Chamber music was a crucial element in Enescu's output and these two works, separated by seven years, represent very different phases of his compositional development. The large-scale PianoQuartetNo.1marks the climax of his early maturity. The Piano Trio in A minor, however, was unknown until 1965 and represents a more transitional stage - a compact but intricately expressive work with an animated and compelling sequence of variations at it's heart.