Charles Koechlin — Quatre Petites Pièces, Op. 32

Charles Koechlin (1867–1950) was one of France's most prolific yet underappreciated composers. His Quatre Petites Pièces for violin, horn, and piano are miniature gems — intimate, lyrical, and coloured by the warm, distinctive blend of the three instruments. Moving from a gentle Andante through hushed moderation and a playful Allegro quasi andantino to a witty Scherzando, they showcase Koechlin's gift for elegant, understated expression.

W. A. Mozart — Trio for violin, horn and piano, after the Quintet in E-flat Major, K. 407

Mozart wrote the Horn Quintet K. 407 in 1782 for his friend and horn virtuoso Joseph Leutgeb, scoring it with two violas to complement the warm, mellow timbre of the horn. This trio arrangement distils that intimacy for just three voices, preserving the gentle interplay of horn and violin and the genial, song-like character of the original. The Rondo – Allegro finale brings it to a spirited close.

Johannes Brahms — Trio for piano, violin and horn in E-flat Major, Op. 40

Composed in 1865 following the death of his mother, Brahms's Horn Trio is one of the great works of the chamber music repertoire. Written for the natural (valveless) horn, whose woody, hunting-call resonance Brahms loved, it opens unusually with a slow, ruminative Andante — the only non-sonata first movement in his chamber output. A vigorous Scherzo, a deeply mournful Adagio mesto, and a driving, exhilarating finale complete this profoundly personal masterpiece.