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Beethoven's Piano Trio in E flat opus 38, is one of the few instances of an arrangement of an original work by Beethoven himself. It's based on Beethoven's earlier Septet, and is a mark of gratitude by the composer to the Viennese physician Johann Adam Schmidt. Beethoven had been consulting Schmidt since about 1801 with various complaints, principally his increasing deafness.

Due to its dedicatee, the Trio was intended to be performed in the domestic circle of the Schmidt household. The original virtuosic writing within the string parts in the Septet, therefore were allotted by Beethoven to the piano part in the Trio.