Second Trio Op. 42

Piano Trio no. 2 in c minor op. 66. After the great success of his first Piano Trio in d minor op. 49, some five years passed before Mendelssohn set to work on a new composition for this formation. But then the c-minor Trio came into being in a relatively short period in March/April 1845 and was published around a year later. Much more sombre in character than the sibling work, this second trio is also considered much more difficult in terms of technique (above all in the piano part). Thus, it has always stood somewhat in the shadow of the earlier trio. However, chamber music aficionados generally regard it as the more mature and challenging work in terms of compositional technique. The trio, taken from the volume Mendelssohn · Piano Trios HN 957, is now available from Henle for the first time also as a practical single edition.

Triosonate IV in e-Moll BWV 528 Bach composed the six Trio Sonatas for Organ BWV 525 - 530 probably between 1727 and 1730 when he was Cantor at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. The trio sonata as a baroque genre usually employs four players: two solo parts (violin, flute or oboe), a bass part (violoncello, violone or bassoon) and the continuo part (organ, harpsichord or lute). It is assumed that during his time in Kothen (1717 - 1723), Bach composed a few dozen trio sonatas for various instruments, of which very few have survived. In fact, the Triosonata for two Flutes and Continuo BWV 1039, along with the one from the Musical Offering (which was written much later), is the only one of which the authenticity can be regarded as certain. Bach arranged it for Viola da Gamba and harpsichord (BWV 1027). The upper solo part is played by the right hand of the harpsichordist while the Viola plays the second part an octave lower. Later, Bach arranged the last movement for organ (Trio in G). Here, the pedal plays a slightly simplified bass, and the left hand takes up the second part. Maybe some of the movements of the six Trio Sonatas for Organ go back to lost compositions Bach has arranged in a similar manner. There are earlier versions of many movements, and the original of at least one movement (BWV 528, I.) was written for more than one instrument: the Sinfonia of the second part of Cantata BWV 76 which is set for Oboe d'amore, Viola da Gamba and Basso Continuo. The linear, distinctly chamber music-like disposition of the Sonatas further supports this assumption, and a number of recent recordings of the Sonatas with two solo instruments and basso continuo convincingly justify the reconstruction of a hypothetical original. The first movement has an unusual form. It begins with a slow introduction - a three-part fugue exposition, with a theme apparently resembling that of the second movement. The Vivace starts on the second eighth in bar 5 and is relatively short, compared to the other sonatas. Its melodic lines are particularly driving and energetic. The fugue theme is answered in the octave, which Bach typically does in slower movements. In the Andante, a two-bar phrasing is particulary noticeable. In the first section (bars 1 - 11) the theme is answered in unison, and after a two-bar interlude the theme appears in the dominant. In the second section (bars 11 - 23) the two solo parts develop motifs from the main theme in a beautiful dialogue. The first section is repeated in e-minor without bars 1 - 7. It is followed by the second section, here shifting to G-major. While the bass has almost exclusively served as an accompaniment so far, it is actively involved in the development of the fugue theme in the last movement, Un poc' allegro. It is dominated by a large variety of bubbly triplet figures. The form can either be perceived in three large sections (I. m 1 - 28, II. m 28 - 60, III. m 60 - 87, coda) or as a fugue-rondo with regular theme appearances. Due to the range and for better playability the sonata was transposed a halfstep above the original key. The slurs comply with the Neue Bach Ausgabe. In the manuscripts their beginnings and ends are usually difficult or impossible to determine. Suggestions are printed in dashed slurs. In the second movement the Soprano and Alto parts were exchanged in bar 38 - 40 to accomodate the Soprano's range. The dotted six-teenth notes in the third movement have to be adjusted to the triplet rhythm. Nombre de pages :44

