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Recommended Reading
Being a string player gives one the opportunity to be a flexible chamber musician. Different instrumental combinations challenge string players in a very specific way, asking for a wide range of varied musicianship skills.
For instance, players can very often be seen facing the huge demands of string quartet repertoire. In the same way almost every violinist and cellist has been on the journey of working in a piano trio. Both of those combinations are commonly expanded to perform the beautiful works for piano quartet, piano quintet or string quintet or sextet, etc.
The reason to mention the flexibility of chamber music is to discuss a less popular but very exciting combination of instruments and perhaps to encourage people to go into experimenting with different repertoire.
The idea of combining the piano and the clarinet with a string instrument is very creative, enjoyable and again enriching in its unique way. The difficulties with this type of ensemble usually occur in relation to balance and sound production, simply because of the contrasting nature of the three instruments. However, being in a group like this can be extremely rewarding both because of the beauty of the unusual timbre blend and the diverse repertoire.
Here is a list of pieces written for the three combinations, I hope you enjoy it:
Violin/Clarinet/Piano:
Bartok- Contrasts
Stravinsky- Soldior’s Tale Suite
Khachaturian- Trio
Viola/Clarinet/Piano:
Mozart- ‘Kegeltsatt’ Trio
Schumann- Marchenerzahlungen (Fairy Tales)
Bruch- 8 Stucke
Cello/Clarinet/Piano:
Beethoven- Trio in Bb major, Op. 11
Brahms- Trio in A minor, Op. 114
