It s Beethoven!
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The Innovation of Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven is a household name amongst classical music novices and experts alike due to his amazing command of the musical language and his innovation in pushing the envelope of musical expression. While arguably most famous for his symphonic works, he was a master craftsman of chamber music. His late piano sonatas contained notes that were not available in pianos of his time and his string quartets are foreshadow the construction of pieces by much later composers. As part of his vast collection of chamber compositions, Beethoven wrote two trios for clarinet, cello, and piano. Beethoven’s influence reaches composers even today, so it is not surprising that many composers have also embraced the trio of clarinet, cello, and piano.
This program is a sequel to our Beethovenless past program, “It’s Beethoven! Or is it?!” This time, the program centers around the work that invigorated the clarinet, cello, piano trio, the Beethoven Trio Op. 11 in B-flat. The work, commissioned by clarinetist Josef Beer, was nicknamed “Gassenhauer” or Street Song as it was, at Beer’s request, based on Pria ch’io l’impegno a popular tune from the light opera L’Amor Marinaro (The Corsair) by Joseph Weigl. A highly classical work in nature, the Op. 11, written in 1797 by a young ambitious Beethoven was dedicated to Mozart’s former patron, Countess Maria Wilhelmine von Thun. The work was also the focal point of a rift between Beethoven and rival pianist/composer Joseph Weigl who became life long adversaries. The listener can decide which composer came out the better!
The remainder of the program includes: the Schumann “Märchenerzählungen” or Fairy Tales, Op. 132, a very late work of the composer that contains four musical miniatures that integrate the elements of marches and lieder (songs). The wonderfully romantic Trio Op. 264 by Reinecke, a student of Schumann a well known pianist and conductor in addition to a composer of nearly 300 published works. The View from Carew a wonderful pastoral work by Sowash and Preludio y Merengue by Cuban born Latin/Jazz clarinetist D’Rivera round out the program.
Please visit our upcoming performances page to experience this program or contact us to include “It’s Beethoven! I Promise!” in your own concert series or at your venue.