Triosonate V in C-Dur BWV 529 for Saxophone Trio Bach composed the six Trio Sonatas for Organ BWV 525 - 530 probably between 1727 and 1730 when he was Cantor at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. The trio sonata as a baroque genre usually employs four players: two solo parts (violin, flute or oboe), a bass part (violoncello, violone or bassoon) and the continuo part (organ, harpsichord or lute). It is assumed that during his time in Kothen (1717 - 1723), Bach composed a few dozen trio sonatas for various instruments, of which very few have survived. In fact, the Triosonata for two Flutes and Continuo BWV 1039, along with the one from the Musical Offering (which was written much later), is the only one of which the authenticity can be regarded as certain. Bach arranged it for Viola da Gamba and harpsichord (BWV 1027). The upper solo part is played by the right hand of the harpsichordist while the Viola plays the second part an octave lower. Later, Bach arranged the last movement for organ (Trio in G). Here, the pedal plays a slightly simplified bass, and the left hand takes up the second part. Maybe some of the movements of the six Trio Sonatas for Organ go back to lost compositions Bach has arranged in a similar manner. There are earlier versions of many movements, and the original of at least one movement (BWV 528, I.) was written for more than one instrument: the Sinfonia of the second part of Cantata BWV 76 which is set for Oboe d'amore, Viola da Gamba and Basso Continuo. The linear, distinctly chamber music-like disposition of the Sonatas further supports this assumption, and a number of recent recordings of the Sonatas with two solo instruments and basso continuo convincingly justify the reconstruction of a hypothetical original. Sonata V is the only one that could be considered a three movement Concerto. The first movement Allegro with its chamber music vocabulary is an excellent example for speculations that the organ sonatas might have had instrumental predecessors. Its style could easily be associated with a sonata for two flutes or two violins and continuo. The formal layout is highly complex. The three-part architecture is strictly symmetrical and this principal not only applies to smaller formal units but also to the composition of thematic material. Despite the complexity, the movement never sounds rigid or dull, the instrumental dialogue freely unfolds and melodic development is always relaxed and playful. The Largo in a-minor has a three-part Da capo aria form with elements of a fugue. The lyrical, expressive melody is answered on the fifth by the second part, while the first continues with a chromatic counter-subject. The middle section opens and closes with two slightly more playful interludes (bars 13 33) with the main theme in their center, this time in the parallel of C-major, avoiding chromaticism. After the Da capo the movement closes with a phrygian half cadence (IV6 - V) and leads into the last movement. In comparison with the more ,modern' theme of the first movement, the fugue theme of the Allegro appears a bit conventional. But the motivic development and the organisation of the two-part form are not any less sophisticated. In bar 29 a new theme is introduced, that is combined with the first in the coda (bars 51 141). As in most of the final movements of the trio sonatas, the bass is actively involved in the development of the themes, especially in motivic sequences. Due to the range (theme of the first movement in the Alto part) the sonata was transposed a halfstep above the original key. This also allows playing the bass line with a baritone saxophone without low A. Olaf Muhlenhardt, December 2008 Nombre de pages :68

