PROGRAM

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Three Piano Quartets WoO 36

Fortepiano Quartet No.1, E-flat major

Adagio assai

Allegro con spirito

Theme and variations: Cantabile

Fortepiano Quartet No. 2, in D major

Allegro moderato

Andante con moto

Rondo: Allegro

Fortepiano Quartet No.3 in C major

Allegro vivace

Adagio con espressione

Rondo: Allegro 


 

This is an extraordinary and rare opportunity to take a glimpse of the young Beethoven, his unfolding artistic world. Alexander Paley and his collaborators have already presented a comprehensive panorama of Beethoven's chamber music in two concert series "Beethoven's Inventions" and "Beethoven's Testament" at the Organum Hall. The concert "Beethoven. Youth" goes back to the origins of his work, where the attentive listener will hear the first signs of the birth of a genius.

Beethoven's three piano quartets are so early that in the score, instead of a piano, the word "clavecin" is written. They were completed in 1785, when the composer was 14 years old. Nevertheless, they are among Beethoven's most significant early works. He based these piano quartets on Mozart's collection of violin sonatas, published in 1781, and borrowed some of the thematic material from Mozart's violin sonatas, which was common in those days. The three quartets were not published until 1828 in Vienna, and the composer later used their musical material in two piano sonatas. These are the only works Beethoven dedicated to this ensemble - after moving to Vienna, he did not compose any more piano quartets.