Collecting Clarinet Trios
November 8, 2023
By Nicky Swett
The cello and clarinet have many striking similarities: a mellow tone color, strength in the tenor register, and certain breathy qualities that lead many to associate both instruments with the human voice. Until Johannes Brahms wrote a popular trio for clarinet, cello, and piano (Op. 114) at the end of his life, it was relatively rare to hear pieces in which these two instruments’ contributions and qualities could be closely compared and their diverging roles observed. In the last century, far more has been written for clarinet-cello-piano trio, including works by contemporary composers like Todd Cochran and Libby Larsen. This playlist features trios of the last 60 years, from Isang Yun's lush Rencontre to Teresa Procaccini's spritely Trio, Op. 36, to a bustling creation by famed film composer Nino Rota.
Cellist, writer, and music researcher Nicky Swett is a program annotator and editorial contributor at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
