IDAGIO | Ludwig van Beethoven: Complete Works for Piano Trio

Featuring

Angela Golubeva
Joël Marosi
Martin Lucas Staub
Schweizer Klaviertrio - Swiss Piano Trio
Ludwig van Beethoven

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Recording & Production

This album, Volume VI, was an unexpected addition to the Swiss Piano Trio's complete Beethoven series, conceived after the initial five-volume series was thought to be complete.

Composition History

The idea for this album came during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic when the Swiss Piano Trio's concerts were cancelled, leading them to explore Beethoven's piano trio arrangement of his Symphony No. 2.

Performer Biography

The Swiss Piano Trio, founded in 1998, has performed in over 40 countries and won first prize at the International Chamber Music Competition in Caltanissetta (2003) and the Johannes Brahms Competition (2005).

Historical Context

In Beethoven's time, repurposing larger instrumental works for chamber ensembles or piano was a widespread practice, as it was often the only way to experience orchestral music outside of live concerts.

Historical Context

Before international copyright laws were established in 1886, publishers often reprinted or arranged composers' works without authorization, which could harm their commercial success.

Compositional Technique

The piano trio version of Beethoven's Symphony No. 2, Op. 36, ingeniously distributes orchestral parts among the three instruments, creating an effective chamber music dialogue.

Composition History

The Piano Trio in E-flat major, Op. 63, is an adaptation of Beethoven's earlier String Quintet, Op. 4, which itself was a revision of his Octet Op. 103.