Piano trios

[Bartolomeo]

Search is broken but I did look through some older posts by hand and didn't find much, so here goes.

I would like to play some piano trios.  Seeing as how I am mainly an autodidact with a few private lessons here and there, I did not have any ensemble experience in college as would most accomplished pianists.  I've been listening to recordings of the Beethoven piano trios and have been preparing the piano portion of them, and playing along with the CD from time to time.

I wonder if anyone has any trio experiences they'd like to share.  I don't have any players in mind, so I'm going to have to ask around and put ads in the paper and so on to find some.  I don't want to seem a fool when we first get together, and would appreciate any advice or suggestions.

[pianowelsh]

  You are studying ALL the Beethoven Trios - Thats devotion!!!
I play the one op11 that can be done with clarinet! Great piece. The best advice if you haven't done it before is 1.REALLY know your part inside out before rehearsal!
2. Know all the other parts (if not even as well as your own) - I sing them while i'm playing. It really helps when you come to rehearse because you know what to expect and it makes it easier to pin point mistakes. 3. Be able to pick up anywhere and really know your entries and rehearsal figures so you don't waste time flapping for them. 4 Be able to play your part without looking at your hands (sometimes I place a mirror opposite or use a blindfold) SOUNDS CRAZY - I know! but your partners feel more secure if you look at them for entries and can indicate nuances by eye contact. You can't do that if your head is fixed on the score or glued to watching your hand positions - This has twofold effect in that both parties are made to feel more comorftable and importantly confident. 5. Do some swating of the piece research around them a bit and I don't know whether you play stringed instruments but it's worth knowing some of the problems they have (so not just piano books string treatises on Beethoven can be helpful too) - your partners may help you with this though 6. MArk up your score structurally so you know where the climaxes are (they don't have full score so it's not so obvious for them) this will also save wasting time!
HAPPY Playing  - That's the only other tip! ENJOY IT - because you will all play better as an ensemble if you are enjoying the piece you are playing.

[shasta]

Good for you!  Piano trios ROCK!!!  (I'm a piano trio junkie)  

Perhaps you can call the music departments at the colleges/universities in your city regarding chamber music opportunities they may offer.  You might also wander their hallways and check out the fliers that musicians/ensembles tack up on notice boards.  There are always bands/ensembles/soloists in need of fellow musicians.

Mendelssohn's D minor piano trio is my favorite piece of music ever written.  Ever.  It's extremely challenging, but so lush, passionate, and lyrical.  The opening theme of the 1st movement is very addictive and leaves audiences humming it long after!  Mendelssohn's C minor is quite impressive as well.  Dark and simmering.  

Tchaik's and Dvorak's are tied for my next favorites.  

Off the top of my head, Rach, Granados, Turina, Villa-Lobos, Chopin, Shosta, Beeth, Mozart, Schubert, Faure, Debussy, Lalo, Ravel, Brahms, Schumann, Haydn, Saint-Saens, Strauss, Smetana, and Ives also wrote piano trios that you may be interested in exploring.  Quite a range of styles to choose from.

I think Taneyev, Goldmark, Glinka, Arensky, maybe Hummel ??  wrote piano trios as well, although I'm not familiar with them.

[Hmoll]

I've played 3 of the Beethoven trios - including the clarinet one.
I like the a lot.
Good chamber music pianists are: flexible - can make changes (fingering, articulation, tempo, etc. - quickly. Can sightread reasonably well, or learn music fairly quickly, can listen very well to the overall ensemble.

Also, practicing on your own means nothing if you don't rehearse with your ensemble enough.

[hodi]

i think mendelssohn's C Minor piano trio is one of my favorite pieces ever
and probably the best piano trio ever written
it's better than the D MINOR one! yes it is!
from its mysterious melodies (First movement)
to its passionate and extremly energetical finale.. it's a great piece.
simply no one ever heard of the c minor because many neglected it.

[joell12068]

i think mendelssohn's C Minor piano trio is one of my favorite pieces

I quite agree.  Of the two Mendelssohn trios, I also prefer the second trio in C minor, even though the first in D minor is more popular.  I especially like the finale, with the cello getting it started with a big upward leap of a ninth.  The second theme (in the C major) uses a brief quotation from the Doxology "Praise God from whom all blessings flow", which is also nice.
 

