Piano Trio No. 5 in D major "Ghost", Op. 70 No. 1

Beethoven's 'Ghost' Trio (1808) owes its nickname to the extraordinary middle movement, a slow movement of such spectral, otherworldly character that commentators immediately associated it with the supernatural. Sketches for the slow movement appear alongside notes for an unwritten opera on Macbeth, and the tremolo-laden pianissimo textures and hollow harmonics indeed evoke the world of witches and apparitions. The outer movements could scarcely be more different: the opening Allegro vivace e con brio is all vital energy and rhythmic drive, while the finale returns to vigorous good humor after the slow movement's darkness. The combination of the work's spiritual depth with its high technical demands and expressive range makes it one of Beethoven's most frequently performed chamber pieces and a cornerstone of the piano trio repertoire.