Chien-Kim-Watkins Trio:
Beethoven’s Complete Piano Trios
"Breaking Boundaries"
MINI FESTIVAL • CONCERT PROGRAM 2
“Breaking Boundaries”
Perhaps more than any other composer in history, Beethoven charted a completely revolutionary course for what music could be. His boldly inventive and experimental dynamics, tonality, rhythms, and forms were unlike anything audiences had ever heard. This concert begins with his highly innovative Op. 44 variations from 1792, which some consider his first “piano trio”—even though it doesn’t quite follow the multi-movement form pioneered by his mentor, Haydn. Just a few years later, his Op. 1, Nos. 2 and 3 so startled and astonished audiences that Haydn himself recommended that Beethoven not publish them, or risk ruining his career. Prepare to be equally amazed by the wildly original, emerging musical master of the 18th century.
BEETHOVEN Variations on an Original Theme in E-flat Major for Piano Trio, Op. 44
BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in C Minor, Op. 1, No. 3
BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in G Major, Op. 1, No. 2
Come early for a Musical Conversation with Robert McBride and the musicians from 6:30-7:00 pm!
Chien-Kim-Watkins Trio: Beethoven’s Complete Piano Trios
Combine three of today’s most luminary chamber musicians with ALL NINE of Beethoven’s masterful Piano Trios, and there are sure to be fireworks! CMNW’s Artistic Directors, pianist Gloria Chien and violinist Soovin Kim, have joined forces with cellist Paul Watkins of the Emerson Quartet to create a new powerhouse: the Chien-Kim-Watkins Trio. Together, these three thrilling musicians will take us on a week-long musical journey exploring the genius and virtuosity of some of Beethoven’s greatest chamber works.
“…the trio played with elegance, a beautiful sound, and a natural sense of ensemble. Actually, the passion grew from restrained beginning with the opening Allegro, moving to a deeply intimate Adagio cantabile, picking up with the Scherzo and letting loose with the final Presto.”
— Rutland Herald
The Old Church
Thursday, 3/14 • 7:30 pm PT
Program
Click on any piece of music below to learn more about it.
- BEETHOVEN Variations on an Original Theme in E-flat Major for Piano Trio, Op. 44
BEETHOVEN Variations on an Original Theme in E-flat Major for Piano Trio, Op. 44 (1792) 14’
I. Theme: Andante
II. Variation 1
III. Variation 2
IV. Variation 3
V. Variation 4
VI. Variation 5
VII. Variation 6
VIII. Variation 7
IX. Variation 8
X. Variation 9
XI. Variation 10
XII. Variation 11
XIII. Variation 12
XIV. Variation 13
XV. Variation 14
XVI. Coda: Andante – PrestoWhen 1792 began, Ludwig van Beethoven had just turned 21 years old. He still lived in his hometown, Bonn, where he supported his family as a violist in the court orchestra. Although no child-superstar like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, his talent for composing had been obvious from a young age.
That year, Beethoven’s life changed forever when he received a chance to move to Vienna and study with Joseph Haydn, Austria’s preeminent living composer. But before he left, he decided to try his hand at one of his new mentor’s favorite genres: the piano trio.
Beethoven had recently played in the orchestra for a Bonn production of Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf’s 1788 opera Das rote Käppchen (Little Red Cap). One of Dittersdorf’s arias stuck with Beethoven so much that he used it as the basis for his trio, eventually titled Variations on an Original Theme in E-flat Major for Piano Trio, Op. 44, when it was published more than a decade later. Interestingly, the original publication made no mention of Das rote Käppchen; only in the 1990s did scholar Sieghard Brandenburg uncover the “original” theme’s source.
The trio kicks off with a comically simplistic rendition of Dittersdorf’s lighthearted aria. The variations that follow offer plenty of entertainment and creativity, and each player gets a few great moments in the spotlight. Throughout, Beethoven’s music flows with the exuberance and candor of a composer at the beginning of his journey.
Shortly after sketching the Opus 44 variations, Beethoven made the momentous move to Vienna. For his first few years there, he studied, practiced, and established relationships with various aristocratic patrons. By 1795, he was ready to announce his presence within Vienna’s crowded music scene via his first publication: his “Opus 1.”
Beethoven unveiled the music that would serve that purpose—three trios for violin, cello, and piano—at a party hosted by Prince Karl von Lichnowsky. Favorable reactions among those in attendance, including Haydn, encouraged Beethoven to continue working on them until he was confident enough to have them published.
