Piano trio

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A piano trio is a group of piano and two other instruments, almost always a violin and a cello, or a piece of music written for such a group. It is one of the most common forms found in classical chamber music.

Traditionally, piano trios tend to be in the same overall form as a sonata, which can be roughly said to be as follows:

First movement - a quick movement in sonata form
Second movement - a slow movement
Third movement - a minuet and trio or a scherzo in ternary form
Fourth movement - another quick movement, often in rondo form or sonata-rondo form

However, many variations on this form exist, and there are piano trios which bear no resemblance to this formal plan.

Ideally, each of the three instruments in the trio contributes equally to the music, rather than one or two instruments providing accompaniment to the others. The extent to which this equality is realized varies from one composition to the next, and often varies among movements within a single composition.

Among the better known piano trios in classical music are:

Ludwig van Beethoven's Ghost (1808) and Archduke (1811) trios
Joseph Haydn's Gypsy Rondo trio, and Antonin Dvorak's Dumky trio (1891).
Other fairly well known examples exist by Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms and Dmitri Shostakovich. Many other composers have also worked in the form.

Although the grouping of piano, violin and cello is by far the most common in piano trios, the name is sometimes also used to describe other works for piano and two other instruments. Examples include:

Beethoven's Op. 14 for piano, clarinet, and cello; alternately scored for
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Kegelstatt trio, for clarinet, viola and piano
Bela Bartok's three-movement work, Contrasts, for piano, clarinet and violin.

The term piano trio can also refer to a group of musicians who regularly play together. Among the best known such groups were the one consisting of Alfred Cortot, Jacques Thibaud and Pablo Casals and the Beaux Arts Trio. A more recent well-known trio consists of Emanuel Ax, Young Uck Kim, and Yo-Yo Ma.

Playing

Among the piano trios, works by Haydn and Mozart are considered the best starting point for pianists new to chamber music. Unlike string and wind players, who usually learn to play in an orchestra as students, most pianists have little ensemble experience and face a more difficult transition.

Most amateur pianists find that they must practice the trios alone before playing with others, because the repertoire is difficult to sightread.

The extensive repertoire of violin sonatas generally contains less difficult piano parts, and is excellent preparation for pianists who wish to play the piano trios. Though fewer in number, there are chamber compositions for other string or wind instruments plus piano.

The [www.acmp.net Amateur Chamber Music Players] publishes a contact list of musicians worldwide who play chamber music for their own enjoyment. They also publish lists of repertoire.