 The Trio op. 11 in B flat major, we have recorded in this CD, was composed by Beethoven in 1797. This early chamber work is also mentioned as Klavier-Trio n.4 (following the three Trios op.1 for violin, cello and piano), and it was originally conceived for clarinet (or violin), cello and piano and in some cases it is nowadays performed with the bassoon instead of the cello. It was subtitled Gassenhauer, which in German means popular song. It is concived in the classical sonata form and it is enclosed in three movements - Allegro con brio, Adagio and Allegretto-Allegro - the last of which is developed in the form of theme and variations. The theme Pria chio limpegno is taken from Lamor marinaio by Joseph Weigl and it precedes nine small variations. A Beethoven-style ending concludes the work. It is possible that Beethoven was commissioned this composition by the clarinetist Josef Bähr, a virtuoso of the time. The first and third movements are outlined by a brilliant and playful character, while the central Adagio, almost celebratory, is an excellent vehicle for the cello and the clarinet to highlight their lyric and cantabile characteristcs. The eight pieces for clarinet (or violin), viola (or cello) and piano were composed in 1908 for his son Max Felix, a clarinettist as talented as to be often compared to Richard Mühlfeld. Three of the eight pieces (5, 6, and probably 3) were originally conceived as a quartet with the addition of the harp, before being finally published in 1910 by the publisher Simrock of Berlin in the version we know also nowadays. Interestingly, how the alternative parties with regard to the original Trio have been revised. To cite a few examples, in the piece number 6 the cello accompanies the introduction of the piano with a pizzicato. It is also important to underline that the first printed edition was not error-free, so we do not know exactly which of the differences between the various versions (respectively clarinet / violin and viola / cello) were actually by Bruch. In fact, in addition to the discrepancies of the form, we also note differences in some dynamics and articulations which are almost certainly errors of transcription or printing. Two of the eight miniatures have a title: Rumänische Melodie (number 5), and Nachtgesang (number 6). The eight pieces, all composed in minor Key with the exception of the number 7, are clearly independent of one another and they are often performed separately in concerts. Hence the idea of ??splitting the collection into two parts: in this recording we are proposing Nos. 1, 2, 3, 7 and 5, whereas Nos. 6, 4 and 8 will be available shortly. The Pathétique Trio is a chamber work originally created for quite unusual instrumental combination: clarinet, bassoon and piano. This work had probably been sketched already in 1827, but it saw the light only in 1832, when the composer was in Milan, the city that hosted the first performance in October 1833. The work is published for the first time in 1878, 21 years after Glinkas death, even in the classic version for Klavier-Trio, that is violin, cello and piano, which was certainly a combination that has provided (especially for the time) a larger commercial success than the original version. The Trio is structured in four movements, three of which are connected to each other. The name Pathétique is probably given for the Largo (third movement), in which both the clarinet, in K-major, and the cello, in K-minor, are engaged in exposing a theme (probably representative of the Russian folklore of that time), before meeting in the Maestoso risoluto and give space to the virtuoso passages of the piano. The second movement, the Scherzo, has a brilliant and light character followed by the Trio that acts almost as interlude within the movement. The fourth movement, coincise and essential, recalls the initial and recurring theme of the first one.
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