Original Finale to String Trio Op. 3, Hess 25 (mp3)
It differs only on a few minor points from the final version. The main differences are: we have here in bars 236 and 237 quarter notes, while the final version has eighth notes and eighth rests; bars 309 and 310 have a different cello part; in bars 362-369 the first note of the main motif is missing in this version.
The structure of this piece is that of a Viennese Rondo, that's to say: A - B - A - C - A - B - A (Coda). The C-section, in C minor (the parallel minor of the main key, E flat) is a passionate fugato, already pointing to Beethoven's middle period. A remarkable moment is the return from to C-section back to the refrain: three big chords announce the conclusion in C minor, yet the C itself is soft and in unison, and while the violin has a pedal point on C, the viola and cello murmur the main motif in f minor. Without a break and therefore totally unexpected the motif is taken over by the violin in its original form and key: the almost tragic mood changes back to the humoristic, teasing mood of the refrain, putting everything that went before in an ironic light.
Opus: 3
Hess: 25