Trio KV 498 pour clarinette, alto et piano

About this work

In the K. 498 Trio, clarinet, viola and piano speak in very different colours, yet none is condemned to accompany the other two. Mozart opens with an Andante in compound metre, continues with a Menuetto and ends with a lively Rondeaux. The theme passes from one partner to another; much of the interest lies in the way it is handed over, not only in its first appearance.

Practise these exchanges in pairs before assembling the trio. The clarinet should sustain the ends of its notes so that the viola can take over without a gap; the pianist should listen to the natural length of wind and string sounds rather than to the keyboard's ease of articulation. In chordal passages, reduce the weight of the piano part so that the inner voices remain audible.

The Menuetto benefits from a firm gait, while its trio needs a different breath. In the finale, locate each return of the refrain and distinguish the episodes by tone, articulation and direction. A rehearsal without dynamics, devoted solely to attacks and phrase endings, quickly reveals the places where each player is breathing alone. It is less spectacular than a grand solo, but far more useful.

What the document containsThe clarinet and viola parts, with an alternative violin part.A piano part and a solo-piano reduction: 5 PDF documents in total.No MIDI file is provided.The reference scoring remains clarinet, viola and piano.