The piano trio gained popularity amongst composers in the 18th century with Haydn composing around 40 of them and composers like Mozart and Beethoven following suit as the instrumentation allowed perfect flexibility for salon performances. Fanny Hensel (née Mendelssohn)’s Piano Trio premiered in 1847 at one of her Sunday salons to celebrate her sister, Rebecka’s birthday. Though sharing a key with her brother, Felix’s earlier piano trio, Hensel’s trio uses a mostly chromatic melody alluding to her sister’s vocal talent as well as her fondness for the works of Frédéric Chopin. By the time Maurice Ravel composed his Trio in A minor, he had established a successful career and become a well-known public figure. This trio has come to be a classic of the literature and showcases an imagination and complexity unique to Ravel and this trio.
Monumental Piano Trios

Pianist Michael Stephen Brown (Photo: Bill Wadman)
Playlist
Fanny Mendelssohn: Trio in D minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 11
Michael Stephen Brown, piano; James Thompson, violin; Paul Watkins, cello
Maurice Ravel: Trio in A minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello
Michael Stephen Brown, piano; Erin Keefe, violin; Mihai Marica, cello