Piano Trio No. 1 (A Duo for Three Players) was commissioned by the American Chamber Trio and premiered at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.

The paradoxical subtitle refers to the dramatic relationship between the piano, on one side, and the strings, acting singly or together, on the other. During the approximately 18 minutes of this three-part, one-movement work, several aspects of this relationship are explored.

After a brief introduction, the piece begins in earnest with the longest of the three main sections: The piano almost completely dominates the texture by first announcing in rapid succession a wide variety of motives and then alternating a series of variations on them with sections exposing their simple, underlying cantus firmus. Progressively, the variations become less dense and string episodes become more dominant until the two elements are equal. This becomes apparent in a rhythmic, almost dance-like unison passage.

Part two, a cadenza for the strings, bridges to the final section. Here, the strings play variations on motives previously heard only in the piano, although not without some angry interruptions from that instrument. By the end, the strings are completely dominant, and the piano is reduced to trying to sustain the slow chords first heard in the strings early in the work.

While in one way the piece comes full cycle (repeating material from the beginning), a transformation has taken place, so that the relationship of the two sides is not merely reversed, but is given a new and different dramatic significance.

-- R.C.