The Beethoven Experiment

Two hundred years after his death, Beethoven’s music is still very much alive. He pushed boundaries, sought and found innovation. For instance, he experimented with a new form of the piano trio. He freed the cello from the restrictive confines of the bass line – the ‘amplifier’ of the piano’s left hand – and elevated it, with an independent part, to a musically equal partner of the violin and the piano. Beethoven’s experiment gave the piano trio a new status as a chamber music ensemble and served as a source of inspiration for many generations of composers after him – right up to the present day.

The Brackman Trio is therefore seizing the opportunity of the Beethoven Year 2027 to present Beethoven’s complete piano trio repertoire. Following in the footsteps of the great master, they too are seeking innovation in this endeavour. The central question here is: how do we view Beethoven’s works in the 21st century? They asked composers including Jasper de Bock, Roel van Oosten, Vanessa Lann, Trevor Grahl, Celia Swart and two up-and-coming young talents to each select one of Beethoven’s piano trios and compose a short, contemporary response to it. In a series of four concerts, the Brackman Trio will perform eight of Beethoven’s piano trios and eight contemporary piano trios: two different eras that intersect in The Beethoven Experiment.

Tickets: From € 12,00