LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)

PIANO TRIOS

Piano Trio no. 3 in C minor, Op.1, no. 3 *

Allegro con brio 6:32 Andante cantabile con variazioni 8:12 Menuetto 3:22 Finale – Prestissimo 7:19

Piano Trio no. 5 in D major, Op.70, no. 1 **

Allegro vivace con brio 5:24 Largo assai ed espressivo 10:39 Presto 5:56

Piano Trio no. 11 in G major, Op.121a ***(Variationen uber das Lied “Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu”)

“Kakadu Variations” 17:36

Total CD duration: 65:04

Trio Santoliquido: Ornella Puliti Santoliquido (piano)Arrigo Pelliccia (violin)

Massimo Amfiteatrov (cello)

* recorded circa 1942** recorded 21 March 1952*** recorded 16 March 1952

TRIO SANTOLIQUIDOIt is for many reasons that the name of amusician or ensemble may become enshrinedin legend. Today, in 2005, the name of TrioSantoliquido seems to have been largelyforgotten, especially when compared to otherchamber ensembles of the period whoserecordings and concert careers are celebratedby scholars and record collectors worldwide.The reason for this relatively recent neglect(they were for a time highly regarded as aleading chamber music ensemble) may bepartly due to the fact that the trio were notprolific recording artists. It certainly hasnothing to do with their skill andmusicianship, which is of the highest order.

The Trio, based in Rome, was formed in1942, and their recording of the C minor triofrom Beethoven’s op. 1 was probably one oftheir first engagements together. PianistOrnella Puliti Santoliquido was born inFlorence. She studied with Casella andBrugnoli. As a solo pianist she developed asuccessful career with some speed, workingwith many orchestras and top conductors inseveral European countries and the UnitedStates. She performed at the EdinburghFestival, and undertook extensive tours as aconcert pianist in England and Scandinavia.In the early 1950s she was highly regardedand took up a teaching post at the

Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome, wherein 1956 she founded the Quartetto di Roma(Rome Quartet).

Arrigo Pelliccia (violin) was born inViareggio in 1912; d Rome, 20 July 1987).He studied first with his father, then at theconservatory in Bologna and later tookpostgraduate courses with Arrigo Serato atthe Accademia di S Cecilia and with CarlFlesch in Berlin. His concert career began in1931 and he was soon acclaimed as one ofthe brightest young violinists of the youngergeneration, undertaking numerous concerttours. As a soloist, he specialised incontemporary music, and in 1948 he gave theEuropean première of Schoenberg’s ViolinConcerto in Venice. After World War II hedivided his time between leading theorchestra of the Pomeriggi Musicali atMilan, playing with the Trio Santoliquido,the Rome Quartet and the BoccheriniQuintet, and the violin as a soloist with theVirtuosi di Roma, and performing as asoloist on both the violin and the viola,making many appearances abroad. Herecorded Mozart’s duos for violin and violawith Grumiaux, to great acclaim. From 1939to 1959 he taught at the Conservatorio S.Pietro a Majella (Naples), and then at theRome Conservatory.

Cellist Massimo Amfiteatrov was born inParis and moved to Italy while still veryyoung, in order to study with GilbertoCrepax in Milan. During his career heperformed with major orchestras throughoutEurope and the USA, and appeared withOrchestra La Scala as both principal cellistand soloist at the Edinburgh Festival.

BEETHOVEN and the Piano TrioThis is not the place for the composer’s lifehistory, which can be read and researched inmany publications. However I will mentionin passing some of the events of Beethoven’slife which were reflected in hiscompositional style, while not pretending tobe an expert on the subject, nor is this noteintended as an academic treatise. For such,the reader can find countless more learnedwriters.

The Piano Trio emerged in the mid 18thcentury, from the baroque duo and triosonatas. These were generally written with acontinuo part, which could be played on anumber of instruments, especially keyboardsof divers forms. From the time of J S Bach,composers began to emphasise the keyboardrole and to specify it in the instrumentation,providing obbligato sections. Generally thepart still retained much of the continuofunction with many sections written asfigured basses. After being adopted by

Rameau, and others, the form evolved intothe Classical trio once (mainly German)composers began to write out the keyboardpart in full, giving the instrument at leastparity with the strings, and allowing for moresophisticated lines. Haydn, Mozart andBeethoven developed the genre, along withtheir less revered, but often very skilful,contemporaries, also providing richer andfuller writing for the cello, which hadformerly occupied a more subservientsupporting rôle. Now the trio became apredominantly four-movement work, givingit a status and scale equivalent to theclassical symphony or quartet. However, itwas also Beethoven, ever the innovator, whoquickly saw the medium as appropriate toother forms, such as the single-movementOp.121a.

