Claude Debussy’s trio is a full-fledged four movement work with a prevailing French style characterized by lyricism, clarity and gentle sensibility that is charming more than dramatic.
The earlier trios of Cesar Franck and Saint-säens come to mind except for Debussy’s curiously wandering harmonies. The music is richly draped across leisurely forms with engaging themes distributed generously among the three players.
The first movement is broadly expressive without making challenging or difficult demands on the players.
The slow movement is tender, even nostalgic in its character.
The finale is a flowing series of tuneful tableaux with touches of Schumann, Chopin and Dvorak wafting through a warmly lit café.
It is the third movement scherzo in particular that broaches something more atmospheric, a bit Russian, possibly Asiatic. There are slightly mysterious sections in a plodding caravan with deft ornamental decorations and banners snapping in the wind. Delicate and pointillistic, the music dances around a dark-hued modality that briefly evokes the orient.
Here is the Trio, for your enjoyment:
