The first movement of Mendelssohn's Piano Trio is one of the most beloved chamber music movements of all time. It combines a monstrously difficult piano part with simple and beautiful string parts. The first major theme is introduced by the cello playing with piano accompaniment.

Soon, the violin joins in and continues playing the theme with the cello. Soon, the piano starts a solo of extremely difficult broken chords that dance across the piano, leaving a resonating chord behind. The string instruments join into this dance and further complicate things.

As is Mendelssohn's style, the first theme repeats itself with slight variations. It seems just as interesting as hearing it the first time due to these slight variations, though. Suddenly, the key shifts into A Major and the cello plays a beautiful and catchy theme. The piano soon plays the same theme with the violin too.

Suddenly, the piano goes crazy again with another difficult passage that is almost too fast to hear. The string instruments accompany this difficult passage with simple quarter notes. Much of the piano's work almost becomes a wash of sound because it so fast that individual notes cannot be heard.

Eventually, we wind up playing the same theme with the cello and the piano that we started out the movement with. This time, though, it quickly changes into that beautiful major section. This major theme is repeated several times amongst the instruments. Now, Mendelssohn plays around with variations and modulations, keeping a steady stream of fast sixteenth notes coming from the piano.

Suddenly, there is silence and the piano slowly plays a lyrical cadenza. The other instruments soon join in and resume playing themes. For the last time, we hear that catchy major theme. Again, it is passed around the instruments and eventually becomes another fast passage from the piano.

We can now hear the music build toward a climax. The piano goes wild with sixteenth notes that span almost the entire keyboard. The tempo gradually begins to increase and soon does the franticness. The movement finally concludes with four giant chords, leaving the audience in rapture.

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