It is an interesting coincidence that Brahms, the admirable master of orchestral color, discovered the complete technical and expressive possibilities of the clarinet relatively late and only toward the end of his life, at a time when he considered giving up composition entirely. In 1890, while he was staying in Meiningen, Brahms became acquainted with Richard von Muhlfeld, one of the most prodigious clarinet players of his day. This was a true revelation to Brahms. The voice, the sound and color of the clarinet stunned him and his spirit and desire to compose was revived. In 1891 Brahms composed his Trio in a-minor and his remarkable Quintet in b-minor. In 1894 he composed his two Sonatas for clarinet and piano, in f-minor and E-flat major shortly before his last great work, his Four Serious Songs.

These works are some of the most important in the Romantic literature and the most important in Brahms' output. They represent Brahms' synthesis of compositional craft and personal struggle into an integrated emotional and technically crafted whole.

The Trio is intimate, like most of his late works. It reflects an introspection which is nearly characteristic of all composers toward the end of their lives. It avoids any outward brilliance, but is rich with inner life and warm colors. Its whole inspiration is essentially elegiac and imbued with a passionate, yet reserved fervor. Brahms' was a gentle giant and his natural, gentle nature is evident in this work.

Karl Geiringer, one Brahms' most important early biographers, has said of the Trio in a-minor, "The inventive conception of the themes, born of the spirit of the wind instrument, and, more especially, the harmonious blending of the tones of the clarinet and the cello, are magnificent. It is as though the instruments were in love with each other. Yet this noble work is not wholly free from a certain weariness; the themes are not quite so inspired, nor is their elaboration quite so captivating as usual. It is interesting to note that in the first movement, as in the last, the second theme is introduced as a canon of the inversion. With the pre-classical Viennese composers, as with the early Haydn, it was usual to arrange the second subject as a canon." This quote is important because it reaffirms Brahms' continual interest in the concepts of sonata form that precede both Beethoven and Mozart. They trace their origins to Haydn and the procedures he used in developing the concepts of contrast in sonata structure.

In the first movement, marked simply, Allegro, Brahms treats the standard sonata structure with great simplicity, eschewing formal and extended developments and stating the musical ideas without complication or pretense. The result is all the more rich and concentrated.

This is perhaps even more keenly felt in the beautiful and expressive meditation of the second movement, marked Adagio. Its climax is a beautiful dialogue between clarinet and cello, a love story filled with tenderness and natural beauty. The simple and gracious andantino is a lovely minuet with Landler qualities and an ever more present dance-like trio section. The final Allegro is somewhat severe but does not loose its tender qualities, with rich emotions and confident expressiveness.