The Trio for clarinet, cello and piano in A minor, Op. 114, was one of four chamber works featuring clarinet composed by Johannes Brahms in rapid succession after emerging from retirement toward the end of his life. It is one of a small number of compositions for clarinet, cello and piano, and one of the very few to have entered the standard repertoire. Brahms was inspired to compose these works by the playing of clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld. In November 1891 Mühlfeld participated in the first private performance, in Meiningen, with Robert Hausmann on cello and Brahms on piano. The following month they had a triumph with the public premiere in Berlin. The clarinet in this Trio can also be substituted with a viola.
