Piano Trio (Chopin)
Encyclopedia
The Piano Trio, Op
. 8, is a piano trio
in G minor
composed by Frédéric Chopin
. It has four movements:
Whilst not considered Chopin's greatest work, the piece has established itself as a core member of the piano trio repertoire. In a letter from August 1830, Chopin speculates whether he should have written the violin line for viola
, believing that the viola's timbre would "accord better with the cello". Emanuel Ax
is of the opinion that it is perhaps fortunate that Chopin scored the work for a standard piano trio, since so few trios with viola exist.
A typical performance lasts approximately 25 minutes.
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
. 8, is a piano trio
Piano trio
A piano trio is a group of piano and two other instruments, usually 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...
in G minor
G minor
G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. For the harmonic minor scale, the F is raised to F. Its relative major is B-flat major, and its parallel major is G major....
composed by Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
. It has four movements:
- Allegro con Fuoco
- Scherzo
- Adagio Sostenuto
- Finale: Allegretto
Whilst not considered Chopin's greatest work, the piece has established itself as a core member of the piano trio repertoire. In a letter from August 1830, Chopin speculates whether he should have written the violin line for viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, believing that the viola's timbre would "accord better with the cello". Emanuel Ax
Emanuel Ax
Emanuel Ax is a Grammy-winning American classical pianist. He is currently a teacher on the faculty of the Juilliard School. He is considered one of the best known concert pianists of the 21st century.-Early life:...
is of the opinion that it is perhaps fortunate that Chopin scored the work for a standard piano trio, since so few trios with viola exist.
A typical performance lasts approximately 25 minutes.