Discover the haunting beauty of Beethoven's "Ghost" Piano Trio , Op. 70 No. 1

Beethoven's Piano Trio in D, Op.70 Nº 1 also known as the "Ghost” Piano trio, was written in 1808 during the highly productive Middle period for Beethoven. Around the same time, he was also working on other major works, including the monumental Fifth and Sixth Symphonies.

Composer Carl Czerny

The name GHOST was given by Beethoven’s famous student, composer Carl Czerny, who wrote that the slow movement of this piano trio always reminded him of the appearance of Banquo's ghost in Shakespeare's Macbeth. Czerny was close; there’re evidence from pages of Beethoven's notebook suggesting that the composer was discussing an opera of Shakespeare's Macbeth with the playwright Heinrich von Collin at the time.

The word "Macbett" even appears on the sketch for the slow movement of this piece. The "Ghost" movement was possibly meant for a scene of the three Witches.

The "Ghost" Trio's slow movement opens with eerie, sustained notes in the strings, answered mournfully by the piano. This alternating pattern sets a dark, ominous tone.The movement ends with gripping pauses and a abrupt stop.

To set off the "Ghost" movement further, Beethoven made the outer movements shorter and more direct. The first movement starts vigorously, presenting the main theme early, while the third movement provides bright, serene relief, flowing seamlessly to the end.