Piano Trio in C minor, MWV Q3 (Mendelssohn) explained

The Piano Trio in C minor, MWV Q3, is a chamber work by Felix Mendelssohn. It was composed in 1820 and published posthumously in 1970.^[1] Unlike many other piano trios, this work is scored for piano, violin and viola.^[2] In key, all the movements are in minor, ending also in minor. Among the works by Mendelssohn, this is one of those least performed and recorded.

Movements

1. Allegro (in C minor & sonata form, secondary theme in the exposition in E-flat major)
2. Scherzo (in G minor & ternary form, middle section in G major)
3. Adagio (in F minor & sonata form, secondary theme in the exposition in A-flat major)
4. Allegro (in C minor & sonata form, secondary theme in the exposition in E-flat major)

Second Movement

To be precise the scherzo is in modified "minuet & trio" form, where the main scherzo features an extra introduction. In other words, the overall form can be represented as "Scherzo (ABBCC) - Trio (DDEE) - Scherzo da Capo (ABC)".

Notes and References

1. Web site: Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Trio in C minor. allmusic.com. 1 August 2015.
2. Web site: Mendelssohn: Trio for Piano, Violin & Viola in C minor (1820). prestoclassical.co.uk. 1 August 2015.