Allegro Con Brio
The first movement begins with a string of short themes which will be developed in the next section, at times in whole and at times in parts.
Andante Cantabile Con Variazioni
This movement is a set of 5 variations on a cantabile theme in the utmost simplicity. The piano melody in the first variation has an intense lyricism which makes it more memorable than the theme itself. In the second variation, the roles of the 3 instruments interchange in great frequency, resulting in a novel instrumental texture. In the third variation, the strings’ pizzicato notes play against the fast notes of the piano. The fourth variation is in E-flat minor, and this dark key enhances the sighing accents, the unsettling syncopations and the chromatic progressions. The staccato notes of the piano and the double-stops of the violin enliven the fifth and last variations, leading into the coda which recapitulates the motives heard separately earlier.
Menuetto. Quasi Allegro
The main theme in this movement is related to the agitated motive of the first movement but with a sharper relief. As the tonality changes from a minor to a major, the mood gradually brightens up. The piano plays in fast runs, alternating with a simple and engaging melody of the cello.
Prestissimo
The final movement starts with a few introductory measures, and the violin intones the main theme in nervousness and tension. Subsequently, the insistent minor thirds develop maniacally, followed by a relaxing second theme that brings only temporary calm. This piece ends with the most astonishing coda.
