Over the past two and one half centuries, the piano trio (usually piano, violin, and cello) has developed into one of the most popular forms of chamber music for performers and audiences alike. Today's concert not only offers a diverse menu of works representing the vast literature created for this instrumentation, but also celebrates two 200th anniversaries being observed this year in the musical world–Mendelssohn's birth and Haydn's death.

The piano trio serves as a bridge from the Baroque to the Classical eras growing out of the Baroque sonatas—solo instrument(s), harpsichord and cello (or viola da gamba). In the early classical era, piano trios were noted primarily for their entertainment role, popular for the soirées of the nobility, and many such works were written for the enjoyment of amateur musicians. Most often these pieces were essentially piano pieces with the violin providing singing melodic lines and the cello reinforcing the bass line—a useful device as pianos of the time had very weak bass registers. While Haydn took classical form to new heights in the development of symphonic (and string quartet) form, his piano trios remained largely outside this evolution and were designated in his published editions “Sonatas for piano with the accompaniment of violin and cello.” Nearly all of the more than 30 piano trios that Haydn completed over the course of his life were 2 or 3-movement works making use of various rondo, menuet, three-part song, and variation forms.

During the composer's London years (1891-1895) Haydn had time to compose beyond what was required of him by his manager Solomon. Haydn produced a series of piano trios intended as music for private enjoyment and for publication. Most were dedicated to women, either royalty or prominent keyboard players. The Piano Trio in e-flat minor was written for Haydn's friend Therese Jansen who he considered one of the important keyboardists of the time. The first movement (which may have been added later) was written in a hybrid of variations and rondo form and an interesting mix of key relationships. The score of the finale movement bears the title Jacob's Dream. Haydn was apparently alluding to the ladder of angels ascending and descending in the biblical narrative to tease a certain amateur German violinist who had trouble playing high notes in tune.

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Felix Mendelssohn was no stranger to chamber music as he had written and performed it since childhood. His two mature piano trios come from one of the most happy and satisfying times of his life. In 1839, the thirty-year-old had found and married the love of his life, Cécile and they had had two young children. Professionally, through the Gewandhaus Concerts in Leipzig, Mendelssohn was making what proved to be a lasting contribution to symphonic concerts, tirelessly working to improve the quality of musicianship of the players, programming a balance of the great compositions of the past with contemporary works, and generally presiding over the musical life of the city. This was also a fruitful time of composition which included his second symphony, three string quartets, an overture and the Piano Trio in d, Op. 49 .

This work represents the full flowering of the classical piano trio. While following a classical design, Mendelssohn brings his own lyricism and rich sonorities to the genre. While the piano part demands virtuosity (in fact a rewriting made it even more so than the original) ,the strings are often presented in vocal-like duets, and each of the players have an equal share in the musical conversation. The cello leads in the long flowing line of the opening movement in sonata form. The middle movements are signature Mendelssohn–a quiet song without words, and a fairy-like scherzo. The final rondo movement stays darkly concentrated in the key of d minor until the coda where the sun comes out closing the piece in D major. At the appearance of this work Schumann enthused that the work is “the master trio of the present era ... It is a beautiful composition that years from now will delight our grandchildren and great grandchildren ... Mendelssohn ... is the Mozart of the 19th century ... the one who looks most clearly through the contradictions of the time, and reconciles us to them.” All that remains for us 230 years later is to sit back and enjoy the pure romanticism of the piece.

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Born into a rural butcher's family, as a child Czech composer Antonín Dvořák was encouraged in his musical talent by his recruitment into the village band as a fiddle player. This experience enabled him to experience folk idioms in a setting as natural as breathing. He was later sent to the town of Zlonice and then to Prague to study classical music with the German masters who dominated Czech social and intellectual life of the time. Dvořák's rise from the poverty of trying to eke out a living playing the viola in the Prague theatre orchestra and dance bands was accomplished with the publication of his Slavonic Dances, op. 46 which were immensely popular domestically and internationally . By age fifty he had gained the recognition that he deserved. As a violist, the composer had always been drawn to chamber music, writing almost 40 works in various chamber combinations throughout his life.

After writing three piano trios in rather conventional classical form, his popular fourth piano trio the Dumky took a different path. “Dumka” is the name for Ukrainian folk-songs of a ballad-like character. developed this idea into an instrumental form of great pathos, alternating moods of melancholy and exuberance inspired by folk music of various Slavic traditions. He used single “Dumka” movements in a number of other works before composing the Dumky trio made up of six Dumka movements. Work began on the piece in November 1890 and received its first performance in Prague, April 11, 1891 on the celebratory occasion of an honorary doctorate being conferred on the composer by Charles University. Pianist Dvořák was joined by violinst Ferdinand Lachner and cellist extraordinaire, Hanuš Wihan (Cellists everywhere have Wihan's musicianship to thank not only for a spectacular cello part in this trio, but also for inspiring the composer's magnificent concerto for that instrument.) This group took the Dumky trio on the road to forty-one towns across Bohemia and Moravia on a farewell tour prior to the composer's departure for America. While the trio is technically a cycle of six movements, the first three are designated to be played essentially without pause so that the piece falls roughly in a four-movement classical form, full of passion, exuberance and introspection.

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Program notes by Linda Mack. Copyright 2009.
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