A trio-sonata playlist

By E.C.

TRIO SONATAS fell out of fashion long ago: composers haven’t written them for over 150 years. But lockdown is the ideal time to rediscover them, as we argue in a piece in this week’s issue of The Economist. The music is warm and intimate, usually played (despite the name) by four musicians—two upper lines, often violins but sometimes winds; a bass part, often a cello or a bass viol; and an instrument to fill in the harmony, a harpsichord or a lute. They are designed for life on a smaller scale—for the spare room rather than the concert hall. Click the link below, or on the preview at the bottom of the page, to listen to some of the best.

The Economist’s Trio-Sonata Playlist