What Is a Cello Trio?

A cello trio is a musical ensemble or a type of string trio made up of three cellists. The ensemble can perform alone, but it can also be accompanied. These trios primarily perform classical music, but they may branch out into other genres such as jazz depending on the tastes of the members of the ensemble and the techniques they are familiar with. More broadly, the term can refer to the music performed a trio of cellists.

Three cellos are used in a cello trio. These are low-pitched violins with a range between that of the viola and that of the double bass. During a performance, one cellist usually has the melodic line, the second has the bass line, and the third cello fills in chords and adds counterpoint, despite the fact that all performers use the same type of instrument. The functional structure of this musical trio is similar to that of other musical trios. It is not, however, a hard and fast rule, because what each player does is determined the composer’s intent.

Cello trios can be classified as unaccompanied or accompanied musicologists and librarians. Unaccompanied refers to the fact that the three cellists are the only ones performing and can create the music without any help. The cellists are accompanied at least one other instrument other than a cello, with some works requiring an entire orchestra’s accompaniment.

From the standpoint of music history, the development of the cello trio is a relatively recent phenomenon. Because the leanness of the trio form presented more compositional challenges, early string ensembles were more commonly string quartets. The orchestration called for two violins and a cello when the string trio form first appeared out of the baroque trio sonata, which later adapted to a violin, viola, and cello. Up until the 19th century, the baryton, a viol-like instrument, was frequently paired with a cello and viola to form baryton trios, and musicians eventually arranged some of these trios for three cellos and abandoned traditional string trio orchestrations to write new cello trio music.

Cello trios used to perform classical music as chamber entertainment in people’s homes before moving on to churches and concert halls. However, as music progressed, new genres emerged, such as jazz and pop. With the development of the electric cello, cellists learned new techniques to accommodate these styles and break away from the classical mold. Outside of the classical realm, a cello trio usually works with arrangements, performing music a variety of artists.