Piano Trio, Op. 11 (Beethoven)
The Trio Op 11 in B flat major ( " Gassenhauer Trio " ) by Ludwig van Beethoven is a trio for clarinet, cello and piano, which can alternatively be played in the classic piano trio with violin instead of clarinet.
His nickname " Gassenhauer Trio " got it due to his third set of a theme from the comic opera L' amor marinaro: processed (Eng. "Love among the sailors " " The Corsair out of love " or ) by Joseph Weigl as variations.
- 4.1 documents
- 4.2 Further Reading
Formation
The Countess Maria Wilhelmine von Thun, a patron of Beethoven, work was dedicated in 1797. Possible reason for the composition was commissioned by the clarinettist Josef Beer. Due to this, saw musicologist Basil Smallman in the Trio op 11 a casual work.
In order to secure the popularity of the trio, Beethoven adapted shortly after its formation the clarinet part for the violin.
About the Music
The Piano Trio is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart also three-movement Trio for Piano, Clarinet and Viola in E flat major K. 498, the " Kegelstatt Trio", as a model to reason.
In contrast to the more sophisticated three trios of Opus 1, the lighter Trio op.11 designed for a cheerful tone down. However, the trio includes some harmonic surprises by Beethoven, for example, one-bar periods in A minor and F major faces sharp.
First movement: Allegro con brio
The powerful main theme is characterized by piano tones. In the course of the movement, the exposition ends on the dominant of F major and is unexpectedly confronted with a page set in D Major.
Second movement: Adagio
In the second sentence. which is in E-flat major and is designed in ternary form with a coda, the cello sounds in a cantabile main theme in eight bars. After repetition of the antecedent by the clarinet ( also with piano accompaniment ) resound in postscript all three instruments together.
Third set: Tema: Pria ch'io l' impegno. Allegretto - Var. I-IX
The third movement is a set of variations and forms the basis for the designation of the trio as " Gassenhauer Trio ". Beethoven varies here a design from the comic opera L' amor marinaro (English: " The Corsair out of love " or "Love among the sailors " ) by Joseph Weigl as variations. It's about the melody of the trio " Pria ch'io l' impegno " (engl.: "Before I go to work ' "). This opera was played at the Viennese court theater since its premiere on 15 October 1797 and particularly called melody was in its time practically a hit. Other works like it made use of, inter alia, those of Joseph of Eybler, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Josef Cub and Nicolo Paganini.
The set consists of nine variations. For example, while the first variation is introduced by the piano alone, lead in the second variation clarinet and cello dialogue without the participation of the piano. The fifth variation consists of block chords in the style of a funeral march; the seventh variation, in turn, is a march in B flat minor. After a final, accelerating development for 6/8-measure towards the coda returns to Grundmetrum. Of the three participating instruments, the piano has held the dominant role.
According to the Beethoven 's pupil Carl Czerny, Beethoven is said to have considered to compose a new finale for the trio to bring out the variation movement as an independent composition. Beethoven biographer Alexander Wheelock Thayer turn reports from the questioned statement of the Artaria Publishing House, Beethoven found out after the fact of the origin of lying the set underlying theme and commented on these dissatisfied.
Effect
The trio was published in 1798. In this context, was also the dedication to Countess Maria Wilhelmine von Thun ( * June 13, 1744 in Vienna, † May 18, 1800 ibid.).
The critics fell particularly on the light tone of the trio. For example, writing "The General musical newspaper" in 1799:
" This trio, which in places is not easy, but more fluid than some other stuff by the author makes on the fortepiano with the piano accompaniment a pretty good ensemble. The same would be us, bey its not ordinary harmonic knowledge and attention to more serious proposition, deliver much good that could back our thread often Leyersachen of famous men far behind, if he wanted to write more and more natural than looking for. "