William Bolcom

Piano Trio

Written for and premiered by the Delphi Trio, the piano trio hearkens towards William Bolcom's Brahmsian side in gesture, tone and form but only in three movements, not four as often found with that composer. This new piano trio intends to follow the great line of piano trios from the last centuries in form and mood, although the musical material is very much of our own time. The first movement, labeled 'energetic,' has a latter-day autumnal Sturm und Drang feel, followed by the second's otherworldly 'serene; molto sostenuto' mood. To close, the third's 'strongly driven' mood has a Hispanic-jazzy tone, which leads surprisingly to a serene coda. Commissioned and premiered by the Delphi Trio. World premiere: November 4, 2016 at Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR.