Ludwig van Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano in C major, Op. 56, commonly known as the Triple Concerto, was composed in 1803 and published in 1804 by Breitkopf & Härtel. The choice of the three solo instruments effectively makes this a concerto for piano trio, and it is the only concerto Beethoven ever completed for more than one solo instrument. A typical performance takes approximately thirty-seven minutes.
Beethoven’s early biographer Anton Schindler claimed that the Triple Concerto was written for Beethoven’s royal pupil, the Archduke Rudolf of Austria. The Archduke, who became an accomplished pianist and composer under Beethoven’s tutelage, was only in his mid-teens at this time, and it seems plausible that Beethoven’s strategy was to create a showy but relatively easy piano part that would be backed up by two more mature and skilled soloists. However, there is no record of Rudolf ever performing the work.
The Triple Concerto was publicly premiered in 1808, at the summer Augarten concerts in Vienna. The violinist in the premiere was Carl August Seidler,and the cellist was Nikolaus Kraft,[3] who was known for “technical mastery” and a “clear, rich tone”.: 162 The concerto was Beethoven’s first work to use advanced cello techniques.
In the published version, the concerto bore a dedication to a different patron: Prince Lobkowitz.
Portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven (1803):
The first movement is broadly scaled and cast in a moderate march tempo, and includes decorative solo passage-work and leisurely repetitions, variations, and extensions of assorted themes. A common feature is a dotted rhythm (short-long, short-long) that lends an air of graciousness and pomp that is not exactly “heroic,” but would have conveyed a character of fashionable dignity to contemporary listeners—and perhaps a hint of the noble “chivalric” manner that was becoming a popular element of novels, plays, operas, and pictures. The jogging triplets that figure in much of the accompaniment also contribute to this effect. In this movement, as in the other two, the cello enters solo with the first subject. Unusual for a concerto of this scale, the first movement begins quietly, with a gradual crescendo into the exposition, with the main theme later introduced by the soloists. Also unusually, the exposition modulates to A minor instead of the expected G major. (Beethoven’s friend Ferdinand Ries later did the same mediant transition in his sixth concerto.) This movement takes sixteen to nineteen minutes.
The slow movement, in A-flat major, is a large-scale introduction to the finale, which follows it without pause. The cello and violin share the melodic material of the movement between them while the piano provides a discreet accompaniment. This movement takes about five to six minutes.
There is no break between then second and third movements. Dramatic repeated notes launch into the third movement, a polonaise (also called “polacca”), an emblem of aristocratic fashion during the Napoleonic era, which is, thus, in keeping with the character of “polite entertainment” that characterizes this concerto as a whole. The bolero-like rhythm, also characteristic of the polonaise, can be heard in the central minor theme of the final movement. This movement takes about thirteen to fourteen minutes.
In addition to the violin, cello, and piano soloists, the concerto is scored for one flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings. The flute, oboes, trumpets, and timpani are tacet during the second movement. (wikipedia)
Czech symphony orchestra. Established in 1894 as the orchestra of The National Theatre (Orchestr Národního Divadla) in Prague. First performed under its name on January 4, 1896, conducted by Antonín Dvořák. Independent orchestra since 1901.
The orchestra is ranked among the best in the world for its particular sound. The orchestra’s principal concert venue is the Rudolfinum.
Their conducor for these recordings was Kurt Masur:
Kurt Masur (18 July 1927 – 19 December 2015) was a German conductor. Called “one of the last old-style maestros” he directed many of the principal orchestras of his era. He had a long career as the Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and also served as music director of the New York Philharmonic. He left many recordings of classical music played by major orchestras. Masur is also remembered for his actions to support peaceful demonstrations in the 1989 anti-government demonstrations in Leipzig; the protests were part of the events leading up to the fall of the Berlin wall. (wikipedia)
Enjoy these historic recordings of another masterpiece by Ludwig van Beethoven !
Personnel:
The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kurt Masur
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Josef Chuchro (cello)
Jan Panenka (piano)
Josef Suk (violin)
Tracklist:
Concerto For Violin, Cello, Piano And Orchestra In C Major, Op. 56
01. Allegro 16.30
02. Largo / Rondo Alla Polacca 18.04
Music: Ludwig van Beethoven
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