CMNW LIVE from Boston: Beethoven’s Archduke Trio & More

In this new exclusive performance from their hometown of Boston, future Artistic Directors Gloria Chien and Soovin Kim, plus cellist Paul Watkins from the Emerson String Quartet, will play Beethoven piano trio masterpieces from his first to his masterful “Archduke Trio.”

Premieres July 18 @ 7 pm PT
Available through July 19 @ 11:59 pm PT

Program

Click on any piece of music below to learn more about it.

BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 70, No. 2

BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 70, No. 2 (1808) 33’
I.  Poco sostenuto – Allegro ma non troppo
II. Allegretto
III. Allegretto ma non troppo
IV.  Finale: Allegro

According to Carl Czerny, the Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 70, No. 2 was inspired by Beethoven’s travels in Hungary with Countess Erdödy, and the many pastoral folk songs they heard there. The trio’s opening Allegro ma non troppo effectively sets the rustic mood, at times dancelike, at others hearty and rough-edged, and at still others piously reflective.

The pastoral setting continues in the second movement, a complex set of variations on two themes. Its delightful first theme gives a direct nod to Scottish folk dance with the short-long “Scotch snap” rhythm.

In the third movement, Beethoven contrasts a modest, songlike opening melody with a deceptively moody middle section, in which a church chorale’s straightforward harmonies become increasingly unstable until the opening melody returns to relieve the tension.

The trio concludes with a fast-paced Allegro that flows together like a constantly evolving musical conversation between violin, cello, and piano. This music requires an extremely high level of skill to execute, no longer accessible to any but the most talented amateurs.

In comparison with Opus 1, the Opus 70 trios definitively show that Beethoven had entered a new phase as a composer. As author E. T. A. Hoffman wrote, “It is as though the master thought that, in speaking of deep, mysterious things—even when the spirit feels itself joyously and gladly uplifted—one may not use an ordinary language; only a sublime and glorious one.”

©— 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 moderato

When 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

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