The title of this article references George Zukerman’s last appearance in the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium in April 2022 when he emceed a concert with that name. The Gryphon Trio will open their program on Friday, November 14, with a trio by the very young Ludwig van Beethoven.
Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 1, No. 3, came from the pen of the 22-year-old composer. Being catalogued under Opus 1 means that it came from the very beginning of his career. Beethoven had composed some things earlier, but none ranked sufficiently high in his estimation that he wanted his career to be defined by them. By designating these three piano trios as Opus 1, he was making a statement—this is my work, and they are now a part of my legacy.
When the three trios of Opus 1 were played at the palace of Count Lichnowsky in 1793, Beethoven was still very much a product of the classical era defined by Haydn and Mozart. However, there were already signs that he was beginning to break with the structures of the past. In fact, Haydn warned him not to publish them because of the criticism he could expect to receive. Beethoven would have none of it.
It turns out that both Haydn and Beethoven were right. Beethoven did, in fact, become the object of much criticism for the rest of his life. But when these trios were published two years later, they were eagerly bought by the public.
Cellist Roman Borys talks to Doug Gardham on his podcast Better Than Not about this piece and many other fascinating topics in a wide-ranging interview. If you click on the link below, you can hear him talk about his early life, how the trio came together, a discussion of the concert pieces, and an amazing review of the many other projects that he and the trio are involved in.
Tickets for this program are available online at www.valleyconcertsociety.com at $32 for adults and $20 for students. For more information, call 604-289-3377.
John Wiebe - President
The Valley Concert Society