Triple Concerto (Beethoven)
The Triple Concerto in C major op 56 is a concerto for piano, violin, cello, and orchestra by Ludwig van Beethoven.
- 4.1 documents
- 4.2 Further Reading
Formation
Beethoven wrote the Triple around the year 1804. As a violinist possibly Carl August Seidler or Georg August Seidler was provided, while Anton Kraft should take the cello part. It is generally believed that Beethoven his former piano pupil Archduke Rudolf of Austria envisaged as a piano soloist and the piano part accordingly not docked demanding. This information is based on a statement of Beethoven's temporary secretary and later biographer Anton Schindler. The musicologist Susan Kagan holds this assumption is unlikely; it is rather believed that Beethoven himself had provided as a piano soloist. How Sieghard Brandenburg added, Beethoven Archduke probably met until 1808.
The Triple arose simultaneously with Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 ( "Eroica" ), the 5th Symphony, the Piano Sonata No. 23 ( " Appassionata ") and Beethoven's only opera " Fidelio". The work was dedicated to Prince Franz Joseph Maximilian von Lobkowitz and published in 1807.
About the Music
The Triple has similarities to the genus of the piano trio and the " Sinfonia Concertante ", as it was, for example, maintained by Johann Christian Bach, but also by Haydn and Mozart. This is also evident in two previous works from Beethoven's pen: So sketched Beethoven 1786/87 the unfinished Romance Cantabile in E Minor for Flute, Bassoon, Piano and Orchestra; this was published in 1952 in Wiesbaden. Also, remained unfinished, which began in 1802 Concertante in D major, which was intended for a planned for spring 1803, but not materialize Come concert. With her piano trio, the Concertante would have been created for the same occupation as the Triple Concerto.
The Triple Concerto follows the same pattern as the Piano Concerto No. 1 by Beethoven. Compared with the Piano Concerto No. 3, however, there is a difference: While in the Piano Concerto No. 3 of the orchestral part had received a greater weight than was usual until then, it is emphasized in the Triple Concerto Part of the soloists.
Due to the preponderance of the cello over the violin 's Triple receives some extent the character of a cello concerto.
Occupation
A flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, strings
First movement: Allegro
Since the Triple Concerto, the role of the soloists is pronounced, the first sentence is not in the usual sonata form created, but as a ritornello, but see the terms ' exposure ' and ' Reprise ' used below.
Is initiated, the set of a recitative-like motif of the basses and cellos. For this motif are in addition the remaining strings as well as in bar 12, the two horns in measure 7. The first use of the orchestra tutti (cycle 19) follows the exposition, which contains two variativ interconnected addition to topics on the dominant. You will hear the cello, accompanied by violins and violas, tenor register the Rezitativeröffnung of the sentence as the main theme. After the cello, this time unaccompanied, has opened the solo exposition, is the subject of the first violin (bars 85, together with the horns ) and then taken up by the piano ( bar 97 ). The end of the sentence is similar elements with pierced work in the transition to the recapitulation and with ascending scales in the coda Beethoven about four years earlier entstandenem Piano Concerto No. 3
Second movement: Largo
The Tutti character of the first movement occurs in the second set back almost completely. After the presentation of the cantabile theme by the solo cello accompanied by strings resound from clock 25 to 39 all solo instruments, accompanied only by solo wind instruments. Instrumentation Limited receives the middle part of the sentence chamber music character, while in the final part of the string orchestra, now without the participation of the winds, is employed. The end of the sentence follows on in a attacca transition directly to the finale of the concert.
Third movement: Rondo alla Polacca
The finale ties in with the solo cello at the middle movement of the Concerto. The sentence falls on the smooth transitions of ritornello and couplets and the experienced transition of the Piano Trio in unison scales of the final bars.
Effect
The Triple Concerto was premiered in May 1808 in Vienna. The public response to the concert was rather subdued, so that the nearest known performances of the work took place only in the years 1820 and 1830.
For the musicologist Leon Plantinga is at the Triple Concerto is a " interlude in the French manner ", ie an intermezzo in the French style. Furthermore, Plantinga certified that the work " [ A] Certain indistinctness of expression and a kind of sponginesss of construction ," there is a certain lack of clarity of expression and a somewhat spongy structure.
First Triple Concerto in music history, it has remained one of the few examples of this genre and also performs Beethoven's oeuvre within the shadows.