Piano Trio no. 10 in F minor op. 83

Dating from 1853, the tenth trio of Onslow is the composer’s final work – and the last in this genre not to have been composed in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. Dedicated to M^me Henry Bonard, an amateur pianist from the either the Auvergne or the Parisian bourgeoisie, the work without doubt ranks amongst Onslow’s most attractive chamber works. Its lyricism and the broadness of its invention are particularly striking. As indicated by its title the Allegro patetico makes its great expressivity clear. If the writing and the tenderness of the subjects call Mendelssohn to mind, it is the shadow of Schubert which fosters the mood of strange melancholy. The Adagio grandioso is based on a simple subject, also with Schubertian harmonies, and first given by the piano alone. Interspersed by various episodes, this subject will take on many forms – involving the three instruments – then in the end, it is stated at full strength on a swell of arpeggios, before the conclusive calming down. By means of pizzicati, the Scherzo plays with completely original sonorities. Its opening pages are full of a verve with which contrast with its central, more expressive section. The finale, Allegro animato, expounds an excited subject, with dotted and very Schumannesque rhythms. A careful analysis shows that it is derived from the initial subject of the first movement; by this procedure Onslow establishes the secret unity of his score. Scale passages lead to the second subject – provided with a real breath of fresh air – which introduced by the piano alone. Highly inventive, the development settles down on the first subject. This is probably the reason why the second subject will be explored in the final development section which follows on from the recapitulation.