Dvorák's piano trios fall into three groups. First is the pair of works he wrote in 1871 as his Op. 13, both of which are lost. The next two, now known as the Piano Trios Nos. 1 and 2, were written within a year of one another in the 1870s. Dvorák's final efforts in the genre date from 1883 and 1900 - 01, respectively, when he was at the height of his powers.

The thirty-four-minute-long Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 21 (1875) is an exceptionally beautiful work. The first three movements use themes characterized by an undeniably Czech folk flavor. The opening theme of the first movement is an especially lovely singing theme, while the second subject is more dance-like. The second movement is a lament; the main theme recurs throughout, each time dressed in different instrumental or harmonic garb. Contrasting themes in the major mode serve to heighten the sadness of the tune. The playful Scherzo, built from short phrases, is marked by the sort of shifts in rhythm, accent, and tempo that would soon leave their mark on the composer's well-known Slavonic Dances. The Trio section, which Dvorák extensively revised in 1880, is more sedate. The finale has less of a folk flavor than the previous movements, and its effect is dependent more upon motivic development than a memorable theme. The final moments of the work provide an effective surprise.

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