In preparation for attending a concert, I recently did some digging into the history of Beethoven’s “Archduke” Piano trio. This trio was composed for the Archduke Rudolph Johann Joseph Ranier Hapsburg who was Beethoven’s only composition student. The Archduke was one of the most dedicated out of Beethoven’s students due to his being the youngest son in the family. Rudolph and Beethoven were friends, and Beethoven additionally dedicated his Missa solemnis, the Grosse Fuge, and the Hammerklavier Sonata to him. The work on this trio began in the summer of 1810 in Baden. However, much of it occurred from March 3rd to 26th in 1811. This piece represented the end and acme of Beethoven’s Middle Period of composition. 

The piece itself consists of four movements: Allegro moderato, Scherzo, Andate cantabile, and Allegro Moderato. The first Allegro moderato is in the home key of B flat major and is written in a large scale sonata form. The first two measures introduce the five note motif which is used throughout the trio in different variations. The second subject of this movement is staccato with pairs of descending phrases. While the main theme remains piano for most of the movement, it returns to fortissimo during the coda to end the movement. The scherzo is also in B flat major and is marked allegro. This is contrary to the traditional slow second movement but Beethoven uses an energetic rhythm played by the cello to create a lively sound. The Andante cantabile [ma però con moto] was written in the key of D major and contrasts a hymnlike opening with a set of variations which is a style that Beethoven uses a lot in his later works. The movement goes attacca into the final Allegro which returns to the key of B flat major. The final movement contains similarities to the three other movements with Beethoven loosely employing Rondo Sonata form. This jaunty sound contains cello above keyboard tremolandos and ends with a presto coda reflecting Beethoven’s recommendation that this should be played with energy and force. 

Beethoven premiered this piece himself while deaf and composer Louis Spohr wrote of a rehearsal of the work saying “on account of his deafness there was scarcely any thing left of the virtuosity of the artist which had formerly been so greatly admired. In forte passages the poor deaf man pounded on the keys until the strings jangled, and in piano he played so softly that whole groups of notes were omitted, so that the music was unintelligible unless one could look into the pianoforte part. I was deeply saddened at so hard a fate.” However, regardless of this, the work was received well and is considered one of Beethoven’s finest compositions. The piece has also been referenced in popular culture. It can be found in the movie A Traitor to Memory, Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore, the movie The Man Who Wasn’t There, and in Colm Toibin’s Nora Webster. The piece’s lasting impact on the world of music as well as Beethoven’s style has solidified it as one of the great trios and one Beethoven’s most exquisite works.