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Ludwig van Beethoven

Piano Trios, Op. 1 (Beethoven)

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

No. 1 in E major#

The first trio is in four movements: The first movement opens with an ascending arpeggiated figure (a so-called Mannheim Rocket, like that opening the first movement of the composer’s own Piano Sonata No.1, Op.2 No.1),

No. 2 in G major#

The second trio is in four movements:

No. 3 in C minor#

The third trio is in four movements: 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.

  • *Performance of Piano Trio No. 1 by the Claremont Trio from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in MP3 format
Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven