ABSTRACT
A pianist, a violinist, and a cellist gathered to play trios for a group of friends. For their program they selected the less familiar trios of Beethoven and other classics. In fact, they played at sight, relying on their professional skill for an adequate performance. When they finished the first movement, one of those present exclaimed: “How wonderfully you keep time! You must have played this trio a dozen times to achieve such a perfect ensemble.” The musicians chuckled, but did not disabuse the enchanted listener. Yet, the problem raised by this compliment to the musicianship of the players is very much to the point. Indeed, how can several players, no matter how musical, perform a composition they have never seen before without falling apart? What is the nature of this musical intermingling which anticipates the musical thought of the composer in a collective accomplishment?
