Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op.49, for violin, cello, and piano; Felix Mendelssohn (International)

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) is one of the most significant German composers of the Romantic era. His contributions to German musical life included his revival of the music of J.S. Bach. He was most comfortable composing in a relatively conservative style influenced by the Classical period; though free from many of the innovations developed by his contemporaries, his works are consistently well-crafted and charming. His reputation suffered at the turn of the 20th century, in part because of anti-Semetic vitriol spread by Richard Wagner. Today, his legacy has recovered and his music is beloved by audiences and musicians everywhere.

Mendelssohn's ''Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op.49'' for violin, cello, and piano is one of his most popular chamber works. An early revision before publication gave the piano a more prominent role and gave the piece a more romantic style. In a review, Robert Schumann declared Mendelssohn to be ''the Mozart of the nineteenth century, the brightest musician, who most clearly understands the contradictions of the age and is the first to reconcile them.'' This is a newly engraved performing edition by June DeForest and Daniel Morganstern. It comes with three bound parts in a slipcover.