Phantasie Piano Trio in C minor, H. 79 – Frank Bridge

Phantasie Piano Trio in C minor, H. 79 by Frank Bridge

Bridge would complete his ‘Phantasie Piano Trio in C minor’ in 1907. In 1908, Bridge would submit the work to the 1908 Cobbett Chamber Music Competition, winning first prize. Bridge was 28 at the time.

The Cobbett competition is an initiative of William Wilson Cobbett, a British businessman and avid music lover, particularly of chamber ensembles. Cobbett would be a benefactor for Bridge as well as other famous composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Benjamin Britten and Arnold Bax.

In 1990, the Cobbett Association for Chamber Music Research was founded, and would work to locate, review and raise awareness of lesser-known compositions for chamber ensemble up until its dissolution in 2010. A journal developed by the association, the ‘Chamber Music Journal’ continues to be published even today: http://www.cobbettassociation.org/chamber_music_journal.htm.

This Phantasie Piano Trio is comprised of 6 movements:
Allegro moderato ma con fuoco
I. Andante con molta espressione
II. Allegro scherzo
III. Andante
IV. Allegro moderato
V. Con anima