Written in 1902, the second trio, in A minor, must be counted among the finest of Sinding's chamber works. It has a generally Nordic mood and a romantic freedom of expression in its flowing melody and frequent modulation.
The third trio, in C major, followed in 1908. At the outset a descending motif, strongly reminiscent of Salome, tosses us into a Straussian, hyper-romantic world. This is stormy, restless, exceedingly chromatic music. The mood relaxes with the arrival of the second subject, which is almost a nature idyll but one with elaborate pianistic figuration. The middle movement, "Romanze," projects a mood of greater tranquility. All the foregoing conflict seems resolved, and in the finale Sinding's sunny optimism asserts itself.
I. Con brio