Following his early elimination from the “Prix de Rome”, the sought-after award for composition students at the Paris Conservatoire, Chausson withdrew to the country in summer 1881 and began composing this ambitious work – out of defiance, so to speak. During his lifetime the trio remained an insider’s tip amongst those close to his teacher César Franck.

It was only after its posthumous publication that it was performed more frequently and was gradually recognized as being one of the best ch...