Though the three trios of opus may not be among Ludwig van Beethoven’s most remembered works today, they are perhaps one of the most important in his development as a composer. At the time of their composition in 1797-98, Beethoven had yet to attempt the composition of a symphony or string quartet, genres which had come into their own at the hands of Mozart and Haydn. Still a young man of twenty-eight, he was still forming his own principles of development and the trios can be viewed as a means of putting them to the test. They are youthful works, but nonetheless foreshadow the intensity and stylistic traits of many of the composer’s most beloved works. However, once Beethoven composed his first string quartets in the final years of the 18th century, he never returned to the trio.
The last of the opus 9 trios is certainly the most dramatic, sharing with Beethoven’s famous Fifth Symphony, the fateful key of C minor. Alongside the G major trio which opens the set, it is also the most symphonic in proportions.A powerful descending motif through the C minor scale from tonic to dominant is the central idea of the sonata form first movement, in which the three instruments take equal parts in developing the thematic material. Though shifting to the key of C major, the second is far from optimistic, and is pervaded by a sense of melancholy and internal struggle. The following third movement is a harbinger of the scherzo form Beethoven would make entirely his own, and would only be truly matched by in the works of Johannes Brahms. Its furious tone is contrasted sharply by the casual manner of the trio, and in the coda dissipates into three quiet tones given in octaves by the ensemble. Lastly, the Presto finale is a vigorous and driving rondo. Yet, for all its energetic and strife-filled measures, it comes to a sprightly, pianissimo close in the key of C major.Joseph DuBose
Allegro con spirito Adagio con espressione Scherzo: Allegro molto e vivace Finale: Presto
Classical Music | Violin Music
Ludwig van Beethoven
String Trio in C Minor, Op. 9, No. 3
PlayRecorded on 06/29/2013, uploaded on 11/06/2013
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
Though the three trios of opus may not be among Ludwig van Beethoven’s most remembered works today, they are perhaps one of the most important in his development as a composer. At the time of their composition in 1797-98, Beethoven had yet to attempt the composition of a symphony or string quartet, genres which had come into their own at the hands of Mozart and Haydn. Still a young man of twenty-eight, he was still forming his own principles of development and the trios can be viewed as a means of putting them to the test. They are youthful works, but nonetheless foreshadow the intensity and stylistic traits of many of the composer’s most beloved works. However, once Beethoven composed his first string quartets in the final years of the 18th century, he never returned to the trio.
The last of the opus 9 trios is certainly the most dramatic, sharing with Beethoven’s famous Fifth Symphony, the fateful key of C minor. Alongside the G major trio which opens the set, it is also the most symphonic in proportions. A powerful descending motif through the C minor scale from tonic to dominant is the central idea of the sonata form first movement, in which the three instruments take equal parts in developing the thematic material. Though shifting to the key of C major, the second is far from optimistic, and is pervaded by a sense of melancholy and internal struggle. The following third movement is a harbinger of the scherzo form Beethoven would make entirely his own, and would only be truly matched by in the works of Johannes Brahms. Its furious tone is contrasted sharply by the casual manner of the trio, and in the coda dissipates into three quiet tones given in octaves by the ensemble. Lastly, the Presto finale is a vigorous and driving rondo. Yet, for all its energetic and strife-filled measures, it comes to a sprightly, pianissimo close in the key of C major. Joseph DuBose
Allegro con spirito
Adagio con espressione
Scherzo: Allegro molto e vivace
Finale: Presto
More music by Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19, Third Movement (Rondo: Allegro molto)
Sonata No. 32 in c minor, Op. 111
Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101
Sonata No. 32 in c minor, Op. 111
Fantasie in g minor, Op. 77
33 Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli, Op. 120
String Quartet No. 11 in f minor, Op. 95, Serioso
String Quartet Op. 131
Sonata for cello and piano in g minor, Op 5, No. 2
Sonata No. 5 for Violin and Piano in F Major, Op. 24 "Spring"
Performances by same musician(s)
String Quartet in a Minor, Op. 132
Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97, “Archduke”
Piano Trio No. 2 in C major, op. 87
String Quintet in G Minor, K. 516
Allegro con spirito, from Souvenir de Florence
Quartet in C Major, K. 465, "Dissonance"
Classical Music for the Internet Era™
The Steans Music Institute is the Ravinia Festival's professional studies program for young musicians.