Beethoven - Archduke Trio

So, i know when it comes to composers Beethoven is a relatively 'safe' and un-hip choice, but i was looking for something new to get into and i remembered reading about the Archduke piano trio in Murakami's Kafka On The Shore. That's one of my favourite books of all time, not that i've read many, but the piece plays quite a big part in it.

A certain devil may care type character sort of unexpectedly finds his emotions and spirit opening up after listening to it a few times. He finds himself in a coffee shop thinking about his life and his purpose in it and he hears it on the radio and it just hits him. After he loses his friend he had been journeying with, he puts on the piece and starts crying uncontrollably. I think the author describes it in the book as music that has the power to change people inside.

I remembered all this while i was browsing through CDs and the friendly guy at HMV helped me pick out a recording of this by the Beaux Arts Trio. I popped it in at home and while there was no immediate spiritual enlightenment, i really liked it straight away, or at least pretty quickly compared to other classical works that take tens of listens to click. It has a beauty, in sort of subtle way that creeps up on you slowly but really stirs you and gets you. I mean, and i can't say this without sounding pretentious, i think when you listen to this 'properly', you can't help feeling abit emotional and all thinking-about-your-life, just like in the book.

My favourite out of the four movements so far is still the first one which is in the video above, that little figure that starts on the piano at about 1:49, and repeats.. really sweet.