"Tremate, empi, tremate", trio for soprano, tenor, bass and orchestra op. 116
Listening samples
Text poets
Composition
First months of 1802 to late 1802 or early 1803
From winter 1801 to spring 1803, Beethoven took lessons from Antonio Salieri (the same Salieri who did not kill Mozart). At that time he was already a celebrated instrumental composer in Vienna. Gradually his interest turned to large vocal compositions such as oratorios and operas, for which his skills were not quite so highly developed. Salieri, on the other hand, was famous precisely for his (Italian) operas. His popularity extended far beyond Vienna and was mainly due to his stage works.
Beethoven voluntarily took lessons from the great master to learn the niceties of vocal composition.
The trio Tremate, empi, tremate was written during these lessons. Salieri probably proposed the Italian text. Beethoven had already drafted the piece in early 1802. Originally he intended to perform it at his academy during Holy Week of 1802. The concert did not take place, however, as he could not book the court theatre as planned (he then became angry with its theatre director Peter von Braun). It was not until a year later, on 5 April 1803 that the concert took place. By then Beethoven had completed the trio, as we know from the surviving documents. Nevertheless, it was not performed at this concert, the programme already being filled to overflowing with the First and Second Symphonies, the Third Piano Concerto and the oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives.
The première of the trio finally occurred several years later during a concert on 27 February 1814, together with the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies and Wellington's Victory. The vocal parts were sung by Anna Milder-Hauptmann (Beethoven's first Leonore), Giuseppe Siboni and Carl Weinmüller, who created the role of Rocco in Fidelio. The announcement claimed that Beethoven would perform a 'new' vocal trio never heard before. This was not quite true, as the work had been composed in 1802-03, but it had indeed never been performed and was thus still unknown to the audience. (J.R.)
Beethoven voluntarily took lessons from the great master to learn the niceties of vocal composition.
The trio Tremate, empi, tremate was written during these lessons. Salieri probably proposed the Italian text. Beethoven had already drafted the piece in early 1802. Originally he intended to perform it at his academy during Holy Week of 1802. The concert did not take place, however, as he could not book the court theatre as planned (he then became angry with its theatre director Peter von Braun). It was not until a year later, on 5 April 1803 that the concert took place. By then Beethoven had completed the trio, as we know from the surviving documents. Nevertheless, it was not performed at this concert, the programme already being filled to overflowing with the First and Second Symphonies, the Third Piano Concerto and the oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives.
The première of the trio finally occurred several years later during a concert on 27 February 1814, together with the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies and Wellington's Victory. The vocal parts were sung by Anna Milder-Hauptmann (Beethoven's first Leonore), Giuseppe Siboni and Carl Weinmüller, who created the role of Rocco in Fidelio. The announcement claimed that Beethoven would perform a 'new' vocal trio never heard before. This was not quite true, as the work had been composed in 1802-03, but it had indeed never been performed and was thus still unknown to the audience. (J.R.)
