Johannes Brahms composed his Piano Trio No. 2 in C Major, Op. 87, between 1880 and 1882. It is scored for piano, violin and cello. He wrote this piece at the age of 49.
| Piano Trio in C major | |
|---|---|
| No. 2 | |
| by Johannes Brahms | |
 The composer in 1880 | |
| Key | C major |
| Opus | 87 |
| Composed | 1880–1882 |
| Performed | 29 December 1882: Frankfurt |
| Movements | Four |
In early 1880 Brahms began working on two new piano trios, one in C major, the other in E♭ major. By June he completed an Allegro movement for each of them, and showed them to Clara Schumann, who preferred the E♭ major piece. [1] However, he set these the two movements aside while he worked on his Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat Major, op. 83 and Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90. [2] He picked them up again two years later, destroying the E♭ major Allegro to concentrate on the C major piece. [2] He completed the remaining three movements in the summer of 1882 while on vacation in the spa town of Bad Ischl, Upper Austria. [2] The piece was the only piano trio shown to his confidants Clara Schumann and Theodor Billroth which was later published. [3] Brahms wrote the piece later in his life: in the same period with which he composed Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78, String Quintet No.1 in F Major, Op. 88, Cello Sonata No. 2 in F Major, Op. 99, Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100, Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101, Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108, and String Quintet No. 2, Op. 111. [3]
The trio is in four movements. A typical performance lasts roughly 27 to 30 minutes.
The first movement is in sonata form and written in C major and 3/4 time. It is noteworthy for the extensive amount of developmental material presented in the exposition. [4] The rhythmic pulse is frequently manipulated through obscuring bar lines and hemiolas feeling in 2 against 3. [4] The strings often play in unison, with strong melodic and contrapuntal importance, in contrast to the piano line. [4]
This movement, written in A minor and 2/4 (later 6/8 time) is a theme and variations. The original theme is followed by 5 variations, and each formal section is 27 measures long. [4] Each variation includes a rhythmic or melodic fragment from the original theme, but is otherwise harmonized, phrased, and ornamented differently. [4] Variations 1,3, and 5 draw from the theme's melody, while variations 2 and 4 rely more on figures of the piano's accompaniment. [5] The movement features frequent syncopation especially in the coda, and the cello often echoes the violin in inversion. [6] The material of the theme was originally composed: inspired by traditional Hungarian musical style. [5]
The third movement is a presto C minor in 6/8 time formally composed of a scherzo and trio: arranged in an ABA format. [4] The A section is rhythmically complex while the B section is more lyrical and melodic. It features frequent pianissimo dynamics, and suggests the same mood as the third movement of Brahms' Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor Op. 108. [6] This movement has a lighter texture in comparison to the others. The piano mainly accompanies the strings, providing rhythmic motion. [4] It is unclear if Brahms revised the trio section after hearing the critiques of Clara Schumann. [7]
The finale is in 4/4 time and the key of C major. It contains many rapid range changes as well as a denser texture than the second and third movements prior. [4] The form is ambiguous, but includes elements of a sonata form and a rondo form. [4] The movement is distinct for its 4 contrasting themes, which are each differently scored. The A theme is treated exclusively, while the other three themes are based on its melodic elements and or rhythmic figures. [4] The A theme's return is highly ornamented while other repetitions are literal. [4] The recap is followed by a long coda in which the energy intensifies until the end. [5] The contrary motion featured in this movement was supposedly inspired by the arpeggios Brahms played in his daily warmup routine at the piano. [7]
The piece was premiered on December 29, 1882 by Brahms himself on piano, violinist Hugo Heerman, and Adolf Müller (Cellist of the Joachim Quartet at the time), at a chamber music museum concert in Frankfurt. [8] The program also presented the premiere of String Quintet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 88. [8] The audience did not like the piano trio as much the string quintet, but Clara Schumann admired it for its fluid thematic evolution and phrase structure. [7] Early performances of the piece occurred in Berlin, London, and Vienna in January of the following year. [8] It was published in 1883 along with Op. 88. [7] The self-critical Brahms held this trio in high regard, writing to his publisher that they had “not yet had such a beautiful trio from me and very likely have not published its equal in the last ten years.”
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