Alexander Alyabyev's Big Trio in A Minor

Main article: History of music in Russia

One of the earliest incarnations of the piano trio genre in Russian music belongs to the pen of Alexander Alexandrovich Alyabyev. The composer created two works in this genre. The first - the one-part Trio in E flat major - is known as the "Unfinished Trio," the second was the Big Trio in A minor, created in 1834, during the composer's stay in exile. More famous than the previous one, it attracts with its elegiac excitement. The instrumental composition (violin, cello, piano) is also traditional, as is the structure of the three-part cycle - sonata allegro, slow part, fast ending in the form of rondo, but the interpretation of these forms is not always common, it shows the original features of the composer's "handwriting" Alyabyev.

During Alyabyev's lifetime, the Big Trio was performed repeatedly (including with the participation of the author), but was subsequently forgotten for a long time. The new life of the work began in 1949, when it was performed by pianist Emil Gilels, violinist Dmitry Tsyganov and cellist Sergei Shirinsky.

Allegro ma non troppo

The form of the first part is especially interesting - Allegro ma non troppo. As a rule, in sonata form, the main part is active and energetic, and the side part is lyrical and calm, this is exactly what happened in the vast majority of piano trios created by Western European composers in the era described. But Alyabyev acts completely differently: it is the main part that becomes the focus of the lyrical sphere, reminiscent of a song or romance in the intonation warehouse, while the side part is, on the contrary, mobile. It is noteworthy that later it is precisely this ratio of sonata allegro themes that will be characteristic of many piano trios created by domestic composers - up to Shostakovich and Sviridov. The main key of the work is also noteworthy - in A minor. It was she who would later be elected by Anton Rubinstein for one of his most dramatic piano trios, and the trio "In Memory of the Great Artist" Tchaikovsky would also be A minor. Thus, this tonality in Russian music, in particular - in the genre of a piano trio - turns out to be associated with elegiac images that have a touch of drama, and Alyabyev stood at the origins of this tradition.

The main part of the first part, like the similar section of the "Unfinished Trio," is composed of two elements, but - unlike the previous work - they do not contrast with each other. The first element, which is a four-stroke construction, is saturated with declamatory-expressive intonations, in the second this quality is emphasized by accents and pauses. The elegiac nature of the theme is emphasized by the "intonations of sighing" in the piano part. The piano sets out a melody with a predominant downward movement, somewhat reminiscent of Mikhail Glinka's romance "Do not tempt," it is decorated with the legs of the violin and cello. A small lyrical episode with piano cadence separates the main part from the side part. The minor main part is contrasted by the side part, outlined in a parallel key. The rapid movement of the sixties, covering a significant part of the keyboard, colorful register mappings, a bizarre drawing of figures - all this creates an atmosphere of festive fun. The dance principle is enhanced by accents in violin and cello parts. Strings create a national flavor: cello pizzicato resembles a balalaika, and double notes in the violin part are the sound of a horn. Elements of the main one - "intonation-sighs" penetrate the side party, but here they sound active and courageous. The four-stroke construction that concludes the exposition seems too brief to count as its final instalment, but the rich chords in it associate with orchestral tutti. The development is notable for its organic combination of intonation polyphony techniques and Russian choral polyphony. The reprise, separated from the development by a pause, is also saturated with thematic development, in which the interpenetration of two musical elements - urban romance (the main part) and folk dance (side) becomes increasingly obvious.

Adagio

Part two - Adagio - has a simple three-part form. The lyrical image is revealed in the "dialogue" of the violin and cello, reminiscent of a barcarola. The leading role belongs to the violin. The middle section is especially interesting: A major is replaced by A minor with deviations in E minor and E major, intonations acquire declamatory expressiveness.

Allegretto

In the rondike ending - Allegretto - the composer again retreats from the canons of the form, varying the refrain at each conduct, and only on the eve of the codes he reappears in its original form. A very extensive episode, built on the development of the theme of refrain, allows us to talk about elements of sonateness. The genre nature of the refrain is associated with the folk dance element. The connection with folklore origins in the finale is especially directly manifested: in the central episode, the song "Wanka Tanku fell in love"^[1] is quoted].

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