On 26 August 1804, Beethoven wrote to his publisher: “a concertante with three such concerto parts is surely something new.”
What Beethoven had composed wasn’t a Piano Concerto or a Violin Concerto or a Cello Concerto, but all 3 combined — “something new” — a Triple Concerto.
Beethoven’s Triple Concerto was truly an experiment in form, and perhaps that’s revealed in somewhat less adventurous music and an over-systematic manner of juggling the three soloists. Very often the cello takes the lead, usually followed by the violin, and then the piano.
The highlight of the Triple Concerto is the “Rondo alla Polacca” finale, referring to the same type of Polish dance as the “polonaise” that Beethoven explored in his Opus 8 Serenade (Day 89). In this movement the soloists and orchestra interact more flexibly than previously.
#Beethoven250 Day 184
Triple Concerto in C Major (Opus 56), 1804
The Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra with Gustavo Dudamel, Martha Argerich, Renaud Capucon (@RCapucon), and Gautier Capucon (@GautierCapucon).
As a showcase for three star soloists on piano, violin, and cello, the Triple Concerto can’t be beat. Visually, it’s a thing of wonder.
But it’s also expensive to recruit and pay three star soloists, and perhaps that’s why Beethoven never repeated the experiment.