Beethoven: String Trio, Op. 3; Serenade, Op. 8 (2006)

It could be argued that the String Trio, Op. 3, and the Serenade, Op. 8 (along with the String Quintet, Op. 4), were for Beethoven little more than a laboratory for experimenting with combinations of string instruments before his eventual triumphant foray into the string quartet with Op. 18. The similarities between Op. 3 and Mozart's String Trio (Divertimento) K. 563, would lend support for this perspective. However, the string trios are in no way student works or any less important than Beethoven's extensive development ... Read More

It could be argued that the String Trio, Op. 3, and the Serenade, Op. 8 (along with the String Quintet, Op. 4), were for Beethoven little more than a laboratory for experimenting with combinations of string instruments before his eventual triumphant foray into the string quartet with Op. 18. The similarities between Op. 3 and Mozart's String Trio (Divertimento) K. 563, would lend support for this perspective. However, the string trios are in no way student works or any less important than Beethoven's extensive development of the string quartet. The two compositions heard here are a wonderful example of the exuberance of Beethoven's early writing. Although the violin is clearly favored for most of the melodic work, the viola and cello are still given plenty of intricate work, already pushing the envelope of convention.The trio of Attila Falvay (violin), Janos Fejervari (viola), and Gyorgy Eder (cello) does a fantastic job of representing the energy and vitality of these works. Not only are each of these... Read Less