Beethoven - Piano Trio, Op. 97 (Archduke Trio)

Year of recording: 1970 Piano: Wilhelm Kempff Violin: Henryk Szeryng Cello: Pierre Fournier Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97, by Ludwig van Beethoven is a piano trio for piano, violin, and cello, finished in 1811. It is commonly referred to as the Archduke Trio, because it was dedicated to Archduke Rudolph of Austria, an amateur pianist who was a friend and composition student of Beethoven. The trio was written late in the composer’s so-called “middle period“. He began composing it in the summer of 1810, and completed it in March 1811. Although the “Archduke Trio“ is sometimes numbered as “No. 7“, the numbering of Beethoven’s twelve piano trios is not standardized, and in other sources the Op. 97 trio may be shown as having a different number, if any. 0:00 Allegro moderato, 4/4 13:20 Scherzo (Allegro), 3/4 25:20 Andante cantabile ma però con moto. Poco piu adagio, D major, 3/4 37:16 Allegro moderato – Presto, 2/4 – 6/8