Piano Trios, Op. 1 (Beethoven)

Ludwig van Beethoven's Opus 1 is a set of three piano trios (written for piano, violin, and violoncello), first performed in 1793 in the house of Prince Lichnowsky, to whom they are dedicated.^[1] The trios were published in 1795.

Despite the Op. 1 designation these were not Beethoven's first published compositions; this distinction belongs to his Dressler Variations for keyboard (WoO 63).

Op. 1 No. 1 - Piano Trio No. 1 in E-flat major

• Allegro (E flat major)
• Adagio cantabile (A flat major)
• Scherzo. Allegro assai (E flat major, with a trio in A flat major)
• Finale. Presto (E flat major)

Op. 1 No. 2 - Piano Trio No. 2 in G major

• Adagio - Allegro vivace (G major)
• Largo con espressione (E major)
• Scherzo. Allegro (G major, with a trio in B minor)
• Finale. Presto (G major)

Op. 1 No. 3 - Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor

• Allegro con brio (C minor)
• Andante cantabile con Variazioni (E flat major)
• Minuetto. Quasi allegro (C minor, with a trio in C major)
• Finale. Prestissimo (C minor, concluding in C major)

Unlike the other piano trios in this opus, the third trio does not have a scherzo as its third movement but a minuet instead.

This third piano trio was later reworked by Beethoven into the C minor string quintet, Op. 104.^[2]

References

1. Beethoven's Trios for string instruments, wind instruments and for mixed ones. All About Beethoven. Retrieved 2011-12-10
2. String Quintet in C minor, Op 104. Hyperion Records. Retrieved 2011-12-10

External links

• Piano Trio No. 1, Piano Trio No. 2, Piano Trio No. 3: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Performance of Piano Trio No. 1 by the Claremont Trio from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in MP3 format
• Performance of Piano Trio No. 3, I Allegro con brio