Chien-Kim-Watkins Trio:
Beethoven’s Complete Piano Trios
"Triumph & Transcendence"
MINI FESTIVAL • CONCERT PROGRAM 3
“Triumph & Transcendence”
The dawn of a new century saw the emergence of a new era of music driven by the sheer genius of Ludwig van Beethoven. We’ve captured all its glory in this final concert of our festival. Constantly revising both his Op. 11 Trio (1792) and Kakadu Variations (1795), Beethoven incorporated many new ideas as they came to him so these pieces certainly evolved over time. These two works didn’t reach the final form that we will hear tonight until two decades after he first conceived them. They capture Beethoven’s delightful invention, wit, and charm. For our Mini Festival finale, you will experience all the power, grandeur, and majesty of Beethoven’s spectacular “Archduke” Trio—lauded and cherished by all as one of the greatest chamber works ever created!
BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 11
BEETHOVEN Kakadu Variations in G Major, Op. 121a
BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97 (“Archduke”)
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
Saturday, 3/16 • 7:30 pm PT
Program
Click on any piece of music below to learn more about it.
- BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 11
BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 11 (1798) 21’
I. Allegro con brio
II. Adagio
III. Tema: Pria ch’io l’impegno: Allegretto – Variazioni 1-9Why would a composer like Ludwig van Beethoven choose to write one type of composition over another? More often than not, they would select a genre based on the request of a wealthy patron. But in the case of the 1797 Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 11, Beethoven selected its genre to suit a musician he admired, Austrian clarinetist Franz Josef Bähr.
At that time, the clarinet was still considered a niche instrument, so the sheet music for a clarinet trio would have limited commercial potential. A typical piano trio for violin, cello, and piano, on the other hand, could be quite profitable. Therefore, Beethoven designed Opus 11’s clarinet part so it could also be performed on the violin with only a minor alteration.
Opus 11 opens with a splendid example of Beethoven’s early musical style: perfectly crafted, confident, and unusual, but not quite revolutionary. Short melodic fragments form the basis of the movement, as Beethoven introduces new ideas, pairs them, shifts them, and subverts them in turn.
The middle Adagio begins with a yearning cello melody, answered by the violin then ornamented by the piano. A stormy mood emerges in the left hand of the piano, only to quickly fade back into the introduction’s austere beauty.
The trio concludes with a set of variations on a jaunty melody from Joseph Weigl’s 1797 pirate opera L’amor marinaro (The Sailor’s Love). Even this early composition clearly demonstrates Beethoven’s lifelong penchant for the theme and variations form. Unafraid to take his variations in drastically contrasting directions, Beethoven still manages to remain aligned with the theme’s lighthearted tone.
Before the era of audio recording technology, songs from popular operas like L’amor marinaro were still mass-distributed, just by other means. Whether via printed music, handwritten copies, or street performances, many operatic melodies entered the public consciousness of 18th and 19th-century Europe.
©—Ethan Allred
- BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97 (“Archduke”)
BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97 (“Archduke”) (1811) (40’)
I. Allegro moderato
II. Scherzo: Allegro
III. Andante cantabile ma però con moto –
IV. Allegro moderatoWhen the “Archduke” trio premiered a few years later at a Viennese charity concert, Beethoven made one of his final public appearances as a pianist. Despite his hearing loss, by then quite significant, he received a warm reception from the audience. The trio’s nickname refers to its dedicatee, the Archduke Rudolf of Austria, Beethoven’s loyal patron, student, and friend.
The “Archduke”—Beethoven’s final piano trio—goes far beyond his earlier trios. Nearly symphonic in scope, it has become a cornerstone of the chamber music repertoire. Its first movement begins with an elegant first theme, which flows smoothly into a contrasting but equally subtle second. During the development of the themes, the music takes a delicate, balletic excursion, with piano trills and plucked strings.
The second movement Scherzo initially pits the violin and cello against one another, then brings the piano in for an uninterrupted outpouring of melody.
The piano introduces the third movement, a theme and variations, with a majestic harmonic progression. The variations build slowly to expressive heights, always keeping the theme’s serenity intact.A final rondo breaks sharply from the third movement with its playful melody and jocular interjections. Here, the players can show off a little more, building to a shimmering Presto finale.
©— Ethan Allred
- BEETHOVEN Kakadu Variations in G Major, Op. 121a
BEETHOVEN Piano Trio Kakadu Variations in G Major, Op. 121a, 10 Variations on “Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu” (1803, rev. 1816) (20’)
I. Introduction: Adagio assai
II. Theme: Allegretto
III. Variation I
IV. Variation 2
V. Variation 3
VI. Variation 4
VII. Variation 5
VIII. Variation 6
IX. Variation 7
X. Variation 8
XI. Variation 9: Adagio espressivo
XII. Variation 10: Presto
XIII. Coda: AllegrettoIn 1803, Beethoven selected another well-known melody as the theme for a piano trio titled Ten Variations on ‘Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu,’ Op. 121a. The name of the song, written by prolific opera composer Wenzel Müller, translates amusingly as “I Am the Tailor Cockatoo.”
Beethoven initially shelved the trio, but dusted it off again in 1816 for some revisions in hopes of publishing it to alleviate his mounting financial woes. Describing it to his publisher as “one of my early works” and “not poor stuff,” he finally succeeded in getting it published in 1824.
Beethoven begins with a little joke on the listener by opening the trio with a self-important, serious introduction in G minor. When Müller’s carefree theme finally emerges, it thus seems comically simplistic by comparison. Beethoven’s variations on the melody gradually expand in depth, giving each instrumentalist many moments in the spotlight—with a few twittering cockatoo flourishes for good measure.
In the spring of 1810, Beethoven decided the time had come to finally get married. Unfortunately, he chose to propose to a woman 20 years younger than him—who also happened to be his doctor’s niece.
She rejected his proposal, and Beethoven moved for the summer to Baden, where he worked his feelings out with two of the masterpieces of his middle period—the “Serioso” Quartet, Op. 95, and the Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97 (“Archduke”).
©— 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.