Today, Heinrich Marschner (1795-1861), rival of Weber and friend of Beethoven and Mendelssohn, is remembered mainly for his many romantic operas. He was widely regarded as one of the most important composers in Europe from about 1830 until the end of the 19th century and is still generally acknowledged as the leading composer of German opera between Weber's death and Wagner's. Though he considered himself primarily a composer of opera, he did write 7 piano trios and 2 piano quartets. These did not escape the notice of Schumann, who praised the piano trios lavishly and for good reason. Marschner did not just toss off these works as an afterthought but clearly devoted considerable time and effort to writing them. To each of his works for piano, violin, and cello, he gave the title "Grand Trio", indicative of the importance he attached to them. In these fine works, one finds all of the emotions prevalent in the romantic movement during the mid-19th century expressed in a fresh, original, and captivating manner.
Marschner wrote his First Piano Trio while still relatively young in 1823 and dedicated it to his friend, a Mr. A.B. Winkler, about whom we could find no information. It was published the following year by the Parisian firm of Richault. The first movement is marked Allegro moderato, con anima. The music is lilting and lyrical. It sounds almost like something that could be danced to. Slowly, the tempo picks up, but overall, the singing and lyricism remain throughout. Next comes a lovely Andantino full of charm. The Scherzo, allegro molto, which follows, is lively and playful. The finale, Vivace, is full of excitement and drama, bringing the work to a satisfying conclusion.
We are very pleased to be able to offer this highly appealing trio from the early romantic period. Out of print for more than a century, we have reprinted the first and only edition after rescanning and enlarging the parts to make it more readable than the original. Players, however, must keep in mind that this is an early 19th-century edition, which is not the equal of late 19th or 20th-century music type setting.
