A clarinet–violin–piano trio is a standardized chamber musical ensemble made up of one clarinet, one violin, and one piano participating in relatively equal roles, or the name of a piece written for such a group.

An example of a clarinet–viola–piano trio existed several hundred years before the clarinet–violin–piano trio; Mozart composed the Kegelstatt Trio in the 18th century, and the Romantic composer Max Bruch composed a suite of eight pieces for this combination, as well as a double concerto for viola, clarinet, and orchestra. Many of these works can be (or already have been) transcribed for a clarinet–violin–piano trio.

Unlike a standard piano trio or a concerto, there is no standard form for a composition for a clarinet–violin–piano trio: a piece can have any number of movements.

Acoustically, the choice of a clarinet, violin, and piano is characteristic in that most chamber music (and most music in general) contains high (soprano), mid-range (alto/tenor), and low (bass/baritone) parts. However, both a clarinet and a violin play relatively high-pitched parts, making for a less-balanced sound than a trio that contains a more possible range, such as a violin–cello–piano trio. Timbral contrast is provided between the woodwind (clarinet), bowed string (violin), and keyboard instrument (piano).

Aside from its classical use, this combination of instruments is common in traditional Ashkenazi Jewish music.

Early 20th century There are examples of clarinet–violin–piano trios prior to 1970 by composers including Bartók (Contrasts), Baußnern's Serenade, Stravinsky (an arrangement of his L'histoire du soldat), Milhaud (Suite for clarinet, violin, and piano, Op. 157b), Khachaturian (Trio for clarinet, violin and piano), Berg, Krenek, and Ives.

Bartók's Contrasts

Béla Bartók's Contrasts was commissioned for violinist Joseph Szigeti and clarinetist Benny Goodman and is one of the best known pieces in the genre. KárpátiKárpáti (1981), p.201-207. describes the piece as possessing "technical bravura and at the same time...poetic versatility". In contrast, E.R.,E. R. (1943), p. 61. explains that the "contrasts are "of speed rather than of mood" but that despite this "lack of variety...Bartók's genius consists in gifts of rhetoric so rich that he can spread this one mood, and spread it interestingly, over a score or more of large-scale works".

SeiberSeiber (1949), p.28-29. considers it "a less weighty, less important work in Bartók's whole œuvre" though the "writing for both violin and clarinet" are "most effective throughout". An article describing a program in which "the standard note on Bartók's Contrasts...was replaced by a sequential, diagrammatic sketch," concluded that, "in fact, Bartók looks as inscrutable as he sounds"."Program Notes: Better Unwritten than Unread", Music Educators Journal, Vol. 54, No. 7. (Mar., 1968), pp. 96–97.

Later 20th century Trios were commissioned by the Verdehr Trio from composers including Leslie Bassett, Alan Hovhaness, Michael Daugherty, Karel Husa, Thea Musgrave, Ned Rorem, Ida Gotkovsky, Gunther Schuller, Peter Schickele, Jennifer Higdon, Alexander Arutiunian, David Diamond, Scott McAllister, William Bolcom, Betsy Jolas, Bright Sheng, Roberto Sierra, Libby Larsen, Philippe Manoury, Gian Carlo Menotti, Peter Sculthorpe, Iván Erőd and Joan Tower.

Rorem's The End of Summer (1985), which may be found on several recordings featuring his work, features hints of church music. The composer describes the piece's similarities to its direct predecessor, his Scenes from Childhood, in that each of three movements is "suggested by musical works of yore. There are suggestions of Satie, Brahms, hopscotch ditties and Protestant anthems."Rorem, Ned (2001). Quoted in Gotham Ensemble Plays Ned Rorem, liner notes. Albany Records (2002): Troy 520. Rorem says his, Musgrave's, and Dickinson's pieces all "quote literally from the past" and also describes asking "Chuck" if he ever disapproved of Samuel Barber's pieces as Rorem's partner did of Rorem's the evening it premiered.Rorem (2002), p.56.

