About

Schubert's B flat piano trio is a large-scale work in four movements completed in the last year of the composer's life. It is one of the most enduringly popular works in the piano trio repertoire.

Ravel's piano trio was completed as the First World War was imminent. It's an extraordinarily colourful work which draws on the full resources of all three players. The theme of the first movement is inspired by the Basque region, with which Ravel strongly identified, whereas the Scherzo – entitled Pantoum – references a Malaysian verse form. The trumpet calls in the last movement may be an allusion to the declaration of war in 1914