Chopin: Piano Trio, Op.8

Introduction

The Piano Trio, Op. 8, is a composition in G minor by Frédéric Chopin, written in 1828 or 1829, and published in 1829, dedicated to Antoni Radziwiłł.

Structure

It has four movements:

1. Allegro con fuoco
2. Scherzo
3. Adagio sostenuto
4. Finale: Allegretto

A typical performance lasts approximately 25-27 minutes.

The piece has established itself as a core member of the piano trio repertoire. In a letter to his friend Tytus Woyciechowski dated 31 August 1830,^[a] Chopin speculates whether he should have written the violin line for viola, believing that the viola's timbre would "accord better with the cello". Emanuel Ax is of the opinion that it is perhaps fortunate that Chopin scored the work for a standard piano trio, since so few trios with viola exist.