[pianowelsh]

Mendelssohn trios are both fantasic. I am currently doing Dminor and it IS one of the greatest trios ever!! Ravels Trio is landmark and Debussy Trio is gorgeous. Unless you really want to upset you partners avoid the Chopin Trio - it's essentially a piano concerto with accompaniment. Irelands fantasy trio is really interesting. I personally love James MacMillans Trio it's based on the stations of the cross and has special techniques and requires all kinds of varied touches etc really convincing piece. Get the Angell Trio version if you can they premed it in Carnegie and they are really in touch with it as a piece. Grieg wrote a trio i believe so if you like the concerto you could hunt for it. Bax wrote a very difficult trio if you want to go British. Theres Franck too if you want somethingnot so often played. I love the music of Franck some beautifull piano writing in it but again quite a challenge - a lot of trios are actually!! The Beethoven ones are a good ground to get footing on. Happy Trioing!

[hodi]

did u notice that everytime we discusss a piece someone here is studying it right now? 

[musicsdarkangel]

I played a Schubert trio that was excellent (B flat?).  It is quite long.

And the 2nd movement of a Dvorak piano trio in c sharp minor.  It is unbelievably beautiful.  Check them out.

[shasta]

did u notice that everytime we discusss a piece someone here is studying it right now? 

At least they have their wits about them and are doing the D MINOR.  MUAAAHAHAHA   

*Hodi, I think you and I are destined to forever battle each other in the D vs C minor arguement! 

[steinwayguy]

I agree with previous posters, Mendelssohn and Dvorak!!

[pianowelsh]

Just for the record I intend to learn the Cminor one properly once I ve finished the Dminor. They are BOTH great. but I feel the first one has more of the spirit of Mozart abbout it it's light and gracefull and elegent. The second is more brooding for my money no less attractive but in a totally different way

[aquariuswb]

I suggest you all check out the Vienna Piano Trio, if you have not before. https://www.viennapianotrio.com

These guys are unbelievable, I saw them live this summer playing the Beethoven Triple Concerto and they wowed us all. Fantastic performance, and if the reviews I've read are accurate (which I think they are), their piano trios must be majestic. Look at how extensive their repetoire is on that website! Highly recommended

[hodi]

i have their recordings of the mendelssohn's trios 

[fnork]

I've played Dvoraks "Dumky trio", I really recommend it. It's not hard, although not always comfertable under your fingers. Beethovens Cminor op. 1 no 3 is also very good to play. Some places are really tough (the sixteenthnotes on the bottom of the first page..) I think.
One of my favourite trios is Tschaikovskys. The first movement is wonderful. Ravel also wrote a great trio. It's interresting all the way, but I like the third slow movement the most.

[pianobabe56]

Congrats on your decisions to look at trios! I, too, am hopelessly addicted to piano trios- someone should start a support group! I've played in a group that eventually competed and took the trio to a state competition, where we scored top marks- I have rarely had so much fun in my life! It was wonderful. I'll second (or third, or fourth..) the Mendelssohn trios, I've also had success with a Chopin trio, can't remember which one it is at the moment. Oh well. good luck!

[lenny]

i cant believe noone has mentioned rachmaninov's trios!

after tchaikovsky's i think they have the most emotional impact of any trios ive experienced

these are works of eternal sadness and torment, happy and pleasant visions are just a bittersweet memory in these pieces.

if you adore melancholic beauty in music youll love them

there are 2 trios

the 1st has one of the most beautiful melodies ive ever heard, gut wrenching climaxes, and a hushed ending that makes me shudder.

the 2nd is in 3 exansive movements unlike the single movement 1st - its structure has been criticised for not being tight enough, but for me - the more rach the better!
in the main theme the mournful theme is played in the strings while the piano plays a chromatically descending repeated figuration.
in the finale - this returns after all passion has been spent, incredibly moving music.

this is rach at his melancholic best!

[lenny]

ok shasta mentioned them in passing, but i must stress - this isnt the rachmaninov of the piano concerti - this is the young rachmaninov, a whole different level of melancholy.

[apion]

Search is broken but I did look through some older posts by hand and didn't find much, so here goes.

I would like to play some piano trios.  Seeing as how I am mainly an autodidact with a few private lessons here and there, I did not have any ensemble experience in college as would most accomplished pianists.  I've been listening to recordings of the Beethoven piano trios and have been preparing the piano portion of them, and playing along with the CD from time to time.

I wonder if anyone has any trio experiences they'd like to share.  I don't have any players in mind, so I'm going to have to ask around and put ads in the paper and so on to find some.  I don't want to seem a fool when we first get together, and would appreciate any advice or suggestions.

I recommend the Schubert piano trios over all others.  Schubert at his best.

[lenny]

i heard a schubert piano trio in an erotic piano movie i think , sounded great