Today, the Opus 1 trios might seem conservative in comparison to Beethoven’s later trios. But his contemporaries saw them as highly original, establishing his reputation as a composer willing to go well beyond established rules of composing. For instance, Beethoven structured his trios in four movements rather than the traditional three, expanding their scope to match that of a string quartet or a symphony. Moreover, he attempted to integrate the cello as a full member of the trio, rather than as an extension of the keyboard’s bass line like most other composers.
©—Ethan Allred
- BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in C Minor, Op. 1, No. 3
BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in C Minor, Op. 1, No. 3 (1795) 28’
I. Allegro con brio
II. Andante cantabile con 5 variazioni
III. Minuetto: Quasi allegro
IV. Finale: PrestissimoThe Piano Trio in C Minor, Op. 1, No. 3, begins with an Allegro con brio that could be seen as a worthy companion piece to Beethoven’s famous Piano Sonata No. 1, filled with urgency, drama, and seriousness. Its rich sonic palette quickly demonstrates just how far Beethoven had come since arriving in Vienna.
The second movement, a delicate theme and variations, beautifully shows off the counterpoint training Beethoven had received from Haydn through the intricate interplay of the musicians’ independent lines. Then, in a solemn Menuetto, Beethoven contrasts the continuously escalating scales of its opening section with a gentle mirror image in the middle section’s rapidly falling melodies.
The trio concludes with a dramatic Prestissimo that maintains constant motion throughout. Perhaps the greatest surprise of all is saved for the end—it cannot be denied that Beethoven had something unique to say as a composer, even from his Opus 1.
©—Ethan Allred
- BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in G Major, Op. 1, No. 2
BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in G Major, Op. 1, No. 2 (1795) 33’
I. Adagio – Allegro vivace
II. Largo con espressione
III. Scherzo: Allegro
IV. Finale: PrestoA slow introduction sets a very different tone for the Piano Trio in G Major, Op. 1, No. 2, almost dreamily pulling the three instrumental lines together. They gradually awake into a spirited Allegro vivace that, save for a few unexpected outbursts, would not be out of place in a late Haydn trio.
The piano introduces the Largo con espressione with an unfolding melody that creates a feeling of time standing still. This movement particularly emphasizes Beethoven’s expanded conception of the piano trio form—its duration of around eleven minutes matches that of entire piano trios by Haydn.
The ensuing Scherzo similarly exudes confidence and subtlety, building from an unadorned five-note melody. In the middle Trio section, Beethoven offers an even simpler five-note melody, this time all a single pitch.
Breaking with the relative calm of the trio to this point, the Presto finale sets forth with a fiery spirit and a delightful sense of humor. Hinting toward the musical future—specifically Rossini’s William Tell—the trio roars to a triumphant close.
©—Ethan Allred
Artists
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Gloria Chien
Piano & Artistic Director
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Taiwanese-born pianist Gloria Chien has one of the most diverse musical lives as a noted performer, concert presenter, and educator. She made her orchestral debut at the age of sixteen with the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Thomas Dausgaard, and she performed again with the BSO with Keith Lockhart. She was subsequently selected by The Boston Globe as one of its Superior Pianists of the year, “who appears to excel in everything.” In recent seasons, she has performed as a recitalist and chamber musician at Alice Tully Hall, the Library of Congress, the Dresden Chamber Music Festival, and the National Concert Hall in Taiwan. She performs frequently with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. In 2009, she launched String Theory, a chamber music series in Chattanooga, Tennessee that has become one of the region’s premier classical music presenters. The following year she was appointed director of the Chamber Music Institute at Music@Menlo, a position she held for the next decade.
In 2017, she joined her husband, violinist Soovin Kim, as artistic director of the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, Vermont. The duo became artistic directors at Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Oregon in 2020. They were named recipients of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Award for Extraordinary Service in 2021 for their efforts during the pandemic.
Most recently, Gloria was named Advisor of the newly launched Institute for Concert Artists at the New England Conservatory of Music. Gloria released two albums—her Gloria Chien LIVE from the Music@Menlo LIVE label and Here With You with acclaimed clarinetist Anthony McGill on Cedille Records.
Gloria received her bachelor, master’s, and doctoral degrees at the New England Conservatory of Music with Wha Kyung Byun and Russell Sherman. She is Artist-in-Residence at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, and she is a Steinway Artist.
