Beethoven Today

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31135, 11 August 1966, Page 13

Beethoven Today

This week's lunch-time concert at the University Hall i today will be devoted to ■ music by Beethoven, peri formed by practical students lof the School of Music. Five movements from the Serenade Opus 8 for string ■ trio, written in 1797. will be performed by the Delta Trio, [John Chisholm. Brian Shillitto and Allan Chisholm. The Serenade belongs to the group of early works of up till 1800 that established Beethoven’s reputation as both a genius and an iconoclast. Also belonging to Beethoven’s first period of writing is the Sonata for Horn and Piano, Opus 17. Written for the virtuoso horn player Punto, the work was not completed by Beethoven »until the day before Punto’s scheduled concert. The first movement of this sonata will be performed by Ross Harris, horn, and Dorothy Buchanan, piano. The Piano Sonata Opus 78 will be played by Suzanne Purnell. Belonging to his middle period, it is unusual both in content and form. The nature of the music is predominantly lyrical, (although the second movement shows Beethoven’s characteristic wit and dynamic energy), this mood being created in part by the lyrical and rare key in Beethoven’s music, F sharp major. The two-movement form is the first of its kind in the sonatas and anticipates the great late piano sonata.