While Horatio Parker's influence on the development of an American musical culture is certainly undeniable, few of his works are performed regularly today. An organist and composer, it was his later years as a teacher, then Dean, at Yale University where he influenced a young Charles Ives and Roger Sessions. His Suite for Piano Trio, in A Major, Op. 35, is a rarely performed gem with a lush, romantic sound.

The work opens with a beautiful, lyrical line in the violin, reminiscent of Massenet's Meditation, which is shared with the cello, over an arpeggiated piano line. The prélude builds a high fortissimo, with the violin and cello in octaves, before rapidly winding down to a quiet finish with  a variation on the theme passed back and forth between the violin and cello.

Parker moves to a lengthy minuet section where the melodic line is shared more widely amongst all three instruments.  Opening in D minor, Parker modulates to a central, more lyrical section in D major, before returning to the original Minuet theme in D minor. This is followed by a short Romance, ending us in Bb Major.

Finally, Parker brings us to a jubilant Finale which, while scored in A Major, begins on rumbling low E's in the piano, followed by very quick runs in the violin and cello that foreshadow the main theme to come.  Finally, after a rapid fire 12 measure introduction, the main theme appears in the violin.

Parker moves us to a central section in A minor that presents a calmer mood, before runs similar to those that opened the movement bring us back to A Major and the original theme, leading to a grand finish.

Unfortunately, we've been unable to locate any commercial recordings of this work, but the videos included above by the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players give a spirited vision of the piece!