Beethoven: Piano Trios No. 5, "Ghost" & No. 7, "Archduke"

Three stars of chamber music perform two of Beethoven’s best known piano trios. Violinist Renaud Capuçon, cellist Gautier Capuçon and pianist Frank Braley are well established as partners, and here play the “Ghost” and “Archduke” Piano Trios. The former trio is well known for its mysterious, ghostly slow movement, while the latter is loved for its elegant beauty.

Featuring

Frank Braley
Gautier Capuçon
Renaud Capuçon
Ludwig van Beethoven

Did you know?

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Notable Performances

The public premiere of the 'Archduke' Trio on April 11, 1814, in Vienna, was one of Beethoven's last public appearances as a performer.

Composer Biography

Beethoven called Countess Marie Erdödy, an accomplished musician and hostess of a renowned Viennese salon, his "father confessor" and she became a much-valued confidante.

Compositional Technique

In the 'Archduke' Trio, Beethoven breaks from convention by placing the slow movement after the Scherzo.

Composition History

Beethoven dedicated his Piano Trio Op. 97, known as the 'Archduke' Trio, to Archduke Rudolph of Austria, who was his pupil and a great admirer.

Composition History

Beethoven dedicated his two Op. 70 Trios to Countess Marie Erdödy, in whose home he was living during a period of great productivity, which also saw the premieres of his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies.

Composition History

The Trio No. 5, Op. 70 No. 1, is known as the 'Ghost' Trio due to the eerie atmosphere of its central slow movement, whose main theme Beethoven may have intended for a Macbeth opera.

Historical Context

Countess Erdödy helped secure Beethoven financial support from three wealthy patrons—Princes Lobkowitz and Kinsky, and Archduke Rudolph of Austria—allowing him to work independently in Vienna.