Beethoven’s “Gassenhauer” Trio is one of his early works and was composed in 1798. It was written for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano at the request of Clarinetist Josef Beer. However, clarinet is occasionally substituted by violin and that version is still played today.

The frequent transitions of the first and second themes are impressive in the first movement. In the second movement, adagio, intimate and sentimental melodies from three instruments in a short development section are beautiful.  The most famous third movement is a variation. The theme is introduced in a lively atmosphere and is followed by variations. The theme is maintained in many forms and is changed in keys and rhythms for every variation. At the end, it comes back to the original key and rhythm. The movement’s sparkling performance techniques, such as dialogues between instruments and piano tremolos, are impressive.   

Like his “Archuduke” or “Ghost” trios, this trio has a title called “Gassenhauer”. It is because the melody for the last movement. It is a popular tune from Josef Weigl’s opera “The Corsair”. The tune was widely enjoyed by Viennese vagabonds.

The work has four movements and was composed without complex ornamentations or forms. The feelings of tragedy, love, and suffering are present in this beautiful composition.  The use of unison (for example, between violin and cello, or in piano when both hands play two octaves) is impressive.  

In the first movement, muted cello quietly begins with grim melodies. The violin imitates this and continues to use the melodies. It is probably rare to see such an impressive introduction in the first movement rather than in a middle movement. The piano then adds low range octaves and the three instruments develop lyrical melodies together. The tempo gets faster as the movement proceeds to the second part and it boldly and directly moves to the second movement. The subjects now develop freely at last. The second movement is a scherzo, where each the three instruments expresses its own qualities and sounds. It also reveals Shostakovich’s extreme emotions. The third movement has a quiet beginning that is reminiscent of the first movement introduction. It is, in some sense, in a form of passacaglia that brings up the image of funeral march. The fourth movement, which is close to a rondo, adds new features to the work, such as oriental melodies and rhythm.  It excellently serves its purpose as a finale and ends the entire piece.

The composer focuses on the symbolism of the number “3” in this piano trio. The number “3” represents a harmony, and denotes harmonies among the three nations: Korea, China, and Japan. It also symbolizes a harmony of space, where the number “1”, ”2”, and ”3” respectively refers to sky, land, and human. “3” exists as a middle number between the male and female principles. The number also refers to the fact that the composition is a 3-movement work. 

In the first movement, “Elegant”, the consonances and dissonances intersect each other using whole tones, semitones, and octatonic scales. In the second movement,  “Sentimental”, each of the three instruments expresses its own feelings in variations within a continuous series of appearances of slow triads. In the third movement, “Creative”, the violin and the cello alternates pizzicato and arco over the piano’s dynamic rhythm. It creates harmony between staccato and musical lines, and increases dynamic feelings. 

This work was commissioned by the Seoul International Festival in 2009, for Emperor Piano Trio.

In the first movement, the cello plays a powerful and melancholy subject in the beginning.  This appealing theme then moves to violin and piano. While the piano still plays that theme, the cello again enters to play lyrical and lively second theme. The effective contrast between these two themes is the most beautiful aspect about the first movement.  However, the movement ends with a melancholic atmosphere of the first theme. The melody and harmony-centered second movement is filled with Mendelssohn’s own rich imagination. It generally gives a quiet feeling. It ends after preparing for the third movement with a bright theme. The tempo for the rondo-form third movement, Scherzo, is different from previous movements. The piano powerfully introduces cheerful subject and violin takes it over. A refreshing and energetic feeling is maintained throughout the movement. The fourth movement develops as piano and strings switches back and forth in counterpoint melodies. The three instruments are generally well balanced throughout this work.  This last movement gives an impression that it is dominated by piano. 

The first piano trio was written in 1839, in Leipzig. It was performed in 1840 by Mendelssohn himself as the pianist, and his friend David as the violinist.