- Molto allegro ed agitato
- Andante con moto tranquillo
- Scherzo: Leggiero e vivace
- Finale: Allegro assai appassionato
It was full term and the beginning of a new year at the University of Leipzig in 1939, as students, with books in hand in their caps and coats, hurried through the streets to their next class or next coffee house. The city, in preparation for the spring trade fair near the old market, was busy with the newly arrived goods from all over Europe.
Felix Mendelssohn, the music director (Gewandhaus Kapellmeister) at the Gewandhaus, had already made Leipzig a beacon of music with his concerts featuring the old classics, works of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, and the new works of living composers. Robert Schumann, one of the living composers residing in Leipzig, was running his music magazine, Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. With essays about the future of Romantic music in 1839, Schumann, along with those in his circle, often discussed Chopin, Mendelssohn, and younger composers as those who represented the “new poetic age.” Not only did Mendelssohn’s contemporaries like Schumann think highly of him, but some of his senior colleagues shared the same opinion about the composer. Louis Spohr, a German violinist, conductor, and composer, and 25 years older than Mendelssohn, admired his polish, talent, and professional success.
With a loving family and a busy schedule, Mendelssohn was in the process of composing his Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor. This Trio had the elements of the intimate chamber dialogue along with virtuosity in the piano writing. Representing the height of Romantic chamber music, this work has a fusion of rhythmic vitality, lyricism, and dramatic contrasts.
- Molto allegro ed agitato. Starting the Trio, this movement begins with a passionate and stormy opening with sweeping piano lines and dramatic interplay between the violin and cello. It also has the strings engaging in the dialogue with the piano.
- Andante con moto tranquillo. This movement, often described as a song without words for Trio, involves the cello introducing a tender melody with the violin and piano weaving around it. It also has a warm, hymn-like quality.
- The Scherzo: Leggiero e vivace, a movement that depicts Mendelssohn’s light, fairy-like signature style, is also a testament to the technical prowess of the musicians. It calls for great precision and skill, creating a magical atmosphere that is both enchanting and demanding.
- Allegro assai appassionato, the final movement of the Trio, is a powerful and triumphant conclusion. It starts with the intensity of driving rhythms and restless energy, which eventually gives way to a more optimistic and triumphant close. This uplifting and satisfying conclusion leaves a lasting impression on the audience.
The premiere of Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor took place on February 1, 1840, at the Leipzig Gewandhaus with Felix Mendelssohn on piano, Ferdinand David on violin, and (Franz) Carl Wittmann on cello. This premiere was a significant event in the history of music, marking the introduction of a masterpiece that would stand the test of time. Although he was not a close friend, Mendelssohn dedicated this work to Louis Spohr as a sign of high regard for the elder musician. The premiere was a tremendous success, and after seeing the premiere, Schumann wrote the following in an issue of Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. “It is the master-trio of our time, as were once those of Beethoven in B♭ and D, or Schubert’s in E-flat; a work of the very first rank, which after years will still delight our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.” After that publication, the review helped spread the work’s reputation far beyond Leipzig.