trio
A composition for three performers, or the contrasting middle section of a minuet or scherzo.
In Depth
A trio has two meanings in music. As a performing group, it usually means three instruments — the piano trio (piano, violin, cello), string trio (violin, viola, cello), or various wind combinations. As a formal term, trio refers to the contrasting middle section of a minuet or scherzo, originally scored for three instruments.
The piano trio was one of the most popular chamber music combinations of the Classical and Romantic eras. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Dvořák, Mendelssohn, and Shostakovich all wrote significant piano trios. The combination balances the piano's harmonic richness with the violin's singing quality and the cello's warmth.
The word trio in minuet-and-trio form dates from the Baroque practice of scoring the contrasting section for only three instruments — even though modern trios use the full ensemble.