Beethoven as arranger of himself
In addition to the recordings of all the piano trios, the Swiss Piano Trio offers arrangements of the 2nd Symphony op. 36 and the String Quintet op. 4, which Beethoven probably wrote himself.
Recording all of Beethoven's piano trios is not such a mammoth project as a complete overview of his string quartets or sonatas. However, this instrumentation is good for a few surprises, especially with Beethoven. In addition, the piano part is surprisingly dominant and emancipated from the basso continuo, as Beethoven liked to present himself as a pianist in aristocratic company.
The Swiss piano trio, based in Winterthur, took six years to make its integral recording. All five planned CDs were released by the German label Audite in time for the anniversary year, when the ensemble with pianist Martin Lucas Staub, violinist Angela Golubeva and cellist Joël Marosi surprised everyone with an additional CD.
It is dedicated to two unknown piano trios, which Beethoven most probably arranged himself. The Piano Trio in E flat major op. 63 is based on his String Quintet op. 4, and Beethoven also arranged a version of his successfully premiered Symphony No. 2 in D major for piano trio for domestic use. These two rarities are now documented for the first time as part of a complete CD series.
The recording of the trio version of the 2nd Symphony reveals particularly clearly how well the three musicians know Beethoven by now. The reduction of the large orchestra to three instruments makes the structural originality of the work as if under a magnifying glass. The trio plays the sparse Adagio statics in unison with wonderful calm, only to then play out Beethoven's joy of contrast with brilliant rhythmic homogeneity and dramatic verve.
The Swiss piano trio has conceived the individual CDs with a good sense of dramaturgy; the pieces are not recorded chronologically, but are cleverly coordinated with each other in terms of content. This sophisticated light music reveals a wealth of ideas and surprising twists and turns, which the ensemble knows how to savor in great detail. It plays the early trios with a great deal of esprit, Mozartian slenderness and transparency, but it can also be dramatically gripping and romantically indulgent. The joy of the three performers is infectious.
Beethoven: Complete Works for Piano Trio, Vol. I-V. Swiss Piano Trio. audite 97.692-97.696, available individually.
Plus Vol. VI, arrangement String Quintet op. 4 and Symphony No. 2, audite 97.771