The first published works, and Beethoven’searliest acknowledged masterpieces, theOp.1 trios were published in Vienna in 1795.Beethoven had moved there in about 1794and his first lodging was with the wealthyand influential Prince Lichnowsky.Beethoven studied there with Haydn, and thelatter’s influence was key to Beethoven’searly style. The Op. 1 trios were dedicated tothe composer’s landlord who had alsobecome his leading patron and mentor, andassisted Beethoven greatly in establishing hisearly reputation. The first “official” première

of the works was given at Lichnowsky’shouse in the presence of Haydn; the story isthat though he expressed admiration for thefirst two trios, he advised Beethoven not topromote the third – it has been said that hewarned against publication but the scores hadby that time been printed. In fact Haydn laterconfirmed his misgivings, which Beethovenattributed to jealousy or malice on Haydn’spart. In any event, it was the third trio whichbecame one of his most popular chamberworks.

Despite its early date, the first movement, [1]and especially the mysterious unison openingis, despite the influence of Haydn andperhaps of Mozart , unquestionably that ofBeethoven. The music is full of alternatingemotions, violent sforzandos right from thebeginning and yearning lyricism and pathosbuffeting the listener from the start. Profoundand intense, the music already looks forwardto Beethoven’s later years and marks him asa composer of unique ability and inspiration.The tonal spectrum of the exposition isremarkable; ranging from E flat minor in thestormy transition, then A flat minor and Eflat minor again, in the second of the two‘second subject’ themes. The start of thedevelopment is magical, where the originalpianissimo echo of the main theme movesdown a semitone, spiriting the music to astrange and remote key (C flat major,

enharmonically spelt as B major). The quietopening phrase is reinterpreted as a strenuousfortissimo at the start of the recapitulation.Then, as in a sudden brightening of thecloudy sky, the music slips into C major(with the cello taking the lead, itself unusualin 1795) and then up again into D flat for anew cantabile development of the maintheme.

Beethoven’s slow movement, [2] is a set ofvariations in E flat on a fairly plain andunremarkable, hymn-like theme, and as wasthe tradition for a major key slow movementin a minor-key work, lowers the tensioncreated in the first movement. But this is nogentle relaxing “lift music”: there are manyinventive ideas typical of Beethoven,especially in the lively third variation, withits dramatic sforzando accents and stringpizzicatos; the fourth, in E flat minor, withits cello lament; or the coda, introduced by anew harmonic reconstruction of the maintheme.

The third movement [3] though nominally aminuet, has much of the scherzo about it.The music returns to the home key of Cminor, and also the emotional turmoil of thefirst movement, with its restless pathos,irregular phrase lengths and dynamiccontrasts. In the C major trio section, thecello’s lilting Ländler tune is pushed off-

balance by the irregular accents, giving it arough humorous character. The finale [4] ismarked Prestissimo¸ typical of the brashyoung composer’s expressed desire to be“extreme”; extreme it is with extremelyviolent passages, an almost continuousundercurrent of agitation juxtaposesviolence, suppressed agitation butcontrastingly, a tender, gentle and lyricalsecond subject, in the relative major key of Eflat. The deepness of feeling is emphasised inthe recapitulation, when the theme is given abeautiful, flowing counterpoint on the cello,and returns via C major back into C minor.Beethoven’s desire for “extremity” showsagain in the coda, nearly all playedpianissimo. The tonal structure shifts againand again, shifting to B minor, C minor andF minor, then into C major. This, however, isno heroic or triumphant conclusion, the toneremaining uneasy and ambiguous to the end.

The Op. 1 trios were Beethoven’s debut, sofar as the public were concerned. It was to be13 years before he returned to the medium,composing the Op.70 set in 1808. Originallyintending to write a pair of quartets,Beethoven chose piano trios instead, feelingthat there as a shortage of decent works inthe genre. By this time the composer’sdeafness had been developing for some time(perhaps even since around 1796) and he hadin letters described his growing despondence

and depression as the malady developed. Hisanswer was to throw himself into work. By1803 he was engaged with the EroicaSymphony , the Kreutzer Sonata and othermajor works. After abortive efforts at opera,he started work on Fidelio in 1804,and theensuing few years saw Beethoven working ata frenetic pace, producing (amongst manyother works) the Fifth Symphony, the Massin C, the A major Cello Sonata, and the Sixth(“Pastoral”) Symphony. It was after thecompletion of that symphony that Beethovenwrote, apparently with some ease and in ashort time, the two trios, Op. 70. The workswere premièred in December 1808 at themusical salons of Countess Marie vonErdödy, who was by then Beethoven’slandlady (he seems to have maintained anaptitude for finding suitable and supportivehosts). They were published in Leipzig thefollowing year with a dedication to thecountess, though by then Beethoven hadstormed out of her home after a violentquarrel over a servant.

