Itzhak Perlman, Dale Clevenger and Daniel Barenboin perform Brahms's Horn Trio in E-flat Major, op. 40

Violin and piano legends Itzhak Perlman and Daniel Barenboim join the illustrious solo horn player of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dale Clevenger, in an iconic performance of Brahms’s Trio for Violin, Piano, and Horn.

Premiering in 1861, this unique work celebrates the three instruments studied by the composer in his youth. Among the instruments featured is the horn—an uncommon presence in chamber music—which reflects Brahms’s deep affection for this emblem of German Romanticism. Brahms composed the trio specifically for the natural horn and the instrument’s darker tone contrasts with the brighter French horn already prevalent in orchestras of the time. Moving between dynamic passages and moments of profound melancholy, the trio is brought to life in this timeless interpretation by a distinguished ensemble.