Piano Quartet in C Major, WoO 36 No. 3

I. Allegro vivace

II. Adagio con expressione

III. Rondo. Allegro

According to Beethoven’s own account he began to study music at the age of four. The history of his early training and the beginning of his active practical musicianship is not a particularly cheerful one, but it is interesting to learn that already at the age of about 12, he began to work as the assistant organist and the cembalist in the orchestra of the Electoral Chapel, where his duty was to accompany the rehearsals of the opera orchestra–without pay. He composed some works, a concerto, a rondo and a song, and the last two were published when he was 14. His life began to take a turn about 1787 with his first trip to Vienna, which more or less coincided with the time that he began to attract the attention of people who became important to his musical, social and intellectual development. In other words, in 1785, the time of the composition of the Piano Quartet in C Major, he had had little training other than what his father, local teachers and practical experience could provide. The works that pre-date 1787 pretty much sum up what a talented youngster could do with provincial resources in 18th-c. Germany. These resources included published music, and in this case, a set of sonatas for violin and piano by Mozart perhaps play a role.

The three piano quartets, WoO 36, Nos. 1-3, are the only works Beethoven composed for this particular ensemble, whereas later in Vienna he composed mighty works for piano trio (Opps. 1, 11, 70, 97), works that were meant to be, at least in part, vehicles for his own performance as a pianist- composer. Though the early quartets weren’t published, neither did he discard them, for later in Vienna he culled ideas and tunes from them for his first set of sonatas for piano, opus 2. Listeners may recognize two passages from the quartet in the opening movement of the C major Sonata Op.2, No.3, and the initial theme of the Adagio movement, basis for the Adagio of the Sonata, Op.2 No.1. The manuscripts for the three piano quartets, discovered after his death, were acquired by Artaria, and published in 1828.

According to some commentary, the strongest outside influence on Beethoven’s Piano Quartet in C Major was Mozart’s sonatas for violin published in 1781. In particular, the material for the central section of the last movement, the rondo, seems to reflect Beethoven’s knowledge and response to Mozart’s sonata for violin in C Major, K. 296, although the form of Mozart’s movement is significantly more developed, while Beethoven’s treatment is quite in keeping with a young person’s understanding of a “standard” form.

The quartet in C major is in three movements, with the middle movement in the subdominant key of F Major. The piano is the principal instrument in the first movement, at most trading off melodic ideas with the first violin; the cello only occasionally has some independence from the piano bass line and the viola has a brief melodic moment or two. The thematic character is bright and the material is varied, featuring mostly arpeggiated ideas and running sixteenth-note themes. The special, short-lived moments are the several quick tradeoffs in modes and extensions to third- related keys (G minor, E-flat Major, C minor). Early in the development section, a brief statement of the first theme in the subdominant that seems to initiate a recapitulation is soon converted into more development with the recapitulation coming later at a more appropriate point.

Even this early in his development Beethoven’s melodic genius is evident, for the second movement is one that could only be identified as his. The strings become progressively more prominent in the second, and more so in the third movement, where the piano and strings trade off thematic activity and are on more of an equal par than in the first movement. Was the central section of the rondo influenced by a similar moment in the violin sonata by Mozart? If so, Beethoven was already thinking about it when he composed the first movement, as a very similar motive of rising leaps and falling 2nds or 3rds with a dotted rhythm is found there. Perhaps this is rather evidence of Beethoven’s own early ability and comprehensive thought?

String Trio in C Minor Op. 9 No. 3

I. Allegro con spirit

II. Adagio con espressione

III. Scherzo. Allegro molto e vivace

IV. Finale. Presto

The genre of string trio was one which occupied Ludwig van Beethoven for only a few years. All five of his trios for violin, viola, and cello were written in the 1790s and published in Vienna. Beethoven would write no further string trios after starting his impressive cycle of sixteen string quartets in 1798. Yet, alongside the one string trio produced by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the five created by Beethoven are regarded as the greatest works of their genre produced in the eighteenth century. Together they mark the first pinnacle in this genre’s history, as Beethoven’s turn away from the string trio would prove symptomatic of a larger trend: though the eighteenth century was rich with string trios, composers of the nineteenth favored the string quartet and chamber music which integrated strings with piano.f their own. These have brought renewed meaning to this long-neglected genre, ushering in a second flourishing of the string trio.

Beethoven’s String Trio in C minor, Op. 9 No. 3 belongs to his definitive Op. 9 set of three string trios, published in 1798; the other two are in the keys of G major and D major, respectively. Each trio in the Op. 9 set is in four movements, according to the conventional pattern for symphonies, string quartets, and other instrumental genres (i.e. fast-slow-dance-fast). Op. 9 is dedicated to Count Johann Georg von Browne, a Viennese patron of Irish descent. Browne and his wife were actually the recipients of several dedications by Beethoven during his first years in Vienna, including one which famously inspired Browne to present Beethoven with a horse! Beethoven certainly thought highly of his Op. 9, calling these trios the “best of my works,” and many movements rank alongside those of the Op. 18 string quartets, his first set of six, which Beethoven had already begun sketching. The first performances of the Op. 9 trios were given by Beethoven’s friend, the violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh. Likely, he was joined by his colleagues the violist Franz Weiss and the cellist Nikolaus Kraft or his father Anton. Later, Schuppanzigh and his quartet would become the first professional string quartet and premiere many of Beethoven’s works in that genre. Through these activities, Schuppanzigh would not only arouse excitement for Beethoven’s music but also become one of the first musicians to create a public audience for chamber music.

