MUSICAL COMPOSITION

COLOUR 123generally keeping the string part as independent aspossible both in figure and in phrase.The basis of a sonata for piano and violin of thetype adopted by Mozart and Beethoven, and continuedwith modifications and enrichments down to our ownday, is a three-part one, distributed as follows:I. Violin,II. Piano, right hand,III. Piano, left hand,orI. Piano, right hand,'II. Violin,III. Piano, left hand,and occasionally even (when the piano is played in thehigher registers) :I. Piano, right hand,II. Piano, left hand,III. Violin.The best models are Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and,as a very striking specimen of independent developmentof the style, Cesar, Franck.The trio for pianoforte, violin and 'cello is also on athree-part basis, but differently distributed:I. Violin,II. 'Cello,III. Pianoforte, both hands,and also interchangeable. An element of great importancecomes in here. The strings belong to onefamily of colour wholly distinct from that of the piano,and, while each separately can play the same r~le withit as in the sonata, their tone-affinity demands thatwhen they both play together their two-part expositionmust be as complete and satisfactory as that of twosingers in a duet. It will not do for them merely tofill up the missing notes of a chord, or to play phrases