It was Beethoven’s first, and only, concerto in a minor key and it set him on an original,
creative path in which his piano style was less ornate and more varied, dynamic,
muscular and emotional.
The first movement, Allegro con brio, uses vigorous masculine tonalities while the
second subject is in lyrical mood. The second movement, Largo, opens with a piano solo,
and is in a mood of repose. The final movement, Rondo – allegro is somewhat lighter in
mood than the first movement and ends in C major.
No. 4 in G major opus 58
Beethoven completed this concerto in 1806 and premièred it as soloist at the Theater an
der Wien on 22 December 1808. He attempted to present the concerto earlier but could
not find a pianist to play it. Beethoven dedicated it to his patron, pupil and friend
Archduke Rudolph to whom he dedicated his Emperor concerto and a number of other
masterpieces.
In the first movement, Allegro moderato, Beethoven opens with the piano on its own, an
unprecedented procedure. The second movement, Andante con moto, is Beethoven at his
most emotional and involves a dialogue between the piano and the orchestra. The third
movement, Rondo – vivace, uses dance rhythms and is in a cheerful and optimistric mood.
No. 5 in E flat major opus 73 ‘Emperor’
Beethoven completed this concerto in 1809 at about the same time as his Appassionata
Sonata opus 57. Its powerful themes and heroic moods account, no doubt, for the
nickname ‘Emperor’, which was not by Beethoven but probably by his friend, the
composer John Baptist Cramer.
The first performance took place in Leipzig in 1811 when the young church organist
Friedrich Schneider was the soloist. Beethoven’s pupil and friend Carl Czerny gave the
first performance in Vienna in February 1812. By this time Beethoven’s increasing
deafness prevented him from giving any kind of public performance.
The first movement, Allegro, starts with a piano introduction followed by a lengthy
orchestral statement before the piano and orchestra combine. The slow movement,
Adagio un poco mosso, introduces a mood of serenity and leads directly into the last
movement, Rondo - allegro, which is based on a powerfully rhythmic theme and a more
tender second subject.
BERMAN
A number of extracts from Boris Berman’s book ‘Notes from the Pianist’s Bench’
(Penguin Books, 2000) are set out, in slightly edited form:
‘Chapter 1 – Sound and Touch