The first movement of the String Trio, Op. 9 No. 3 is marked Allegro con spirito, follows sonata principle, and is in compound duple meter. Its fiendish first theme begins quietly but rapidly gains dynamics, as it builds in emotional vigor. Quick descending passages, first heard in the violin, are soon echoed by the viola. All three players also rejoin for sudden halts. Just as these halts reach their climax, the gentler second theme enters, now in E-flat major. It enters first in the violin but soon passes to the viola and cello in succession while the violin suggests its intent to recoil to the first theme through its descending scale passages. The violin eventually has its way in the development, and for a time it pulls the other instruments into its depression. The purity of the second theme does, however, return for a short time in the recapitulation. A lengthy coda follows the recapitulation where some signs of rehabilitation emerge, only to return to the despair of the first theme. Tranquility is found in the second movement, Adagio con espressione, set in C major. This set of variations flow naturally from the opening theme. It calls for active participation from all three players and also reaches its own emotional heights, if, unlike the first movement, always able to return to a state of calm. The third movement, Scherzo. Allegro molto e vivace, returns to the extremes of the first movement. In fact, it reclaims its predecessor’s key of C minor and compound duple meter. Significantly, the violin which had been so adamant in the first movement, is the one to initiate the scherzo. The contrasting trio section moves into C major for its elegant courtly dance before the scherzo bursts onto the scene once more. The fourth movement, Finale. Presto, continues in C minor though the meter shifts to cut time. This movement again applies sonata principle as had the first. As elsewhere in this piece, the violin seems to be the most frustrated of the group, initiating the proceedings with a quick descending passage. The viola and cello, however, are less accommodating than they had been previously and, they encourage their colleague to put aside its despair. It is, therefore, not the minor first theme but the major second theme that predominates the exposition. The development becomes increasingly cheerful, introducing new material rather than exclusively exploring the material of the exposition. Ultimately, the Trio, Op. 9 No. 3, concludes, not in C minor, but in C major as the outcome of a gradual mode change throughout its final movement.

Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97 “Archduke”

I. Allegro moderato

II. Scherzo. Allegro

III. Andante cantabile ma però moto

IV. Allegro moderato

In 1803 or 1804, Beethoven met the Archduke Rudolf of Austria, member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine who became closely associated with the composer with whom he studied piano and composition. He was Beethoven’s only composition student and became his most important patron when he arranged for an annuity for the composer in 1809, after having extracted a promise from him to never move away from Vienna. In addition to the Trio, op. 97, Beethoven dedicated ten works to the Archduke, including some of the most exceptional ones: the “Les Adieux” and Hammerklavier Sonatas, the Fourth and Fifth (“Emperor”) Piano Concertos, the Violin Sonata, Op. 96, the Missa Solemnis and the Grosse Fuge.

Composed in 1811, “The Archduke” Trio is the last and the most expansive of Beethoven’s seven Piano Trios. The opening theme of the first movement in the piano is full eight measures, and its leisurely unfolding and initial treatment of the phrase, sets the mood for the whole work. Following the first statement of the theme alone in the piano, the violin and cello enter and extend it another five measures. The cadence of this extension is the signal to begin the consequent phrase, a repeat of the eight-measure theme in the strings, now extended twelve measures in the piano. When it ends in an cadence, it is still in the tonic key. With these expanded thematic statements, this exposition of the principal musical idea, in which the piano and strings share equally, constitutes a definite point of departure from the norm for the opening, with consequences for the entire work. After this, throughout the whole movement, Beethoven takes every opportunity to enlarge the dimensions of the form, for instance, when he establishes the new key (G Major). In spite of the grand scope of the movement, the actual amount of thematic material is, however, quite limited. The first theme is repeatedly brought back, even in the middle of the second theme, by piano and strings in an alternating pattern. The drive to the cadence takes the closing theme through alternating duplets and triplets, then in a second repeat of the passage in triplets Beethoven introduces a succession of long trills played in octaves by both hands in the piano. Note that these are not the first trills in the piece, but the ones earlier have decorated individual notes; these trills are harbingers of details to come.

The development is a fascinating mix of extended play with motives derived from the first theme, which he treats one at a time. As a whole, the section has a symphonic character in its intense drama that builds, falls back, thins out, and builds to another climax. The whole development is laced with scales in all the instruments–singly and doubled, in thirds or sixths, running up and down, now in the same and then in the opposite directions–and more trills in the piano. When the last extended trill in the piano the development comes to an end, and, ushering in the recapitulation, it is much like one would expect at the end of a cadenza passage in a concerto. It is all quite exciting, and though the strings are challenged, as always with Beethoven, here it is the pianist who has to be the virtuoso. The recapitulation is both a study of condensation and of elaboration; Beethoven removes about twenty measures from the repeat of the exposition, but adds an extended coda of about the same length.

