Overview
Introduction
By November of 1786, the upheaval which had attended the creation, production, and staging of The Marriage of Figaro had passed and Mozart's creative engine returned to matters more mundane. Somehow in the midst of the turmoil he had produced his first true piano trio (K. 496), a somewhat simplified work for amateur musicians, and he returned to that genre in the fall. Even though this would be his third such work, it is the first in which the string instruments are truly equal partners with the piano, and in which the parts are conceived with professional players in mind. The work is brilliant, top drawer Mozart and, following the apparent failure of Figaro in Vienna, seems to be one of several works upon which he lavished his creativity. Others in the group included the "Hoffmeister" quartet, K. 499, the C major piano concerto, K. 503, and the incredible "Prague" D major Symphony, K. 504.
The trio opens with an Allegro in which sophisticated counterpoint has replaced the continuo style of the first trio, and the relative simplicity of the second. An extended Larghetto second movement features extended interplay among the three instruments, and is lyrical to the point of being a sort of song without words. The piano opens the concluding Allegretto; it and the two string parts pass the lead seamlessly from one to another, each sharing the spotlight. Overall, the trio shows Mozart at the height of his powers. It displays seamless ensemble writing, flawless balance between the instruments, and his crystal clear melodic writing.
Parts/Movements
- Allegro
- Larghetto
- Allegretto