Upcoming Concerts & Events
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Soovin Kim
Violin & Artistic Director
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Soovin Kim enjoys a broad musical career regularly performing Bach sonatas and Paganini caprices for solo violin, sonatas for violin and piano ranging from Beethoven to Ives, Mozart, and Haydn concertos and symphonies as a conductor, and new world-premiere works almost every season.
When he was 20 years old, Kim received first prize at the Paganini International Violin Competition. He immersed himself in the string quartet literature for 20 years as the 1st violinist of the Johannes Quartet. Among his many commercial recordings are his “thrillingly triumphant” (Classic FM Magazine) disc of Paganini’s demanding 24 Caprices and a two-disc set of Bach’s complete solo violin works that were released in 2022.
Kim is the founder and artistic director of the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival (LCCMF) in Burlington, Vermont. In addition to its explorative programming and extensive work with living composers, LCCMF created the ONE Strings program through which all 3rd through 5th grade students of the Integrated Arts Academy in Burlington study violin. The University of Vermont recognized Soovin Kim’s work by bestowing an Honorary Doctorate upon him in 2015.
In 2020, he and his wife, pianist Gloria Chien, became artistic directors of Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Oregon. He, with Chien, were awarded Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s 2021 CMS Award for Extraordinary Service to Chamber Music. Kim devotes much of his time to his passion for teaching at the New England Conservatory in Boston and the Yale School of Music in New Haven.
Upcoming Concerts & Events
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Paul Watkins
Cello
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Acclaimed for his inspirational performances and eloquent musicianship, Paul Watkins enjoys a distinguished career as concerto soloist, chamber musician and conductor.
He is the Artistic Director of the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival in Detroit (since 2014), the cellist of the Emerson String Quartet (2013-2023) and Visiting Professor of Cello at Yale School of Music (since 2018). He took first prize in the 2002 Leeds Conducting Competition, and has held the positions of Music Director of the English Chamber Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Ulster Orchestra.
As a cellist, Watkins has given regular concerto performances with prestigious orchestras across the globe. Also, a dedicated chamber musician, Watkins was a member of the Nash Ensemble (1997-2013) and the Emerson String Quartet (2013-2023). After 44 successful seasons, the quartet decided to retire, and undertook an extensive series farewell tours, culminating in their final performances in New York Lincoln Center in October 2023. This concert was filmed for a documentary by filmmaker Tristan Cook, and the release of their final recording of Berg, Chausson, Schoenberg, and Hindemith with prestigious guests soprano Barbara Hannigan and pianist Bertrand Chamayou.
As a conductor, Watkins has conducted all the major British orchestras and a wide range of international orchestras. In 2006 he made his opera debut conducting a critically praised new production of Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine for Opera North.
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Chien-Kim-Watkins Trio
Piano Trio
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The Chien-Kim-Watkins Trio comprises three of classical music’s most highly esteemed artists performing today: pianist Gloria Chien, violinist Soovin Kim, and cellist Paul Watkins. The trio has been performing together since 2019 and presented Beethoven’s groundbreaking Piano Trio cycle at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival in 2022.
Award-winning pianist Gloria Chien made her orchestral debut at age 16 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She’s the Founder and Artistic Director of the String Theory chamber music series in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and was the Director of the Music@Menlo Chamber Music Institute in California from 2010-2020. In 2017, she joined Mr. Kim as Artistic Director of the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival. Since 2020, the husband-and-wife duo has also served as the Artistic Directors of Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Oregon, and were named recipients of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Award for Extraordinary Service in 2021 for their efforts during the pandemic.
Violinist Soovin Kim is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, Vermont. The University of Vermont recognized Soovin’s extensive work in the community by bestowing an honorary doctorate upon him in 2015. First prize winner of the Paganini International Violin Competition at age 20, he is also recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award. For 20 years, he was the first violinist of the Johannes Quartet. Soovin has devoted much of his time to his passion for teaching at the New England Conservatory in Boston since 2014, and most recently joined the faculty at the Yale School of Music.
Paul Watkins has been the cellist of the Emerson String Quartet since 2013, and for 16 years he was a member of the award-winning Nash Ensemble. He is the Artistic Director of the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival in Michigan and Professor of Cello at the Yale School of Music. Paul enjoys a distinguished career as a concerto soloist, chamber musician, and conductor. Appointed Principal Cellist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra at age 20, he performs regularly with major orchestras, including eight concerto appearances at the BBC Proms. Winner of the 2002 Leeds Conductors Competition, Paul served as Music Director of the English Chamber Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Ulster Orchestra, and continues to conduct a wide range of internationally acclaimed ensembles.