Album insights
In mid-November 1792, the 21-year-old Beethoven arrived in Vienna from Bonn. He had arranged for a study with Haydn, which he immediately began based on his financial records to the elder composer. This official instruction continued until Haydn left for England in January 1794. It appears, however, that this instruction did not offer much help in Beethoven's new compositions, as the fruits of the study were mainly improvements made to some of the younger composer's earlier (Bonner) works under Haydn's critical supervision. Beethoven's later studies with Albrechtsberger, and possibly Salieri as well, apparently did not cover chamber music.
Beethoven's significant early works for string trio seem to have been composed quite independently from his teachers and may have served as a means of self-guidance in a musical medium considered "challenging" at that time. The Trio in E-flat major, Op. 3, was composed in mid or late 1795. It opens with a bold, almost orchestral effect, combining syncopations with chord repetitions in an abrupt first passage. The entire work is notable for its clever variety of rhythms and textures, as well as its well-defined character, even when compared to the more assertive aspects of the Piano Trios, Op. 1, the Piano Sonatas, Op. 2, or other well-known early Viennese works. Beethoven's op. 3 has been speculated to be structured after Mozart's recently published Divertimento in E-flat major for string trio, K563, from 1792 by Artaria, where two different pairs of minuets and trios are heard in the fourth movement. However, if Beethoven was truly influenced by this early masterpiece, it appears more likely that he was responding to or even challenging Mozart in this work. It wasn't until the Serenade in D major, Op. 8, that Beethoven chose a style and approach more similar to the Divertimento. The Allegro con brio, perceived as fast at that time, would have been challenging for standard string players due to its fiery opening and light passages, especially in E-flat, not considered ideal for strings. The premature "false recapitulation" in F minor precedes the correct one by about forty measures, extending the development section to nearly double its length, but the thematic restlessness outweighs these rather unorthodox proportions. Beethoven was still composing his Op. 1 (three Piano Trios) around 1795 and had started adapting the first movement for this medium at an early stage; the authority of his adaptations is evident, yet suggestions for piano motives seem much more fragmentary.
The Andante, in a more common sonata form, is intricately structured with light pickups and motifs where pauses seem almost as crucial as played notes. While the development resembles more of a sonatina, a delightful snippet follows soon after the repeat, where the viola's extension in the introduction is no longer doubled by the viola player at the octave but instead accompanied by expressive discant voices. A few measures further into the repeat, the rhythms are cleverly altered, creating the illusion that the players have slipped out of syncopation. However, Beethoven merely allows rhythmic patterns to arise as an end in themselves. Particularly noteworthy is the ostinato emphasized in the viola part just before each double measure, played in contrasting time. The distinctive features of this movement would be recognized for years to come as typical of Beethoven; this B-flat major Andante seems to announce his Eighth Symphony composed in 1812. The two minuets, each alternated with its trio (the second trio simply labeled "minore"), prescribe different tempos (the regular Allegretto or the quicker Moderato). In both cases, the somewhat blunt, even slightly military character of the minuet is counterbalanced by the lighter trio—the "minore" seems to ultimately dissipate into high ecstatic solo violin parts; Beethoven, far from impractical, ensures that the soloist has enough time to shift from high to normal position before initiating the repeat or the return of the minuet (Moderato). The moving Adagio in A-flat major flows with expressive strength, showcasing controlled ornamentation by the instruments. The A-flat major Adagio in the later Piano Sonata Op. 10, No. 1, is similarly elaborate with even more impressive harmonic effects.
The Finale: Allegro of Op. 3 may have stemmed from Beethoven's counterpoint studies with Albrechtsberger, who appeared to have semi-officially filled in for Haydn during his overseas stays in the mid-1790s. This is indeed a lively contrapuntal movement of emphatic nature, a specialty that remained characteristic of Beethoven long after completing his compositions of string trios—the embellished final quartet movement (Op. 135, Movement 4) and some of the later piano sonatas exhibit a similar style. Here, as well as later, the composer seems unfazed if strict counterpoint must give way to a more forceful emphasis, as seen, for example, from measure 199 where each solo modulation introduces the same triplet theme one by one; resembling a fugue, it is actually the same declamation reinforced by a triple repetition at the octave; another specialty of the then 24-year-old Beethoven.
In contrast, the Serenade in D major, Op. 8, is a less serious work that took some time to compose in the following two years (1795 to 1797) and was published by Artaria in 1797. The serenade opens and closes with a march, utilizing the same theme, suggesting no crescendo or diminuendo due to retained dynamics, serving as a deceptive ending. The serenade presented a playful challenge due to the prevailing standards at that time, yet it seems that Beethoven was already acquainted with the great violinist Schuppanzigh at that time. The Adagio following the march combines several typical features of string quartet music, where the leading violin plays embellished solo passages in aria style, hinting at a connection between the nearly contemporaneous quartets of Op. 18 and Schuppanzigh himself. In contrast to Op. 3, this piece seems intended as a profoundly calm composition. The minuet and trio possess a nimble eloquence culminating in enchanting pizzicato. The second Adagio starts with an intensely expressive duet for the violin and viola, accompanied by double octaves and the cello; shortly began, it is boldly marked by a short, much swifter and expansive section, defined as a Scherzo: Allegro molto. Almost inevitably, the spirited Adagio duet—with consonances—repeats; after another Scherzo interruption, the original philosophical material eventually returns to conclude the movement.
Next, a spirited and lively Allegretto alla Polacca follows, one of the few genuine Polonaises surviving from the time of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (another specialist) and Chopin. Beethoven seems to have taken special delight in this brief exploration of local color. An additional, more orthodox theme (Andante quasi allegretto) with six variations follows, potentially the only string trios influenced by Haydn's music or teaching. The march is followed by a rather distinctive cello variation to conclude.
It may be considered that the Trio Op. 3 and the Serenade Op. 8 serve as educational pieces for Beethoven as a musically maturing composer, and as precursors to other works, they should be regarded equally important as stand-alone creations, revealing their special charm effectively in performances. They are engaging and impactful artworks that require no excuse. These works for string trio signify that—similar to works for other media from that time—the apprentice had already achieved a considerable creative maturity: they are all, in the more common modern sense, true masterpieces.