On the way to Romanticism

»As a piano trio, we are blessed to be able to play so much Beethoven,« says Wu Qian, pianist of the Sitkovetsky Trio. Their complete recording of all the piano trios is regarded as a new benchmark, achieving “sleepwalking-like assurance with maximum expressiveness”. 

In Beethoven’s music, the trio displays the full range of its artistry. They also demonstrate this special quality in the Triple Concerto: here, the intimacy of chamber music combines with the splendour of the orchestra to form a thrilling whole.

With the »Coriolan« Overture, Beethoven created a genre which, even without knowledge of the narrative source, is understood as a musical drama through the music alone. This genius impressed the young Franz Schubert – yet his Fifth Symphony still defies the great model and displays the joy of experimentation and the wit of a young, aspiring composer. »Truly, a divine spark dwells within Schubert,« Beethoven is said to have later praised his young colleague.