Trio

The Trio for violin, cello, and piano, commissioned and performed by the Philadelphia Art Alliance, uses the framework of classic three-movement form (sonata-allegro, theme-and-variations, rondo) as its point of departure. These forms interact with the musical language, which sometimes upholds but often subverts them. Themes may intertwine, disintegrate, or reappear in a different movement, constantly challenging their subordination to form, while simultaneously deriving their meaning from it.