Composed in 1797, the Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 11 is spirited, fun-loving music of the 26 year old Beethoven.
It is scored for clarinet, cello, and piano. At the time, the still-emerging clarinet was a novelty. Beethoven was impressed with the sound of Viennese clarinetist Franz Josef Bähr (1770-1819). The Trio was written for Bähr, and dedicated to Countess Wilhelmine von Thun, a prominent patron of both Beethoven and Mozart. With economics in mind, the Trio was published for clarinet or violin.
The first movement (Allegro con brio) begins with a boisterous musical announcement, played by the three instruments in unison. Out of this initial “call to order” develops a thrilling instrumental conversation which is at once passionate and playful. The music bubbles with an audacity that is pure Beethoven. Sudden dynamic changes and unexpected modulations to remote keys keep us on the edge of our seats. A cadence in F major is followed by the intrusion of D major, and later an even more shocking D-flat to open the development section. With a single chord, we are transported to a magical new world. The exuberant drama comes to an abrupt end.
Moving to E-flat major, the second movement (Adagio) begins with a tender melody, introduced by the cello and then taken up by the clarinet. It is a simple and serene song without words. Briefly, the music becomes shadowy and turbulent, only to return to the warmth of the initial theme. The final moments dissolve and fade away with the piano’s lone E-flat.
The final movement (Tema con variazioni, “Pria ch’io l’impegno”: Allegretto) delivers pure fun. Its nine variations are based on an infectious melody so popular that it was sung and whistled on the streets of Vienna. The tune was from Joseph Weigl’s comic opera, L’Amor Marinaro, which premiered at Vienna’s Hoftheater on August 15, 1797. The song’s frivolous title translates as, “Before I go to work, I must have something to eat!” Its inclusion earned the Trio the nickname, Gassenhauer (or “street song”). Composers including Hummel and Paganini went on to write their own variations on the theme.
Here we get a sense of Beethoven, the masterful improvisor. The second variation is a duet for the clarinet and cello alone, while the fourth and seventh variations shift to minor. The theme is heard in canon and in frolicking musical cat and mouse games. Amid giddy syncopation, the coda shifts to G major and 6/8 time before returning home.
In later years, Beethoven considered writing a more weighty alternate finale for the Op. 11 Trio. But we are left with an exuberant and enduring piece of party music.
Five Great Recordings
- Beethoven: Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 11, “Gassenhauer,” Sabine Meyer, Rudolf Buchbinder, Heinrich Schiff Amazon
- Vienna Piano Trio
- ATOS Trio
- Beaux Arts Trio
- Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Richard Stoltzman
Featured Image: “Stock im Eisen Square, Vienna (1779), Carl Schutz