Works for piano trio performed by the Claremont Trio.Mozart: Piano Trio in E Major, K. 542Mendelssohn: Piano Trio in C Minor, Op. 66This week, we’ll hear two crowning achievements by two great composers: piano trios by Mozart and Mendelssohn.Mozart’s fourth piano trio, K. 542 was written about three years before the composer’s death, in the middle of an especially rough period. He managed to write, in that same year, his final three incredible symphonies and his last three piano trios; this trio was the first of the group.However musically brilliant, this trio was an imperfect fit for the classical music market at the time, which desired chamber pieces that could be easily picked up and performed off-the-cuff by amateurs as after-dinner entertainment. This piece was not really intended for that sort of casual sight-reading.Next, we’ll hear Mendelssohn’s second piano trio, in C minor. This trio, like Mozart’s, was written near the end of Mendelssohn’s life, one of his final chamber works. By turns dramatic and tuneful, the piece ends with a rousing finale that is always sure to bring audiences to their feet.The double-bill we’re hearing today was recorded live at a September 2012 recital by the Claremont Trio.