String Trio in D major Op.9 No.2 (1797-98)

The String Trio in D major could well have been written, at least in part, some time before its Op.9 companions. Shorter and less ambitious than the other two, it was probably placed between them on the publication of the set in 1798 to offset their more developed structures and more assertive personalities. Its intrinsic value, on the other hand, as a rare revelation of Beethoven in a relaxed frame of mind, should not be underestimated. The first movement, which begins quietly and proceeds at a comparatively leisurely Allegretto pace, is particularly interesting in this respect. Unusually, the first and second subject are not presented as a dynamic contrast - indeed they have several melodic elements in common - which means that, with the exception of the occasional subtly disturbing minor harmony, the most striking event in the exposition is the closing theme introduced by unaccompanied viola in the apparent intention of initiating a fugue. In fact, in a movement generally modest in contrapuntal elaboration, the fugal episode never happens.

The Andante quasi allegretto has more to say than its apparently non-committal tempo heading might lead one to expect. While it is not one of Beethoven’s most expressive slow movements, it is a touchingly intimate inspiration. The hesitant opening theme in D minor sets in relief a lovely sustained melody heard first on violin over a pizzicato cello and undulating viola accompaniment, then most eloquently on the A-string of the cello, then on violin and viola in octaves. Development comes as a brooding afterthought.

The one minuet in the Op.9 set - the other two third movements are both scherzos - is a characteristically brisk late example of its kind, with a diverting trio section based on a witty treatment of a two-note theme. Wit is a prominent feature also of the closing Allegro, above all in the teasingly prolonged approach to the first recall of the rondo theme in the high cello register where it first appeared and where it always sounds at its debonair best.