Beethoven - String Trio No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 3 (1796)

Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical music repertoire, and span the transition from the classical period to the romantic era in classical music. His career has conventionally been divided into early, middle, and late periods. The "early" period, during which he forged his craft, is typically considered to have lasted until 1802. From 1802 to around 1812, his "middle" period showed an individual development from the "classical" styles of Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and is sometimes characterized as "heroic". During this time, he began to suffer increasingly from deafness. In his "late" period from 1812 to his death in 1827, he extended his innovations in musical form and expression.

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String Trio No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 3 (1792-96)
dedicated to the Countess of Browne

I. Allegro con brio (0:00)
II. Andante (11:49)
III. Menuetto. Allegretto (17:03)
IV. Adagio (20:51)
V. Menuetto. Moderato (28:57)
VI. Finale. Allegro (32:12)

Grumiaux Trio

Beethoven wrote five string trios, the final being composed in 1798. Most historians posit that Beethoven abandoned the form once he began writing string quartets in that same year. However, we need not consider the string trio an “inferior” form. In the hands of the inventive craftsman Beethoven, the sonic possibilities are considerable even without a second violin. The String Trio in Eb, Op. 3, was Beethoven’s first string ensemble work, modeled after Mozart’s famous Divertimento for String Trio (K.563) of 1788. It brought the young Beethoven international attention. The first movement, Allegro con brio, is in sonata form and moves through a broad theme into a violin/cello duet. The composition proceeds with exciting interplay among the three instruments, to conclude with an ebullient Allegro.

Publisher info:
Ludwig van Beethovens Werke, Serie 7:
Trios für Violine, Bratsche und Violoncell, Nr.54
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, n.d.[1862]. Plate B.54.
Copyright:
Public Domain