Stringed instrument trio meant to play Beethoven's 2nd 3rd or 8th (10)

I haven't cracked this one yet — but the brilliant team at Fifteensquared have:

An anagram (‘to play’) of TRIO MEANT and E (2nd, 3rd or 8th letter in Beethoven) – we’re not convinced that a marionette could be described as an ‘instrument’  – however Chambers Thesaurus gives ‘instrument’ as a ‘contraption’, ‘device’ or ‘mechanism’ which could just about include a puppet?