The second part of the complete series of piano trios by the TrioVanBeethoven starts out with thePiano Trio No. 7 in B flat major op. 97 (‘Archduke Trio’), one of the most popular and extensive trios by Ludwig van Beethoven. The premiere in 1814 set out to be Beethovens's last public appearance as a pianist, as his growing deafness prevented any further serious performances. Although only published in 1824, Beethoven's work on the so-called ‘Cockatoo Variations’ op. 121a, based on a popular song from the musical comedy Die Schwestern von Prag by composer Wenzel Müller, must have begun around the beginning of the 19th century, thus providing for both early and late stylistic features. The Allegretto for Piano Trio in E flat major Hess 48 on the other hand, having a composition date of 1784, constitutes a truly early work by Beethoven.