Trois trios pour le piano-forte, violon, et violoncelle composés & dediés à Son Altesse Monseigneur le Prince Charles de Lichnowsky. Oeuvre 1re.

Oblong 4to: [4, 2bl.]-65 pp. (no plate number on title (as it should be), sm. rubbing above the 6th bar on the first page sl. touching some musical notes).

Cardboard binding.

Engraved piano part only (violin and cello parts not present here) of this first edition, earliest issue of van Beethoven's very first opus. Beyond question one of the rarest first editions of any work by Beethoven. Only three complete copies can be located and during the last thirty years this publication has been offered only twice in the trade. Trois trios is the earliest composition Beethoven composed in 1794-1795 and considered to be "worthy of publication with an opus number and to proclaim his name" (Thayer). The autograph of these trios is lost and therefore the first edition is the primary source and considered as very important. Opus one was first performed at a private concert in the home of his patron Prince Lichnowsky, at which Beethoven's former teacher, Joseph Haydn, was present. "The trios were played and caused a great stir. Even Haydn said many nice things about them, but advised Beethoven not to publish the third one in C minor. This greatly surprised Beethoven, as he considered it to be the best one, and today it is still the one that is most popular and which is the most effective. So Haydn's remark angered Beethoven and made him think that Haydn was envious, jealous and wanted to do him an injustice. I must admit that when Beethoven told me this I did not believe him. I therefore took the opportunity to ask Haydn himself. His answer did, however, confirm what Beethoven had mentioned, as he said he did not think that this trio would be understood very quickly or easily and that the public would not take to it very well." (Ferdinand Ries, Biographischen Notizen über Ludwig van Beethoven, 1838).
Ref. Dorfmüller p. 207 & 292. - Kinsky-Halm p. 4. - Coll. Hoboken II, 1. - Not in Hirsch.
Bound with, 10 other 18th-c. compositions: 1. Weber, Carl Maria von - Ouverture aus der Oper Der Freyschütze fürs Piano-Forte zu Vier Hände eingerichtet von M.J. Leidesdorf. Vienna, Artaria, s.d. 15 pp. N. 2666. - 2. Rossini, J. - Ouverture für das Piano-Forte auf 4 Hände aus de Oper Die Diebische Elster. Vienna, Artaria, s.d. 23 pp. N. 2586. - 3. Id. - Ouverture für das Piano-Forte auf 4 Hände aus der Oper Othello. Vienna, Artaria, s.d. 19 pp. N. 2592. - 4. Mozart, W.A. - Douze valzes en anglaises. Pour le Forte Piano. 2me suite. Paris, Sieber, 1793. 9 pp. N. 41. - 5. Hummel, J.N. - Partition pour le piano-forte sur un thême original. Op. 76. Vienna, Artaria et Comp., s.d. 15 pp. N. 2491. - 6. Elsner, J. - Piosneczka Fiufiu z komedio opery. Siedm razy ieden. Warsaw, u. Elsnera, [1805]. 3 pp. - 7. Schultz, J.P.A. - Airs détachés de la fée Urgèle. Manuscript. 4 pp. - 8. Arailza, J.R. - Six variations pour la guitarre. Vienna, Joseph Eder, s.d. 3 pp. N. 366. - 9. Mozart, W.A. - Aria der Vogelfanger bin ich ja für das Clavier aus der Zuberflöte. Vienna, Cappi, s.d. 3 pp. - 10. Méhul, E.N. - Joseph und seine Brüder. Terzet. Vienna, Thadé Weigl, s.d. 5 pp. N. 1490.