Unlike Mozart and Haydn, Beethoven hadnot advanced the cause of the keyboard partto the detriment of the strings, and in the Op.70 trios the three instruments are truly equal,all contributing to the ebb and flow, the waxand wane, the fascinating contrapuntalinterplay of the music which represents one

of the crowning glories of the Classicaltradition.

The D major Trio is the only one ofBeethoven’s mature piano trios in threemovements. The opening [5] is immediateand striking, a unison section reminiscent ofthe Op. 1 C minor Trio, exploding into beingand met by a highly charged, dissonant Fnatural high in the cello’s tenor register; thecello then slips back into D major with alyrical melody that passes in turn to violinand piano. The movement as a wholeemploys extreme (that word again!) texturesand dynamics, and is thoroughly volatilethroughout. That F natural returns in therecapitulation, where it leads to a section inB flat major in which the sorrowful cellotheme is expanded to great effect. It is ofmore structural importance to the entirework, as it re-appears also in the finalethough in a very different context.

The work was nicknamed the “Ghost Trio”as a response to the second movement, [6] inD minor and marked Largo assai edespressivo. This is yet another extreme, theslowest of all Beethoven’s slow movements,and in its impressionism, forward-lookingand no doubt to its first audiences, no lessthan weird and puzzling. The material isfragmented, unstable and employs veryunusual (for its day) textures, harmonies and

effects. The music is extraordinary in allrespects, conveying an air of gloom anddespondency, but more: an almost other-worldly, ghostly feel. This may well be dueto the fact that while Beethoven sketched themovement while working on music for aprojected opera on the story of Macbeth. Nodoubt if it had proceeded to completionthose themes may well have formed the heartof the Macbeth Witch Scene!

After this emotionally draining and intensemovement, the finale [7] blows in like abreath of fresh air: here we are clearly backin the everyday world of the living, and ahappy one. The themes of this movement,unlike that of the finale of Op. 1 no. 3, haveno ambiguous undertones, but are gracefuland sunny. Yes, there are hesitations andlittle surprises along the way, but these aregood natured and bring a touch of humour tothe music. This carries away any hint oftrouble which might otherwise be implied bythose odd F naturals, heard in the firstmovement. Here they return to drag themusic briefly into distant keys but now in alightly comical, rather than a worrisome,vein.

Beethoven’s life is now well documented,and it is clear that emotionally it wasturbulent, as he passed from crisis to crisis,and even during his most successful periods

was somehow afflicted, whether by maladyor by relationship breakdowns. The yearsfrom 1808 (the date of the Ghost Trio) to1812 wee particularly distressing for thecomposer. He suffered the collapse of anumber of passionate longings for variouswomen, having had his proposal of marriageturned down more than once; his health wasnot good at all, and he also went through atotal breakdown of his relationship with hisbrother Johann. Beethoven seems to haveconcluded that marriage was not within hisgrasp, perhaps largely because of his habit ofdoting on women already married, or toomany years his junior. His depression againmanifested itself, and for a while his creativeoutput dwindled. However, he had anotherproblem: the lack of money. Despite hispersonal troubles, he set himself on to acareer in the theatres and concert halls,regularly appearing to present his newworks, which again started to appear withregularity. If anything, the period around1814 was the pinnacle of Beethoven’s publiccareer, when he was held in extremely highregard as a performer.

However, returning depression and a steadyworsening of his deafness conspired to bringan end to this phase, and he was obliged togive up solo piano concert performances. By1818, Beethoven was out of favour, out oftouch with the current musical fashions in

Vienna, and practically stone deaf. It is atribute above all to his perseverance anddetermination that the latter period of his lifeproduced such immense masterworks as theNinth Symphony and the HammerklavierSonata, to mention but two.