Triosonate VI in G-Dur BWV 530 Bach composed the six Trio Sonatas for Organ BWV 525 - 530 probably between 1727 and 1730 when he was Cantor at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. The trio sonata as a baroque genre usually employs four players: two solo parts (violin, flute or oboe), a bass part (violoncello, violone or bassoon) and the continuo part (organ, harpsichord or lute). It is assumed that during his time in Kothen (1717 - 1723), Bach composed a few dozen trio sonatas for various instruments, of which very few have survived. In fact, the Triosonata for two Flutes and Continuo BWV 1039, along with the one from the Musical Offering (which was written much later), is the only one of which the authenticity can be regarded as certain. Bach arranged it for Viola da Gamba and harpsichord (BWV 1027). The upper solo part is played by the right hand of the harpsichordist while the Viola plays the second part an octave lower. Later, Bach arranged the last movement for organ (Trio in G). Here, the pedal plays a slightly simplified bass, and the left hand takes up the second part. Maybe some of the movements of the six Trio Sonatas for Organ go back to lost compositions Bach has arranged in a similar manner. There are earlier versions of many movements, and the original of at least one movement (BWV 528, I.) was written for more than one instrument: the Sinfonia of the second part of Cantata BWV 76 which is set for Oboe d'amore, Viola da Gamba and Basso Continuo. The linear, distinctly chamber music-like disposition of the Sonatas further supports this assumption, and a number of recent recordings of the Sonatas with two solo instruments and basso continuo convincingly justify the reconstruction of a hypothetical original. The sixth Trio Sonata might be the only one that Bach explicitly composed for this collection. The particularly high number of changes in the manuscript might indicate that he was still working on it when he copied the Sonata into the collection. The first movement Vivace has a certain resemblance with the first movement of Bach's Italian Concerto for harpsichord. It is a concerto movement, but the solo and tutti passages are often ambiguous. The unison in the beginning is unparalelled in the Trio Sonatas and emphasizes the concerto character of this movement. The first theme returns in modified forms: syncopated (bar 53), in sequence (bar 73) and embellished in minor (101). Extended arpeggios in the interludes (T 37 - 52, 85 - 100 und 137 - 152) and a remarkably active bass (bar 101) effectively contrast the homophone main theme. The declamatory character and its rhythmically and melodically independent solo parts make the Lento sound more like an aria from Bach's cantatas with obligato (violin, flute or oboe) than a chamber sonata. There are elements of the Siciliano (esp. the dotted 6/8 rhythms) and the bass gets involved in the thematic development. Like in Sonatas BWV 526, 528, und 529 the bass is also involved in the development of the fugue subject in the last movement Allegro. While the first theme only employs one and a half bars, the second theme in the parallel minor stretches over four bars and dominates the middle section with motivic sequences and frequent modulations. Due to the range (first theme soprano) the Sonata was transposed a halfstep above the original key. For the same reason, the upper parts were switched in bars 156 - 160. The alto part was transposed an octave down in bars 21 and 22 (with two eight notes pickup). The 8va in the third movement can be performed as written. Vivace - Lente - Allegro Nombre de pages :54

Triosonate I in Eb BWV 525 Bach composed the Trio Sonatas for organ BWV 525 - 530 between 1727 and 1730 when he was Thomaskantor in Leipzig. Bach's first biographer Johannn Nikolaus Forkel states that he composed them for his son Wilhelm Friedemann, who had to practice them in order to become the great organist he later turned into. One cannot say enough about their beauty. As early as the middle of the 18th century, the first arrangement for violin, violoncello and bass was written. Countless versions for other instruments followed. Mozart arranged three movements for violin, viola and violoncello. In the 20th century Bartók and Kabalevsky made versions for piano solo. The trio sonata as a baroque genre usually employs four players: two solo parts (violin, flute or oboe), a bass part (violoncello, violone or bassoon) and the continuo part (organ, harpsichord or flute). Bach's Sonatas for organ require highly independent hands and feet and subtle differentiation to portray the three parts as two individual instruments accompanied by a bass line. Obviously, the pedal part is not as virtuosic as it would be for the left hand of a keyboard player. And that makes it even more suitable for a less experienced tenor or baritone saxophone player in the present edition. To give those players who are not yet familiar with baroque music some ideas, I have included a few suggestions. Bach gave tempo instructions for all but the first movement. The metronome markings provide some orientation; the players should adjust the tempo according to their musical taste and capabilities. Except for the slurs at the beginning of the second movement, there are no further articulations in the manuscript. The articulations in this edition do not need to be taken literally; a slur does not always mean legato - it rather represents a musical unit; slight tonguing won't hurt the line. Likewise, the staccato dots do not always indicate short notes - they show upbeats which are not clearly visible, syncopations which could use emphasis or simply suggest separated eight notes (like in the theme of 1st movement). In general, larger intervals should be separated more clearly ; one will have to determine if they are accompaniment figures in argeggios (as is often the case in the bass part) or melodically significant lines. As the movements progress, the articulations in parallel or simi-lar passages were left out. A lot can be learned from this sonata, not only in regard to phrasing and articulation. And it is an extraordinary pleasure to play and perform it - the movements could hardly be more diverse in mood and character. To quote Forkel again: One cannot say enough about their beauty. Olaf Muhlenhardt, 3/2005 Nombre de pages :36