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Trio No. 1 in D minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 32
Anton Arensky
  • Composed in 1894
  • Duration: 28 minutes

To Arensky, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a dear colleague and source of creative inspiration. When the older composer passed in 1893, Arensky explicitly honored his memory in his Second String Quartet (whose second movement is subtitled “Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky”) and more subtly in his Trio No. 1 in D minor.

Completed in 1894, it is one of the most frequently performed and recorded of Arensky’s contributions to the chamber music repertoire. Like Tchaikovsky’s A minor Piano Trio, it is melodically driven, memorable, and conversational. In the first movement, the main theme sets up a passionate back-and-forth between violin, cello, and piano, leading into a rapturous and sparkling development section in which the main and secondary themes appear in new keys and permutations. Arensky’s approach to the recapitulation is similar to Tchaikovsky’s in his Piano Trio: rather than bring the movement to an intense, virtuosic end, it concludes softly, almost pessimistically, belying what will come next. The Scherzo is the opposite in character: it is light and carefree, and requires deft technique and swift emotional shifts. The third movement centers the melodic lushness and depth of the trio ensemble; in minuet-trio form, this movement has a lighter, hopeful section before the return to the somber and bittersweet lyricism of its opening. The Finale features more unified sections, particularly between violin and cello, and more leadership from the piano. Rather than creating a stale texture, the rhythmic and melodic unisons heighten the tension and excitement, whether in chords or during the iridescent secondary theme. Unexpectedly, the first movement’s theme reappears, signaling the exciting drive to the trio’s conclusion.

Trio No. 1 in D minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 32
Anton Arensky
  • Composed in 1894
  • Duration: 28 minutes

To Arensky, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a dear colleague and source of creative inspiration. When the older composer passed in 1893, Arensky explicitly honored his memory in his Second String Quartet (whose second movement is subtitled “Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky”) and more subtly in his Trio No. 1 in D minor.

Completed in 1894, it is one of the most frequently performed and recorded of Arensky’s contributions to the chamber music repertoire. Like Tchaikovsky’s A minor Piano Trio, it is melodically driven, memorable, and conversational. In the first movement, the main theme sets up a passionate back-and-forth between violin, cello, and piano, leading into a rapturous and sparkling development section in which the main and secondary themes appear in new keys and permutations. Arensky’s approach to the recapitulation is similar to Tchaikovsky’s in his Piano Trio: rather than bring the movement to an intense, virtuosic end, it concludes softly, almost pessimistically, belying what will come next. The Scherzo is the opposite in character: it is light and carefree, and requires deft technique and swift emotional shifts. The third movement centers the melodic lushness and depth of the trio ensemble; in minuet-trio form, this movement has a lighter, hopeful section before the return to the somber and bittersweet lyricism of its opening. The Finale features more unified sections, particularly between violin and cello, and more leadership from the piano. Rather than creating a stale texture, the rhythmic and melodic unisons heighten the tension and excitement, whether in chords or during the iridescent secondary theme. Unexpectedly, the first movement’s theme reappears, signaling the exciting drive to the trio’s conclusion.