Schuller's A Trio Setting, in "the classical fast-slow-scherzo-fast form" shows the influence of Bartók but is described as "original...varied, affecting and exciting by turns, and inventive" worth listening to again.Max, Stephen (2008), p.1.

Nathan Currier's Variations is described as "more difficult" and seemingly "too long at almost 34 minutes." It repeatedly quotes as a theme a song from Binchois, "De plus en plus", sounding like a Brahms lullaby. The piece also shows the influence of Bartók's Contrasts.

Husa's Trio Setting [W22], commissioned by the Verdehr Trio in 1981, showcases each instrument in one movement and has been described by William Crutchfield as, "standout...with its sure sense of climax and dramatic variety in the instrumental handling."Hitchens (1991), p.14

Thea Musgrave's Pierrot was commissioned by the Verdehr Trio and first performed in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1986. Consistent with Musgrave's earlier work, such as her Second Chamber Concerto (1966), Clarinet Concerto (1967), and Space Play (1974), Pierrot is highly programmatic and the score contains indications for stage locations, lighting plots, and movements.

Concertos Clarinet–violin–piano concertos have been commissioned by Verdehr from Buhr, David, Ott, Skrowaczewski, and Wallace. They have also commissioned violin-clarinet double concertos from James Niblock, William Wallace, Dinos Constantinides, Paul Chihara, Ian Krouse and Richard Mills.

Composers of clarinet–violin–piano trios (This is an incomplete list.)

Early 20th century Composer Year Piece Opus Notes Béla Bartók 1938 Contrasts for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano Sz. 111, BB 116 Alban Berg 1926 Adagio for Violin, Clarinet and Piano Arrangement of Kammerkonzert, 2nd movement Charles Ives 1934 Largo for Violin, Clarinet and Piano Aram Khachaturian 1932 Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano Waldemar von Baußnern 1898 Serenade, for Clarinet, Violin and Piano IWB 12 Ernst Krenek 1946 Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano Op. 108 Darius Milhaud 1936 Suite for Clarinet, Violin and Piano Op. 157b Igor Stravinsky 1918 Suite from L'histoire du soldat for Clarinet, Violin and Piano Arranged by the composer

1949 onwards Composer Year Piece Opus Joan Albert Amargós Alfredo Aracil 1992 Movimiento perpetuo v.92 Alexander Arutiunian William Bolcom 1994 Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano Charlotte Bray 2017 Chant for Clarinet, Violin and Piano Jane Brockman 1999 Nibiru Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano 2007 Lemuria Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano John Craton 2003 Sonate pour Violon, Clarinet and Piano, "Trois Petites Filles" Gustavo Díaz-Jerez 2012 Exedrae Donald Erb Sunlit Peaks and Dark Valleys Iván Erőd 1991 Trio Op. 59 Christopher Fox 1992 Straight Lines in Broken Times2 Pedro Faria Gomes 2010 Returning John Harbison 1982 Variations Stephen Hartke 1997 The Horse with the Lavender Eye Douglas Knehans 2002 Rive Alan Hovhaness 1988 Trio Lake Samish Op. 415 Evan Johnson 2003 Ausschnitte Michael Knopf 2014 QuasiHelioSonic & Little Worlds Philippe Manoury 1992 Michigan Trio Edward Manukyan 2007 Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano Donald Martino 1973 Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano Gian Carlo Menotti 1996 Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano Denis Pousseur 1993 Le Silence du Futur for Clarinet, Violin and Piano Manel Ribera 2008 Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano Ned Rorem 1985 End of Summer Timothy Salter 2017 Triptych for Violin, Clarinet and Piano Rebecca Saunders 1994 the underside of green Peter Schickele 1992 Serenade for Three for Violin, Clarinet and Piano Paul Schoenfield 1990 Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano Peter Scholes 1995 Island Songs, Clarinet Trio Peter Sculthorpe 1992 Dream Tracks Juan María Solare 2008 Greek Tales for Violin, Clarinet and Piano Franklin Stover 2011 Trialog for Violin, Clarinet and Piano Jesús Torres 2017 Fulgor for Violin, Clarinet and Piano Octavio Vázquez 2012 Trio for Violin, Clarinet and Piano Gabriel Vicéns 2021 Mural for Clarinet, Violin and Piano Johann Baptist Wanhal Trio in E flat Op. 20, No. 5

Current clarinet–violin–piano trio ensembles (2018) (This is an incomplete list.)

