Gideon Klein’s Trio was completed on October 9, 1944—9 days before he was transported to Auschwitz, where he died in January of 1945. This work for string trio is comprised of three movements. An influence of Leos Janacek and Bela Bartok is suggested by Klein’s usage of traditional folk music as thematic material. The first movement, Allegro, features a lively melody evocative of Czech dance music. Slightly varied in each repetition, the melody is traded and echoed between the instruments. This borrowing from folk tradition is also clearly evidenced by the title of second movement, Lento – Variations on a Moravian Folk Song Theme.  Klein is said to have written this movement in remembrance of his nanny’s singing of the same tune. The slow movement is quite beautiful with a melody that often rocks back and forth within a small portion of a folk scale. The listener can perceive the bow of the performers sweeping gracefully and mournfully through the melancholy tune. Portions of the movement consist entirely of plucked notes as the theme’s variation expands to new interpretation.  Allegro Vivace, the final movement, marks a return to upbeat tempos with the cello’s actively churning bass line and rapidly cascading runs in the violin and viola. The very rhythmic piece features a shifting pulse that keeps the listener engaged, as the actual work changes frequently from time signatures of 5/8 to 4/8 to 6/8.

Here is an excerpt from the Lento movement of Gideon Klein’s Trio.