Atos Trio - Beethoven: Piano Trios on CD

Description

Beethoven's first three published 'Piano Trios', his official 'Op. 1', were written in 1792 during his time in London. Conceived on an unprecedentedly large scale, the traditional two or three movement design of chamber music with piano, expanded to four movements. Of his subsequent piano trios only the comparatively lightweight 'Op. 11', and the 'Ghost, Op. 70, No. 1' retain the old-fashioned three movement form. No. 2 forms the expressive high point of the series as a whole. It is a piece whose breadth and serenity are remarkable for the work of so young a composer. The original edition of the 'Op. 11 Trio', included a part for violin as a substitute for the clarinet and the work is being performed here in this alternative scoring. While the wind instrument undeniably provides a perkiness appropriate to the finale's variation tune, its part lies perfectly comfortably on the violin.