Page 7 - UM0038-pianotrio-F-major-Beethoven

The similarities are evident. The introduction, Poco sostenuto, was written down almost completely by the composer. The
phrasing and dynamics are missing, and I added them, taking into account Beethovenꞌs late style. The motif that also keeps
recurring in the march from the Piano Sonata No.28 in A major Opus 101 first occurs here in bars 14, 15 and 16, as well
as in bars 20, 21 and 22. From bar 45 onward, this little motif is elaborated into a march melody, which ultimately leads to
the main theme of the Allegro con brio. These notes where written down completely by the composer. The development
until the transition of bar 72 were sketched by Beethoven, although some notes were missing from the piano score. From
bar 73 onward, the writing becomes less elaborate, with the composer only writing down the essentials. Although the
composer wrote down the second theme, most of the harmonies were added by me, based on comparisons with other
chamber music pieces from the same period. From bar 93 onwards, Beethoven only wrote down the string parts, which
means that the piano to a large extent has to be added. In bar 136, the exposition is repeated, which I based on that bar,
because it clearly indicates a move from there to the beginning of the Allegro con brio. The elaboration in part comes from
other sketchbooks, where it was at times very unclear what was meant for the sonata in A major or for the piano trio. It is
striking that Beethoven works out the little motif that we first encounter in bar 14 in great detail. This is clearly the late
Beethoven that we know from the late piano sonatas and the even later string quartets. In bar 190, we see that the
composer writes long notes in the string parts that harmonise very well with the march theme from the introduction. I felt
that, musically speaking, it made sense and was in line with Beethovenꞌs style to let it recur here as a prelude to the reprise,
exactly like Beethoven did right before the Allegro con brio. Next comes the reprise, in which I have somewhat shortened
the main theme, something we see more often in the late Beethoven, as well as, incidentally, in Franz Schubert. In the
elaboration, the composer has used the motif so often that, as a reprise theme, it has essentially become redundant. Thus,
the elaboration seamlessly transitions into the reprise, where I use all the composerꞌs notes, in this case in accordance with
the rules of the classical sonata for, whereby the second theme ultimately is played in F minor, via A-flat major. In any
reconstruction, the most difficult part is the coda. It could not be too long, but had to have the right atmosphere and
drama. I felt it was a beautiful idea, after all the earlier force, to end in a more subdued manner in sound and expression
and added the coda from bar 272 onward, based on the motif from the main theme and from bar 14. It would match
beautifully with the second part, which would probably have been in D-flat major. Almost no sketches were left of that
second part, or of parts three and four, but based on the extensive first part, we can conclude that Beethoven wanted to
surpass the Piano Trio No.7 in B-flat major Opus 97 in size as well as sound. I think that, even as a piece with one part,
the new piano trio is a beautiful addition to the existing wealth of piano trios that the composer gave us.

Cees Nieuwenhuizen

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