Piano Trio
by Brian Chatpo Koo (Australia)

This trio was written in 2000, inspired by an ancient Chinese poem from the Tong Dynasty. It expresses the flowing water of the yellow river implying the constancy of the passing of time and the mortality of our lives.

In a single movement, the music is divided into 4 sections. Derived from a Chinese folk tune, a flowing background passage is transferred from one instrument to another, symbolizing the movement of the Yellow River.

The music in the second section of the trio imitates the theme of the original song. Accompanied by the cello’s tremolos the violin plays the song fragmentally and leads to a fresh blooming passage.

The 3rd section is a retrograde variation of the first section which builds to a limas before fuming to the final tune of the song and later, it is taken over by the cello. the music suddenly becomes joyful led by the piano.

In the final section, the violin emerges in with the background music slowing the tempo and moving to the high register and finishing off the music on its high lonely harmonic.