The Triple Concerto in C major, op. 56, for piano, violin, cello and orchestra is Beethoven's only concerto for three solo instruments.
Written around 1804, Beethoven dedicated the concerto to his patron Prince Lobkowitz. He performed it for him for the first time in the spring of 1804, together with his third Symphony, op. 55, in a private setting. The soloists were Beethoven himself at the piano and two members of the princely orchestra, Anton Wranitzky (violin) and Anton Kraft (cello). This gave the art-loving patron Lobkowitz the pleasure of hearing two new works, and Beethoven had the opportunity to further revise the work before it was printed (1807). The first public performance of the concerto took place in May 1808 at an “Augartenkonzert“ in Vienna.
The Triple Concerto can be defined as a mixture of solo concerto, chamber music and symphony – Beethoven began here to rethink the traditional concerto form. Characteristic are the unusual length of the movements and the prominent role of the cello, which is why it is often referred to as Beethoven's secret cello concerto. The three-movement concerto opens with a majestic Allegro. After a recitative-like orchestral introduction, the three soloists enter into a virtuoso dialogue. In the slow second movement, the warm, singing tone of the cello takes the lead. The accompaniment of the solo instruments by only a few instrumental groups gives the lyrical movement an almost chamber music-like character. The concerto ends with a Rondo alla Polacca and then a triumphant finale.
The joint edition from G. Henle Verlag and Breitkopf & Härtel presents an Urtext based on the score of the new Beethoven Complete Edition. The editor's preface provides information about the somewhat difficult source situation of the concerto, a work that is now part of the standard repertoire of every symphony orchestra.