Please join us for an afternoon in the historic Richardson Building for Beethoven – Early and Late, a “Conversation among Friends” sampler of Ludwig van Beethoven’s musical styles from the earliest to the latest presented by the Essex Piano Trio, a regionally recognized trio whose members are all from Essex County Massachusetts.

Since their inaugural concerts in 2017, the Essex Piano Trio (EPT) has explored the creative genius of Ludwig van Beethoven, playing most of his trios for this ensemble, as well as his unique Triple Concerto for Piano Trio and Orchestra. Of several scheduled performances of Beethoven’s three Opus 1 trios, EPT played only one concert (in Rhode Island) before the pandemic shut down in March 2020. In October of that long, quarantine year, the trio was fortunate to have a safe space for rehearsal and was able to make and post online an “in-studio” recording of these trios to mark the special Beethoven 250th birthday year.

Because their Thomas Crane Public Library performance was one of the ‘casualties’ of the pandemic, the Essex Piano Trio – now for several seasons a favorite guest ensemble at The Crane – will finally deliver an all-Beethoven concert to the Library.

This concert is a sampler of Beethoven’s musical styles from the earliest to his latest works. Although all the music was written by the same composer during a span of just two decades, there is a great deal of musical variety in the program. First, EPT will play two movements from Beethoven’s Piano Trio, Op. 1, No. 1, first performed in 1794 with the composer at the piano when he was only 24 years old. The elegant “Adagio” movement is a tribute to Mozart and the humorous “Finale” to Haydn, both of whom were mentors to the emerging musical genius.

At the heart of the program is the complete four-movement Archduke Trio, Op. 97 of 1811, one of the most spectacular trios of all time, written when the composer was completely deaf. Despite Beethoven’s physical and emotional condition at this point in his life, this music is amazingly optimistic and totally without bitterness. Beginning with a bold and beautiful allegro opening, the trio moves to a brilliant and playful scherzo movement. The prayerful variations of the third movement transition without pause into a rollicking, joyful finale. The concert closes with Beethoven’s final work for this instrumentation, a gentle, one-movement Trio in B flat, Wo39, written in 1812 as a birthday gift for a friend.

The Richardson Building seats a maximum of 100 and on some occasions we do have to turn people away when that capacity is reached. We recommend planning ahead and leaving time for parking, which can be tricky in Quincy Center. On Sundays, if the Library parking lot is full, there is overflow parking available in front of the Coddington Building, across the street from the Library on Coddington Street. Doors open 15 minutes before the start of the performance. If you'd prefer to watch from home, the event will also be LIVESTREAMED to our YouTube channel and recorded and aired at a later date on QATV.

This program is made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library. Click here to find out more about their work and how you can get involved.