Beethoven’s first known work had been a setof variations, and he employed the genrethroughout his life, both in major sets such asthe Diabelli Variations, in other chamber andinstrumental works, and within the structureof some of the symphonies. The trio, Op.121a, or "Kakadu" Variations, [8] as ourfinal piece is nicknamed, was composedaround 1803 during the composer's earlyperiod, but was revised in 1816. The worktakes its name and basic theme from the song“Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu” (“I am thetailor cockatoo”) from the light opera DieSchwestern von Prag (The Sisters fromPrague), first performed in 1794 and whichapparently was very popular for a time. Itwas composed by Werzel Müller (1767-1835), a figure so completely forgottennowadays that current record cataloguescontain not one of his compositions.

The work represents an excellent example ofthe humour often found in Beethoven'creations. Moreover, it provides ampleevidence that Beethoven could, whennecessary, draw the most magnificent and

deeply felt music from lacklustre or trivialmaterial. The "Kakadu" Variations are agenuine, if minor, masterpiece, and theirstatus confirmed by inclusion in the ranks ofBeethoven’s piano trio series as number 11.

To set off the humour of the naïve theme andvariations, Beethoven wrote a slow, serious,and profound introduction; this lengthyAdagio in 4/4 time and in the tonic minorintroducing segments of the theme. Oncethe theme proper is introduced withthe change to a 2/4 Allegretto, theeleven variations then feature all threeinstruments in virtuoso roles, both solo andin combination, alternating betweendelightfully brilliant displays and highlyacademic sections of contrapuntal mastery.

Variation I is for the piano solo; the theme ispresented in elaborate figuration over adotted rhythm in the left hand. The violinjoins for the second variation playing thetheme lightly over an arpeggiated andchordal piano accompaniment. The sweetlygentle third variation is for the cello andpiano. Variation IV starts with the theme inthe piano, but the strings playing in sixthssoon take over. For the fifth Variation, thethree instruments engage in a soft and sweetcanon. Variation VI hides the theme in thepiano figuration as the strings providesporadic, single-note commentaries. A

graceful duet for the strings alone makes upthe next variation; marked delicatamente, thetheme is dealt with in canonic fashion. Overa staccato accompaniment, the pianoalternates with the string duet in the handlingof the theme for Variation VIII. An adagioespressivo in the minor key momentarilydispels the lightness of the proceedings; inthis variation, the theme is elongated andplayed in a canon at the seventh. Thejocularity of the piece returns with the Prestotenth variation; as the metre changes to 6/8,the theme is now heard in the piano intriplets, with the strings alternating betweenunison statements and harmonisations insixths, with some fugal treatment addingcontrapuntal interest. The last variationprovides an extended finale for the work; itbegins with a highly contrapuntal duet forstrings, with the piano promptly adding itsdiscourse, and bringing the work to animpetuous and effective virtuoso conclusion.

Notes © 2005, Stephen Sutton

TECHNICAL NOTEThe original recordings were made byDeutsche Grammophon GmbH. The Op.1trio dates from 1942 and it is a tribute to bothperformers and technical personnel that sucha fine recording was made at the height ofwar. The record labels carry the inscription“manufactured under media control of the

military government”. We had hoped to beable to reproduce that historically interestinglabel but permission was refused byUniversal.

Andrew Rose, transfer engineer, writes:“This CD includes recordings from bothshellac and vinyl, and it is perhaps ironic thatthe latter gave me more trouble than theformer. When I first heard the 78s Imarvelled at the sound quality – certainlythere was a high level of hiss, but the qualityof the recording and discs was otherwisewonderful. Those German audio engineers ofthe thirties and forties really knew what theywere doing! The vinyl, despite having twoexcellent copies to work from, provided anumber of challenges. Tape edits wereapparent throughout, with often a clear lossof treble frequencies, and during the KakaduVariations a large portion of the music wasactually pitched flat by comparison to therest of the recording. These faults have allbeen digitally rectified. But I am eternallygrateful to Expert Stylus Ltd. for supplyingme with their newly developed Paraglidestylus (specially fitted in a Benz Glidermoving coil cartridge), which enabled me toget the best sound quality possible fromthese very early vinyl recordings.”

References:“Ludwig van Beethoven”: Joseph Kerman,Alan Tyson and Scott G. Burnham“Arrigo Pellicia”: Piero Rattalino,both from Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy(Accessed 9 February 2005)http://www.grovemusic.com

A Pristine Audio restoration by AndrewRose.Booklet design: Divine ArtPrint preparation: Blake Printers Ltd.With thanks to Andreas Boyde for help in thecompilation of the notes.

© Divine Art Limited 2005

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Trio Santoliquido

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