Trio Founded Clarinet Violin Piano The Verdehr Trio 1972 Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr Walter Verdehr Silvia Roederer The Ensemble da Camera of Washington 1990 Claire Eichhorn Ricardo Cyncynates Anna Balakerskaia Nordica Trio 1994 Karen Beacham Graybert Beacham Martin Perry Jacquin Trio 2009 Jessie Grimes Kay Stephen Charis Hanning The Kat Trio 1998 Vladislav Gorbich Victoria Gorbich Joseph Ross The Sapphire Trio 1998 Maxine Ramey Margaret Nichols-Baldridge Jody Graves Strata 1999 Nathan Williams James Stern Audrey Andrist Pamina Trio 2004 Beatriz Lopez Ikuko Kitakado Keiko Hattori Prima Trio 2004 Boris Allakhverdyan Gulia Gurevich Anastasia Dedik Trio Gaudì 2005 Alessio Terranova Cardillo Giovanni Silvia Nicola Meridian Trio 2006 Helen James Mackenzie Richards Eamonn Ramsay Zodiac Trio 2006 Kliment Krylovskiy Vanessa Mollard Riko Higuma Vivezza Trio 2010 Nicole van Jaarsveld Inger van Vliet Angélique Heemsbergen Jacquin Trio 2010 Jessie Grimes Kay Stephen Charis Hanning Trio Aumage ? Maguy Giraud Geneviève Melet Aurélie Samani Tripod Trio ? Rié Suzuki Tim Schwarz David Pasbrig Aratos Trio 2014 Mihailo Samoran Katarina Popović Vanja Šćepanović Luz y Sombra 2006 Kymia Kermani Miriam Erttmann Katja Steinhäuser Ducasse Trio 2010 William Slingsby-Duncombe Charlotte Maclet Fiachra Garvey Crescendo Trio 2014 Fanni Fekete Eszter Kruchió Ádám Zsolt Szokolay Trio Pokret 2011 Miloš Nikolić Madlen Stokić Vasiljević Maja Mihić Ensemble TrioPolis 2015 Kimberly Cole Luevano Felix Olschofka Anatolia Ioannides 2017 Charlotte Layec TJ Skinner Olivier Hébert-Bouchard

Notes

Sources Carbon, John. "Pierrot for Violin, Clarinet and Piano by Thea Musgrave", Notes, 2nd Ser., Vol.50, No. 2. (Dec., 1993), pp. 761–762. E. R. (1943) ."Review: Contrasts, for Violin, Clarinet and Piano by Béla Bartók", Music & Letters, Vol. 24, No. 1. (Jan., 1943), p. 61. Hitchens, Susan Hayes (1991). Karel Husa: A Bio-Bibliography. . Kárpáti, János (1981). "Alternative Structures in Bartók's 'Contrasts'", Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, T. 23, Fasc. 1/4, Centenrio Belae Bartók Sacrum#. Max, Stephen R. "Verdehr Trio 3." American Record Guide 57.n6 (Nov-Dec 1994): 218(1). Rorem (2002). Lies: A Diary: 1986-1999. . Seiber, Mátyás (1949). "Béla Bartók's Chamber Music", Tempo, New Ser., No. 13, Bartók Number. (Autumn, 1949), pp. 19–31.

External links Rockwell, John " Concert: Verdehr Trio" Review, NYTimes.com. Published: February 18, 1988. The Verdehr Trio website.