Piano Trio No. 2 (Saint-Saëns)
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The Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 92 was composed by Camille Saint-Saëns in 1892. It was premiered on 7 December 1892 at the Salle Érard in Paris, performed by Isidor Philipp, Henri Berthelier and Jules Loëb.[1]
Structure[edit]
The work is unusually cast in five movements, and takes around 35 minutes to perform.[2]
The first and last movements are considerably longer than the middle three, creating an arch-like structure.[1]
I. Allegro ma non-troppo[edit]
The first movement is a lengthy movement in sonata form. It opens with a dark and ominous theme shared between the violin and cello, accompanied by widely spaced chords in the piano. The second subject presents a new lyrical contrasting theme. After a dramatic development section, the movement ends boldly with an unexpected Plagal Cadence in E minor.[3]
II. Allegretto[edit]
This movement is a dance-like movement in rondo form, written in 5
8 meter, in a similar vein to the second movement of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony. It alternates delicate, salon-like music with virtuosic outbursts, ultimately ending softly.[1][2]
III. Andante con moto[edit]
The third movement is a brief but lyrical slow movement in the distant key of A♭ major. It is built around a small descending phrase first heard in the piano and then in the strings.[2]
IV. Grazioso, poco allegretto[edit]
This movement is a graceful waltz in G major. It opens with a brief dark introduction before the piano introduces the main theme, cheerful in character. Two brief trio sections provide contrast in distant keys.[1][3]
V. Allegro[edit]
The finale begins with a sinister theme in the piano in octaves, later joined by the strings. The music develops with increasing intensity before reaching a fugato with a theme first announced on the violin. The two themes are then combined and developed in a complex contrapuntal passage. The coda transforms the first theme into a moto perpetuo, which brings the work to a dramatic conclusion in the tonic minor.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Systems, eZ; Base, Bru Zane Media. "Piano Trio no. 2 in E minor op. 92 (Camille Saint-Saëns)". Bru Zane Media Base. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
- ^ a b c d "Piano Trio No 2 in E minor, Op 92 (Saint-Saëns) – from CDA67538 – Hyperion Records – MP3 and Lossless downloads". www.hyperion-records.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
- ^ a b www.naxos.com https://www.naxos.com/MainSite/BlurbsReviews/?itemcode=8.550935&catnum=550935&filetype=AboutThisRecording&language=English. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
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