Though the relationship between Beethoven and Archduke Rudolf had its challenges, Beethoven was indebted to him for his unwavering financial support, on which account Beethoven continued to dedicate works to him. The Archduke Trio came to fruition just months after a highly successful premiere of his Battle Symphony (Wellingtons Sieg, Op. It also allows for a more prominent part for the piano than previous compositions. It follows the traditional four movement structure with sonata form in the first and rondo sonata form in the last movement. He sketched out the draft for it in the summer of 1810 and completed the composition in March 1811.

The Archduke Trio was written late in Beethoven's so-called 'middle period'. Beethoven dedicated about a dozen compositions to him. Rudolf was an amateur pianist and a patron, friend, and composition student of Beethoven. It is commonly referred to as the Archduke Trio, because it was dedicated to Archduke Rudolph of Austria, the youngest of twelve children of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. 97, by Ludwig van Beethoven is a piano trio completed in 1811. Sketches for the third and fourth movements of Piano Trio, op. Beethoven in 1815, portrait by Joseph Willibrord Mähler

B flat major 7