In the second movement Beethoven is deadly serious about carrying out musical jokes. The Scherzo begins with the strings alone with a downbeat that seems as though it should be an upbeat–the rhythmic pattern misplaces the downbeat. This is only the beginning of subtle fun that develops throughout. But not limiting himself to rhythmic gimmicks, in the Trio he begins with a playful unwinding of a chromatic line, so that it seems to start in the key of the parallel minor, not its actual key of D-flat Major, a fact that is eventually revealed. Not to give up too soon, eventually he launches into a waltz–an exuberant one at that–so much so that one almost forgets the Scherzo, when, without a pause, and before the Trio has completely wound down, it jumps back in.

The third movement is a theme and variations, this time in the third-related key of D Major, far enough away from the tonic to create a small surprise. The theme comprises two long eight-measure phrases, the first played once by the piano alone, and then is played again by all three instruments before continuing on to the answering, eight-measure phrase. There are only four variations in which Beethoven focuses on the melodic and rhythmic, rather than the harmonic possibilities for development. Like in the first movement, as the variations proceed, the rhythmic character speeds up progressively; breaking up the melodic fabric, less substitutes for more. However, with the fourth variation, we return to the quarter and eighth notes of the theme; and the theme returns to the piano with effective, restrained, ornaments, while the strings almost give it a by-pass. But then the coda returns the theme to the strings, and supported by unwavering triplets in the piano, they carry it to the end of the movement. Without a pause, the fourth movement begins with a little jolt, and races quite unbridled through an extensive excursion, a full rondo in which the pianist gets a complete workout. There is no question at this point that one of the main elements of elaboration in the work is unapologetic virtuosity. The character of the writing is as pianistic as it would be for a concerto, and the style of the composition has numerous interesting elements that come from the concerto. It’s true of the whole work: from the opening with the solo piano, the trills and the pianistic runs in the first movement, and the dance in the Trio to the point in the last movement, when, under a long, sustained trill in the piano, the strings restore the tonic and the whole ensemble hurls its way to the final cadence. The effect is a bit like being lost in the dark–with the coming of light you see that you are back on the right track.

Reading 1

Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1795, Beethoven 1807)

Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
Weiß, was ich leide!
Allein und abgetrennt
Von aller Freude,
Seh ich ans Firmament
Nach jener Seite.

Ach! der mich liebt und kennt,
Ist in der Weite.
Es schwindelt mir, es brennt
Mein Eingeweide.
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
Weiß, was ich leide!

Only those who know longing
Know what sorrows me!
Alone and separated
From all joy,
I look into the sky
To the yonder side.

Ah! the one who loves and knows me
Is in the distance.
It dizzies me, it burns
my guts.
Only those who know longing
Know how I suffer!

Reading 2

Letter to Prince Elector of Cologne, Maximilian Friedrich, 1781

Most Illustrious!

Music, from my fourth year, began to be the first of my childhood occupations. Thus early acquainted with the gracious muse who tuned my soul to pure harmonies, I became fond of her, and, as it often seemed, she of me. I have already reached my eleventh year; and since then my muse has often whispered to me in inspired hours: “Try for once and write down the harmonies of thy soul!” Eleven years old, I thought, and how would an author’s air become me? And what would masters of the art probably say to it? I almost became too timid to move. Yet my muse willed – I obeyed, and wrote….”

- Ludwig van Beethoven

Reading 3

Heiligenstadt Testament, Letter to Carl and Johann Beethoven, 1802

O, you who think or say that I am malevolent, misanthropic, stubborn…how greatly you wrong me. From childhood, my heart and mind were disposed to gentle feelings and good will. Born with ardent and lively passions, I was compelled by my shyness to isolate myself early on, to live in loneliness. But in the trials of life… the incidents that I have suffered brought me to the verge of despair. Were they but a little more, I would have put an end to my life — only Art it was that withheld me. It seemed impossible to leave the world until I had produced all that I felt called upon to produce, and so I endured. O, mankind, when some day you read these words, reflect that you did me wrong, and let the wretches and miserable men (like me) comfort themselves to find one of their own kind who, despite all obstacles of nature, still did all in his power to be accepted as worthy among artists and mankind. It is my wish that your lives be better and freer from care than mine has been. Virtue alone can give happiness, not money. To virtue, next to my art, I owe the fact of my life. Farewell, and love each other. Farewell and do not wholly forget me when I am gone. I deserve this of you in having often in life thought of you how to make you happy. Be so.

- Ludwig van Beethoven

Reading 4

Letter to Bettina Brentano, 1810

Never was there a lovelier Spring than this year. I say it, but I feel it too, because it was then I first knew you. You have seen that, in society, I am like a fish on the sand which writhes and writhes and can’t get away until some benevolent goddess casts it back into the mighty ocean. I was utterly stranded, Dearest Friend, at that moment in which sadness and depression had entirely mastered me. But how quickly it vanished at the sight of you! I was at once conscious that you came from another Sphere than this absurd world, where, even with the best inclinations I can’t use my ears to hear.

- Ludwig van Beethoven