“Short in stature, broad in the shoulders, short neck, large head, round nose, dark brown complexion; he always bent forward slightly when he walked. In the house he was called The Spaniard, even as a boy.” — a description of Beethoven (from Barry Cooper, Beethoven, p. 29)
Beethoven’s four-movement Trio for Two Oboes and English Horn is a double-reed extravaganza. It was probably composed sometime around 1795, but later published in 1806 as Opus 87 — one of those numerous early Beethoven works that have deceptively high opus numbers.
#Beethoven250 Day 49
Trio for Two Oboes and English Horn (Opus 87), 1795?
Judging from YouTube videos, camcorders and phones do not record well the sound of the two oboes and English horn of Beethoven’s Opus 87 Trio. The following performance by Estonian musicians is one of the best, although the four movements are separated into four videos.
The second movement Adagio. The English horn (in the center) is about 50% longer than the oboe and consequently sounds a fifth lower.
With all the repeats, the third movement Minuet and Trio has the structure AABBCCDDABE, where C and D constitute the Trio part and E is a Coda.
At the end of the fourth movement Presto finale, the camera reveals the audience of 17 lucky people.
Two oboes and an English horn might seem like an odd combination of instruments, but according to Wikipedia, apparently Beethoven was following the lead of Johann Went, who wrote several works for this peculiar ensemble around 1790 and seems to have to have started a minor fad.
Even during Beethoven’s lifetime, the Opus 87 Trio was frequently transcribed for other combinations of instruments, including a String Trio arrangement that Beethoven probably approved. Search YouTube for Beethoven Opus 87 for other ensembles.
#Beethoven250 Day 49
Trio for Two Oboes and English Horn (Opus 87), 1795?
Six cellos from a Seoul National University ensemble play the final three movements of the Trio.