Beethoven’s first three published piano trios, his official Op. 1, were written in 1792 during his time in London. Conceived on an unprecedentedly large scale, the traditional two- or three- movement design of chamber music with piano, expanded to four movements.

Of his subsequent piano trios only the comparatively lightweight Op. 11, and the ‘Ghost’ Op. 70 No. 1 retain the old-fashioned threemovement form. No. 2 forms the expressive high point of the series as a whole. It is a piece whose breadth and serenity are remarkable for the work of so young a composer.

The original edition of the Op. 11 trio included a part for violin as a substitute for the clarinet and the work is being performed here in this alternative scoring. While the wind instrument undeniably provides a perkiness appropriate to the finale’s variation tune, its part lies perfectly comfortably on the violin.