma Jane Murphy (cello). Some of the works they have played which I enjoyed quite a bit have been:

Arensky - Piano Trio
Granados - Piano Trio
Schubert - Piano Trio No. 1
Mendelssohn - Piano Trio No. 2
Haydn - "Gypsy Rondo" Piano Trio
Liszt (arr. Saint-Saens) - Orpheus symphonic poem
Goossens - Five Impressions of a Holiday

I also look forward to going to a concert later where Brahms _Piano Trio No. 3_ will be performed. I also have a 2 cd set of some of Beethoven's excellent piano trios, & Selby will play one of them live in July. Other trios I am interested in getting on cd & seeing live include:

Ives
Shostakovich
Debussy
Ravel
Schumann

I have never heard these, except the Ravel & Schumann.

So, what piano trios do you like (& have you seen any live)?...


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## Weston

I may have seen a faculty recital featuring a piano trio at the university where I work. I don't recall the piece, so I guess that scarcely counts.

Some of my favorite piano trios are* Joaquín Turina*'s. Naxos has a fine recording of them. Here's No. 1 (which is really No. 2, but . . .):





Some others I like, probably because I happen to have heard them:
*Rebecca Clarke* - Trio for violin, cello, and piano 1921 (odd name, isn't that what we would just call a piano trio?)
*Debussy* - Piano Trio No. 1 in G (very nice, but oddly not very Debussy-like somehow)

It's pretty much a given I'm going to like a *Beethoven* work and he wrote quite a number of piano trios. My favorites are the usual suspects, Op. 97 in Bb "Archduke" and Op. 70, No. 1 in D "Ghost." But I know people are weary of us worshiping Hr. Beet Farmer.

I'd like to hear some by Brahms but have not really shopped for them yet.


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## Conor71

Hey Andre - I have the following Disc of Shostakovich Chamber Music which is only $15 AUS and has both his Piano Trios + other Chamber works, all of which are excellent :










http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dmitri-Shostakovich-Chamber-Various-Artist/dp/B002ZBTWMO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1276860648&sr=1-2

My favourite Piano Trios are Beethovens "Archduke", "Ghost" and "Gassenhauer" Trios as well as the 2 by Shostakovich - I also like Brahms Trios and have recently bought the Trios by Mozart and Shubert, although I need to give these ones more of a listen.


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## Guest

My favorites are the Brahms piano trios (3, possibly 4 if the A major is really his). Dvorak wrote some good trios too. Amy Beach's piano trio is a hidden gem.


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## TWhite

I haven't heard a lot of piano trios, but of the ones I've heard, I'm very partial to the Brahms. Especially the so-called "Horn" Trio, which I find an absolute delight (and terrifically difficult for the pianist, especially in the finale). 

Tom


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## Quartetfore

Here are the names of some composers who active in the mid to late 19th century and wrote some very fine "Romatic" piano trios. Albert Dietrich, Robert Fuchs, Fredrich Gernsheim, Heinrich von Herzogenberg and Hermann Goetz (all in the Brahms circle of friends). Also Joachim Raff a friend of the Schumanns and Liszt. I`m surprised that the piano trio by Bedrich Smetana did not turn up on any of the favorite lists-----one of the great trios of the 19th century. Quartefore


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## Quartetfore

I left out the "t" in romantic. Sorry about that. Quartetfore


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## ScipioAfricanus

don't forget the 2 by racmaninoff. They are quite exquisite and intensely emotional.


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## Quartetfore

I like both rachmaninov trios, but I think that the second might be too dominated by the piano. Of course Rachmaninov wrote it for himself, so it makes sense.  Quartetfore


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## Sid James

Yes, I forgot to say that I also have on cd the second _Trio Elegiaque _by Rachmaninov. It is pretty dark (understandably, written days after the death of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov's friend and mentor). Yes, it is dominated by the piano, but as you say, it's understandable given that this was the composer's own instrument. I really like it, but hardly listen to it, because it's quite gloomy (although it does have lighter parts as well). If it was played live in Sydney, I would be the first to go, it's such a profound and moving work. The colours of the piano especially are very rich indeed.

Thanks Conor for posting that Shostakovich double chamber music cd - it's right up my alley. I will order it at some stage, I've got some others in that series, the Dutilleux & Henze. I have not heard any of Shostakovich's chamber works, except for a few of his string quartets.

Thanks everyone else for mentioning lesser known piano trios, I will also check these out given time...


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## JAKE WYB

Im afreiad im having a great deal of trouble finding great enthusiasm comparabe to these two

*Schubert - Trio in E Flat *- i like the longness, going around in circles - wallowing music

*Brahms - Trio in C Minor* - the whispery spectral presto is especially interesting for me


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## Aramis

> Other trios I am interested in getting on cd & seeing live include: (...) Ravel


Personally I had problems with getting decent recording of this trio. Oistrakh Trio made one, and despite legendary skill of performers it is ridiculous to listen to impressionist music recorded so long ago that you can hardly hear all those colours which make music great. This is widely avaiable recording so I suggest that you avoid it.

And the work itself is very enjoyable.


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## Sid James

@ Jake WYB

Yes, I'm a big fan of the Schubert trios & yes, that presto movement of the Brahms 3rd trio is so simple and repetitive, it (almost) reminds me of minimalism. It will be played live in Sydney in August, I plan to go, definitely (mainly to see that, but I believe they will also be playing one of Schumann's, which I have recently heard on the radio).

@ Aramis

The reason I'm interested in getting the Ravel is that it'll be played by the Selby Trio ("Trioz") here in Sydney late this year. I'm thinking of getting the Naxos recording, because it is coupled with Debussy's trio, which I have never heard. I have heard the Ravel trio on radio, it was last year, and I thought it was very colourful and subtle too...


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