This is late Mendelssohn, which tends to be uneven in quality. It’s quite different from his earlier trio we heard the first week of the festival.
For the first movement, remember your lessons on sonata format! It’s marked “allegro energico e con fuoco”, translated as “quickly, energetically and with fire”. That second subject in E-flat is glorious.
Mendelssohn: Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 66, first movement
The second movement is marked “andante espressivo”, which has nothing whatsoever to do with coffee. It means “a walking pace and expressive”. It’s in E-flat and 3/4 time.
The scherzo is marked “molto allegro quasi presto”, which means “very quickly, and pedal to the metal on the curves”. These three ladies give a great performance. And what an ending!
The finale is marked “allegro appassionato”, which needs no translation. Stefan Jackiw, who performs in this video, will be performing this piece at the Festival.
Did you have an enjoyable musical interlude in Row T for the Music Festival?