Beethoven’s Opus 8 String Trio No. 2 is better known as the Serenade in D major. The word “serenade” is perhaps more appropriate to describe the light touch and catchy tunes of the work’s five movements (as well as the consequent lack of musical complexity and depth).
#Beethoven250 Day 89
Serenade in D for String Trio (Opus 8), 1796–97
Members of the WDR Symphony Orchestra perform the Serenade in Cologne.
In his book Beethoven’s Chamber Music in Context, Angus Watson imagines the third movement of Opus 8 as an opera scene:
a dialogue between a fervent lover singing his heart out, only to be forcefully rejected in no uncertain terms (cello chord) by the object of his passion.
The fourth movement of Opus 8 is entitled Allegretto alla Polacca, the Italian word for “Polish,” equivalent to the French “polonaise.” In music the word refers to a type of Polish dance that Chopin later made familiar with a bunch of piano pieces.
The last movement of the Opus 8 Serenade is a theme and variations, but after just four variations, Beethoven introduces an extended coda that then recapitulates the march that opened the Serenade, leading to a rousing crowd-pleasing finale.
#Beethoven250 Day 89
Serenade in D for String Trio (Opus 8), 1796–97
A performance of the Serenade at the Seoul Arts Center.
Here’s Beethoven’s brother Carl explaining how commissions worked: “he who wants a piece pays a fixed sum for its exclusive possession for a half or a whole year, or longer, and binds himself not to give the manuscript to anybody.” After that, Beethoven could publish the work.