In Essential Beethoven violinist Candida Thompson, cellist Tim Posner and pianist David Kadouch reflect on different periods in Beethoven’s life.
The ‘Archduke’ refers to Archduke Rudolf of Austria, who was not only Beethoven’s friend and patron, but also his piano student. In spite of Beethoven’s poor state of health, the piano trio radiates vitality, intimacy, and joie de vivre. After its première, the composer ceased to perform in public, hindered by his increasing deafness.
Beethoven’s final cello sonata was described at the time as “one of the most unusual and peculiar things that have been written for a long time.” The third violin sonata is a typical work from Beethoven’s early period, when he was still strongly influenced by his predecessors, such as Mozart and Haydn, but he also introduced several of his own stylistic innovations.