Piano Trio No. 1 (Piano Trio)

The score to David Matthews' Piano Trio No.1.

Matthews’ Piano Trio No.1 was first performed in 1984 at London’s Southbank Centre. The first movement is in sonata form, with a slow introduction that provides thematic material; a ‘drily humorous’ scherzo, with Viennese touches, follows and is in part a portrait of writer Hans Keller, whose friendship with Matthews is reflected throughout the work. The following Adagio is a transcription of Matthews’ setting of poet Kathleen Raine in his song cycle The Golden Kingdom (1983). The finale of the 23-minute work is simplicity itself, inspired by a trip to the Scottish Highlands: a long melody is presented by each instrument in turn.