Piano Trios Nos. 5 - 6, Opus 70 (Beethoven)

Opus 70 is a set of two Piano Trios by Ludwig van Beethoven. They were published in 1809.

Written for piano, violin, and cello. The first, in D major, known as the "Ghost", is one of his best known works in the genre (rivaled only by the "Archduke Trio"). The D major trio features themes found in the second movement of "Beethoven's Symphony No. 2".

These pieces are representative of Beethoven's "Middle" stylistic period, which went from roughly 1803 to 1812, and which included many of his most famous works. Beethoven wrote the two piano trios while spending the summer of 1808 in Heiligenstadt, Vienna, where he had completed his Symphony No. 5 the previous summer. He wrote the two trios immediately after finishing his "Sinfonia pastorale", Symphony No. 6. This was a period of uncertainty in Beethoven's life, in particular because he had no dependable source of income at the time.

After finishing the trios, in the fall of 1808, he began sketching the Choral Fantasy, the work considered to be the "first draft" of the last movement of the famous Symphony No. 9.

Opus 70 No. 1 - Piano Trio No. 5 in D major "Ghost"

* Allegro vivace e con brio
* Largo assai ed espressivo
* Presto

Opus 70 No. 2 - Piano Trio No. 6 in E-flat major

* Poco sostenuto - Allegro, ma non troppo
* Allegretto
* Allegretto, ma non troppo
* Finale. Allegro

The second movement is in double variation form.

External links

*IMSLP2|id=Piano Trio No.5, Op.70 No.1 (Beethoven, Ludwig van)|cname=Piano Trio No. 5|id2=Piano Trio No.6, Op.70 No.2 (Beethoven, Ludwig van)|cname2=Piano Trio No. 6
* [http://cdn3.libsyn.com/gardnermuseum/beethoven_o70n1.mp3 Performance of full trio from media section] from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museumin MP3 format