Piano Trio No. 1 (2nd Revision)

Description

My first Piano Trio was composed in three quite short bursts, between August 2012 and August 2013. It is cast in three movements. The first opens with a questioning motif in the piano, on which the violin and cello both comment. The third time the motif is heard, it heralds the beginning of the movement proper, where fragments of thematic material are presented by the violin and cello in partnership. After the piano enters, the music builds to its first climax, after which the piano introduces the next section. Following the end of this paragraph, the theme is presented in full by the violin and cello, accompanied by frenetic arpeggios in the piano. An energetic coda brings the movement to a close. The piano begins the second movement with a chord sequence and fragments of melody which feature later on. After the first section, the piano plays an improvisatory note row, over which the strings play, and tension and energy gradually build up. The strings then present the theme in full, and an expansive climax follows. After this, the music gradually fades, and ends in the serene key of D flat in which it began. The third movement opens urgently with brisk semiquaver passsages in the strings, interjected by dissonant chords in the piano. The piano then takes over the semiquavers, and the strings accompany. Bach’s Two-Part Invention no.1 (BWV 772) gradually weaves its way into the next section of music, becoming more persistent until it is heard in full, albeit distracted by the piano’s counter-melodies and uncertain tonality. After a very short and frantic development, the music suddenly breaks off. A very tranquil transition leads to another two-part invention, played by the strings, which the piano interrupts with ominous bell-like chords and counter-melody. This heralds the return of the very opening motif of the piece, which is developed and leads to the piece’s triumphant conclusion in (nearly) A major. CB

First performed by the Bedriska Trio, Gloucester Music Society, Gloucester Cathedral, 26th November 2016 Manuel Arellano Bover – Violin Miriam Wakeling – Cello Panaretos Kyriatzidis – Piano. Duration: approx. 17′