Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, 1756-1791. Trios, piano, violin, cello, K. 542, E major

The Piano Trio No. 4 in E major, K. 542, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1788. It is scored for piano, violin and cello. It's the only multi-movement composition by Mozart in the key of E major. Rachel Beckles Willson, writing in the Cambridge Mozart Encyclopedia, points out that "Mozart almost certainly played all the piano parts himself, however, and made no concessions for dilettantes: the pieces demand a high level of technical and musical ability. For this reason too, the trios stand out among contemporary works for the same genre." Simon P Keefe notes that the piano trio, like other piano trios and quartets of this period, 'freely integrates dialogue and piano passagework … thus integrating the prevalent features of the string quartets and piano concertos. It has, he says, ' all the hallmarks of Mozart’s revered late style' This trio was played by Frédéric Chopin in his last recital on 16 February 1848 in Paris, together with violinist Jean-Delphin Alard and cellist Auguste Franchomme.