The trio has four movements. Each movement has a decidedly different flavor, with the third movement is substantially longer than the others. The net effect is like small moons circling a large planet. The first movement has something of a minimalist flavor, but the material evolves more quickly than typical minimalist compositions do. The second movement is a quotation of a medieval song called "Tristes Plaisyrs." The third movement is developmental and somewhat neoclassical with American touches. The final movement reminds one of the Bartók "Contrasts."