# Beethoven Opus 1 Piano Trios



## Olias

Anyone know of a good recording of the Opus 1 #3 Piano Trio in which the pianist is playing on a period fortepiano?


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## KenOC

This one's pretty good. The fortepiano is a recent instrument "after" a fortepiano of those times.


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## Pugg

This one for me, excellent in all his perspective.


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## premont

Pugg said:


> View attachment 102918
> 
> This one for me, excellent in all his perspective.


It is certainly not answering the OP's specific question about a period fortepiano.


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## Pugg

premont said:


> It is certainly not answering the OP's specific question about a period fortepiano.


Might give him another look on things.


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## Quartetfore

I can`t think of a recording that would fit the bill either.


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## Mandryka

London Fortepiano Trio on Hyperion. Patrick Cohen, Cristopher Coin, Eric Hoebarth on Harmonia Mundi. Trio Goya on Chandos (scheduled for July 2018)


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## KenOC

(Deleted due to a misread)


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## Josquin13

Surprisingly, you don't have a ton of options among period performances--though I think it's important to hear these 'Haydnesque' trios on period instruments, as the balances are quite different, since the fortepiano doesn't overly dominate the trios like a modern grand can. (Interestingly, Haydn thought these trios were too radical to be accepted by the public.) It's also rare to find all three Beethoven Op. 1s on a single release (see below). You'd think that period groups would be eager to record Beethoven's Op. 1s, but evidently that hasn't been the case.

To date, Faust-Queyras-Melnikov, Bylsma-Immerseel-Beths (L'Archibudelli), and the Tröndlin Trio have all recorded Beethoven (on period instruments), but not the Op. 1s (instead they've recorded the 'Archduke' & 'Ghost' Trios).

While Trio Goya, Benvenue Fortepiano Trio, and the Oberlin Fortepiano Trio have all been playing Beethoven Piano Trios in concert, including the Op. 1s, but to my knowledge have yet to record any of them (EDIT--I see Mandryka has since added to his above post, & writes that a Trio Goya release is scheduled for July, 2018).

http://www.triogoya.com/video.htm

Frustratingly, one of my favorite period groups, The Mozartean Players, whose complete Mozart Piano Trios I'd highly recommend!, have only recorded the Mozart & Schubert Piano Trios, and I'm not sure whether they're still active as a group (?).

That leaves the following partial recordings (that I know of):

1. Staier-Sepec-Queyras--Op. 1, No. 3: https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Vi...r=1-1&keywords=Staier+sepec+queyras+Beethoven

2. London Fortepiano Trio--Op. 1, Nos. 1 & 2--when Monica Huggett was their violinist in the early days of the period revival (as she now plays with the Benvenue Piano Trio). This Hyperion recording comes from 1985, so it's not exactly a recent issue: https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA66197

3. The Atlantis Trio--Op. 1, No. 3: https://www.amazon.com/Ludwig-van-B...81976&sr=1-1&keywords=Atlantis+Trio+Beethoven






The complete Op. 1s (all three trios) are only offered by two period ensembles:

1. Christophe Coin (cello)-Patrick Cohen (fortepiano)-Eric Höbarth (violin)--spread out over two Harmonia Mundi CDs, as they include the Op. 11 Piano Trio on the second disc, but substitute a clarinet for the violin, as sanctioned by Beethoven (played by clarinetist Wolfgang Meyer). Cohen can be an eccentric pianist on his solo recordings (though I sometimes like his quirky interpretations), but I've noticed that his occasional waywardness isn't an issue when he plays with Coin & Höbarth (who are both members of the Quatour Mosaiques, a group that has recorded both the early & late Beethoven SQs). Perhaps you already know their Haydn Piano Trio recordings?

https://www.amazon.com/Ludwig-van-B...&sr=1-1&keywords=coin+cohen+hobarth+beethoven
https://www.amazon.com/Gassenhauer-...&sr=1-2&keywords=coin+cohen+hobarth+beethoven
https://www.amazon.com/Trios-Op-No-...&sr=1-3&keywords=coin+cohen+hobarth+beethoven
https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Trios-...catcorr&keywords=coin+cohen+hobarth+beethoven

2. Castle Trio--Lambert Orkis (fortepiano), Marilyn McDonald (violin), Kenneth Slowik (cello). This group was associated with the Smithsonian Institution many years ago (in the late 1980s). They are the only period group (that I know of) to offer all three Op. 1s together in one package--in a 'two for one' bargain set on Virgin Records (though initially these recordings were released on individual Virgin & Smithsonian label discs). However, I'm not sure whether they'd be a top pick here, as I haven't heard them: https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Pi...3982016&sr=1-2&keywords=Castle+Trio+Beethoven

So, I can't offer much of an opinion, except to say that I agree with Mandryka that the London Fortepiano Trio are good in Op. 1 nos. 1 & 2, and I also agree with KenOC that Coin-Cohen-Höbarth are excellent too. But I've not heard the others. Although I have liked The Atlantis Trio in the early Mendelssohn Piano Trios (also released by Musica Omnia), so they may be very good in early Beethoven too. & I do recall that the Staier-Sepec-Quayras recording of Op. 1 no. 3 received excellent reviews (& possible Brit awards?). Therefore it's probably best that you sample as much as you can from the above recordings (on You Tube, Spotify, etc.), to decide which you like best.

