Trio for two oboes and English horn in C, Op. 87 – Ludwig van Beethoven

Trio for two oboes and English horn in C, Op. 87 by Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven composed this work for chamber ensemble in 1795 at the age of 25. Beethoven had been living in Vienna for three years by now, and was considered by many to be the ‘successor’ to Mozart. There is evidence that Beethoven had originally planned to return to his birth place of Bonn in Western Germany, however in 1794 the forces of the French Republic had captured Bonn along with other cities along the river Rhine. In 1794, Beethoven’s friend and mentor Joseph Hayden had left for England, partly due to the outbreak of the War of the First Coalition, and partly for employment opportunities.

Despite the loss of his mentor and the unrest in his home city, Beethoven would remain in Vienna and make his public debut in March with a three-day concert including several of his own compositions, a well as a Mozart piano concerto.

This work is in four movements:
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Minuet. Allegro molto. Scherzo – Trio
IV. Finale. Presto