Donald Satz <[log in to unmask]> writes:

>The piano sonatas, violin sonatas, piano trios, and string quartets cover
>a wide period of Beethoven's composing life.  The string trios just cover
>his early period.  I suspect that if Beethoven had kept writing string
>trios up to and through his maturity, the first three would be much
>better known.

Probably true, but I've also noticed that, once a composer starts writing
quartets, they seldom return to string trios.  Of course, this does not
diminish the worth of Beethoven's string trios.

BTW, if I can get an early plug in, the Culver Chamber Music Series will be
presenting a performance of Beethoven's E flat String Trio Op. 3 on April
1.

Jocelyn Wang
Culver Chamber Music Series
www.bigfoot.com/~CulverMusic