Trio for Clarinet, Cello & Piano in A minor, Op. 114 (Brahms)
Movements
i Allegro ii Adagio iii Andantino gracioso iv Allegro
Notes
The Clarinet Trio in A minor, Op. 114, is one of four chamber works composed by Johannes Brahms featuring the clarinet as a primary instrument. It was written in the summer of 1891 for the clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld. It is considered by scholars as part of a rebirth for the composer who in 1890 declared his String Quintet in G major to be his final work.
The overall mood of the piece is sombre but includes both romantic and introspective qualities. The work incorporates a considerable amount of arpeggio patterns in its theme, complemented by conversation-like passages in the upper register of the cello.
It is very clear in the music that Brahms absolutely adored the playing of Richard Mühlfeld, and that this adoration made its way into the trio. Eusebius Mandyczewski, a scholar and friend of Brahms, wrote of the trio that “It is as though the instruments were in love with each other.”
