Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Violin Sonata in G Op 96 (1812)
Allegro moderato
Adagio espressivo
Scherzo. Allegro
Poco Allegretto
During the years 1810-12 Beethoven produced three remarkable chamber works: in 1810 the Op 95 ‘Serioso‘ String Quartet, in 1811 the Op 97 ‘Archduke‘ Piano Trio, and in 1812More
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Piano Trio in C, K.548 (1788)
Allegro
Andante cantabile
Allegro
Unlike the piano concerto and piano sonata, the piano trio does not figureMore
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Piano Trio in E, Hob. XV:28 (1797)
Allegro moderato
Allegretto
Finale. Allegro
It is easy to undervalue Haydn’s Piano Trios. The string parts often double the keyboard and generally lack the independence found later, say in Beethoven. But for much of his piano trio output, Haydn’s hands were tied by the underpowered keyboards that he was writing for – doubling of the weak keyboard bass line was a necessity. Viewed on their own terms as ‘keyboard sonatas with string accompaniment’, we can enjoy their virtues rather than wishing they were Beethoven. More
Josef Haydn (1732-1809) String Quartet Op. 20 No. 2 in C (1772)
Moderato
Capriccio: Adagio
Menuet: Allegretto
Fuga a quattro soggetti: Allegro
Writing in four parts had been recognised both in theory and practice as the bedrock of string music long before the 1750s when Haydn started to compose string quartets. But four-part string music then had a variety of forms, none of which we would recognise as a ‘string quartet’ and was predominantly based on a basso continuo cello with optional keyboard, or was a light keyboard-less divertimento. The 18-year-old Haydn got into writing for a quartet of strings thanks to one Baron Fürnberg, who asked him to write something to be played at his place at Weinzierl in the Wachau valley. The four musicians were the local pastor, his estate manager, Haydn and the cellist brother of the Johann Albrechtsberger who later taught Beethoven composition. The resulting Op 1 & 2 quartets were still, both in name and form, divertimenti. More
Josef Haydn (1732-1809) String Quartet in Bb Op 33 no 4 (1781)
Allegro moderato
Scherzo: Allegretto
Largo
Finale: Presto
Famous string quartets have a problem in daring to performMore
Bach’s Suites for Unaccompanied Cello
There are few works of classical music that inspire the awe that cellists feel for the Bach Suites. They start to play them within a year or two of taking up the instrument and, if hands and minds hold out, they are still working on the same pieces 60 years later.
We know very little of the background to the Suites. They were written in about 1720 when Bach wasMore
