Ludwig van BEETHOVEN: Piano Trio No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 11 “Gassenhauer”: I. Allegro con brio – II. Adagio – III. Tema con variazioni (Allegro) – Piano Trio No. 5 In D Major, Op. 70, No. 1: I. Allegro vivace e con brio – II. Largo assai ed espressivo – III. Presto

Trio Arte :
Sergio Prieto, Violin
Edgar Fischer, Cello
Maria Iris Radrigan, Piano

Piano trios occupy a privileged position within Beethoven’s chamber music production, starting from his Opus 1 of 1793-94, in which the “Great Mogul” (as Haydn ironically christened him) asserts his maturity and musical independence, to the ‘Archduke’ Opus 97 (1811), which borders on the last of his great masterpieces. Less well known than the latter, the two trios of Opus 70, composed in the same year as the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, the incidental music for Coriolanus, and the Mass in C major (1808), are nonetheless noteworthy for their large-scale proportions and the almost symphonic treatment of the musical discourse. They are dedicated to Marie Erdédy, a young Hungarian countess with whom Beethoven had sentimental ties while staying at her residence (he also dedicated to her the Cello Sonatas, Opus 102).

The Trio in D major, Op. 70 No. 1 derives its name of ‘Ghost Trio’ from the opening theme of the second movement, which had originally been intended for the Witches’ Scene in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a play Beethoven had planned to set to music. This also explains the wan sound of the chords, which evoke a desolate response of wraithlike tremolos in the piano. The first movement is no less interesting, with its utterly straightforward and concentrated thematic material giving way in the development to lively contrapuntal exchanges, while the third movement stands out due to its instrumental brio. This is a far cry from the modest origins of the genre, which had been intended for private performance among amateurs, and the piano technique hints at the forthcoming Fourth Piano Concerto.

More uneven in character, the Trio in B flat major, Opus 11 (1798) was scored for piano, cello, and clarinet, although Beethoven himself arranged the clarinet part for violin. It is a spirited work whose good humour, after a rather conventional start and a slow movement with facile lyricism and busy ornamentation, culminates in a series of light-hearted variations on an operatic theme in the style of Weigl. In these variations, each instrument takes its turn in occupying centre-stage. After a brusque modulation into G major and triple time, this final movement brings the work to a close by unexpectedly reverting to the duple time of the beginning.

Philippe Dinkel

At the beginning of 1981, the Catholic University of Chile managed to bring together three outstanding Chilean musicians of international prestige, who immediately impressed both audiences and critics with the fine quality of their playing and the magnificent blending of their performances.

“We heard the Trio Arte and enjoyed their musicality and excellent ensemble. Given time and opportunity, they should become one of the important chamber music groups.”

(The Beaux Arts Trio – June 1981)