However, if you're open to hearing these works played on modern instruments, I'd strongly recommend the Vienna Piano Trio, who are very fine in the Op. 1s, on two individual Nimbus CDs (though I'm not as crazy about their current line up on the MDG label). In addition, the Abegg Piano Trio on Tacet are absolutely first rate in these works too:

https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Pi...986700&sr=1-23&keywords=Beethoven+piano+trios
https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Pi...4&keywords=Beethoven+piano+trios+vienna+piano

https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Kl...-2-fkmr0&keywords=Beethoven+piano+trios+tacet

For more recent 'audiophile' sound engineering--though the Vienna & Abegg trios recordings sound great for their age (1987--Abeggs, 1997 & 2000--Vienna PT)--I've recently liked the Max Brod Piano Trio in Op. 1, No. 2 (hybrid SACD), the Freddy Kempf Trio in Op. 1, No. 3 (DSD hybrid SACD), and an equally fantastic complete survey from the Oliver Schnyder Piano Trio on Sony. (The Swiss Piano Trio are good too, & very well recorded by Audite.)

https://www.amazon.com/Ludwig-Van-B...988&sr=1-1&keywords=Beethoven+Oliver+schnyder

https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Trios-...1523988014&sr=1-1&keywords=Beethoven+max+brod

https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Ar...050&sr=1-1&keywords=Beethoven+kempf+trio+sacd

But of course many fine piano trios have recorded these works over the decades--such as the Beaux Arts Trio (twice), Suk Trio, Abegg Piano Trio, Dupre-Bareboim-Zukerman, Stuttgart Piano Trio, Vegh-Casals-Horszowski, etc. etc.

Hope that helps. (Edit--I've just now noticed that you specifically asked for Op. 1, no. 3--though the thread title is "Op. 1 Piano Trios". Well, it's probably best to hear all three Op. 1 trios together anyway, to better understand how Beethoven was developing during these early years.)


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## Reichstag aus LICHT

My favourite recording is by the Castle Trio; they're beautiful performances in excellent sound. I bought the CD when first released, and was so pleased that I went on to collect their complete survey of the trios on four CDs. It doesn't look like they're all available anymore, which is a pity, but it looks that that the Op 1 trios still are (see the link kindly provided by Josquin13 above).


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## fjf

Pugg said:


> View attachment 102918
> 
> This one for me, excellent in all his perspective.


I am listening to those now. VERY enjoyable.


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## Pugg

premont said:


> It is certainly not answering the OP's specific question about a period fortepiano.





Pugg said:


> Might give him another look on things.





fjf said:


> I am listening to those now. VERY enjoyable.


You see, if it helps only one member...


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## fjf

...it's enough...:lol:


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## Mal

The following performance won BBC Building a Library, with the fortepiano winning against all those big piano players

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN - PIANO TRIO IN C MINOR - PIANO TRIO IN D MAJOR (Ghost) - ANDREAS STAIER (Pianoforte) - DANIEL SEPEC (Violin) - JEAN-GUIHEN QUEYRAS (Cello) - HARMONIA MUNDI 901955

So it might be worth seeing if Staier has performed the trio you require.

Then again, I didn't agree with the decision  I also like Ashkenazy/Perlman/Harrell set.


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## Olias

Interesting discussion and I appreciate all the ideas. FWIW, I do have a "modern" recording of all three Op. 1 trios. I just wanted to have a period instrument one as well. I really enjoy hearing Beethoven's music on both period and modern instruments. I just get in the mood for period ensembles sometimes.


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## Pugg

Olias said:


> Interesting discussion and I appreciate all the ideas. FWIW, I do have a "modern" recording of all three Op. 1 trios. I just wanted to have a period instrument one as well. I really enjoy hearing Beethoven's music on both period and modern instruments. I just get in the mood for period ensembles sometimes.


Then I am sorry for leading you astray .


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## Mal

"Third ear" has a comprehensive review of the trios, but complete sets of period performances are not mentioned. Immerseel, Beths, and Byslma receive praise for their "Ghost" and "Archduke". Which modern recording do you have? I have the "Archduke" disk by the Stuttgart quartet that, although not period, it is modern enough to have been influenced by period performers, and it's very good, and very inexpensive (Naxos). They have performed the full set on separate disks so it might be worth digging out their performance of Opus 1.


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## IslandResident

Josquin13 said:


> (Interestingly, Haydn thought these trios were too radical to be accepted by the public.)


As I remember reading, Haydn was impressed with them and only had misgivings about the third, recommending that Beethoven delay its publication until the public was ready for it. Needless to say, Beethoven considered it the best one and didn't follow his dedicatee's advice. I'm guessing that Haydn was trying to help Beethoven succeed and Beethoven interpreted this as a too-conservative judgment of his music.


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