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Ludwig van Beethoven 1770-1827
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58

Beethoven composed the Fourth Piano Concerto concurrently with the Fifth Symphony, and the first movement of the Concerto shares with the Symphony the same upbeat rhythmic figure, although in a very different mood. The premiere, at a private subscription concert, took place in March 1807 together with the premiere of the Fourth Symphony and the Overture to Coriolan. It was, however, at the historic Beethoven-Konzert of Dec. 22, 1808

that the general public first heard the G-major Concerto, with Beethoven wearing two hats, as conductor and soloist. This was one of those typical monster concerts of the period at which the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, the Concert Aria “Ah Perfido” and the Choral Fantasia were also premiered. True to Beethoven’s form, the orchestra was poorly and hastily rehearsed; many of the orchestral parts were not yet ready; Beethoven quarreled with the musicians; and the hall was freezing cold. As deafness descended on him, it was also his last performance as a soloist.

With the composition of the G-major Concerto in 1806, Beethoven broke important new ground. The standard concerto form at the time consisted of the so-called double exposition, in which the orchestra plays the dual role of introducing much of the thematic material of the movement as well as building up tension and expectation for the entrance of the soloist. But the Fourth Piano Concerto opens with the soloist – briefly but significantly – stating the main thematic and rhythmic motive that drives the movement. The orchestra then takes up its traditional role but starts off by offering a response to the piano in a distant key. Thus begins a remarkably complex work in which the two forces continually engage in a true musical dialogue.

The second movement has recently engendered quite a bit of musicological controversy. The conversation between soloist and orchestra of the first movement escalates into an argument. The orchestra's demanding fortissimo, answered by the piano's gentle, almost pleading response, has been associated with the legend of Orpheus's taming of the wild beasts or even his confrontation with the forces of death to recover his dead Eurydice. The ease with which this program can be applied to the movement has led some scholars to suggest that it might have originated with Beethoven himself, although there is certainly no documentary evidence for the association.

By the time the finale opens, the mood has cleared, and soloist and orchestra return to their conversation in a cheery rondo. Again, Beethoven alters the typical structure by beginning this movement with the orchestra, rather than the soloist. The two occasionally interrupt each other. And at times, the orchestra "mumbles" a commentary, reiterating the opening rhythmic pattern, as the piano performs its fanciful elaborations.

Audiences did not take to the Fourth Concerto at first, preferring the more conventional Third or more dramatic Fifth. It fell into neglect until Mendelssohn revived it in 1836, performing it frequently thereafter. It became a favorite of famed pianist Clara Schumann, who played it throughout Europe and also wrote cadenzas for it.

Ludwig van Beethoven 1770-1827
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58

Beethoven composed the Fourth Piano Concerto concurrently with the Fifth Symphony, and the first movement of the Concerto shares with the Symphony the same upbeat rhythmic figure, although in a very different mood. The premiere, at a private subscription concert, took place in March 1807 together with the premiere of the Fourth Symphony and the Overture to Coriolan. It was, however, at the historic Beethoven-Konzert of Dec. 22, 1808

that the general public first heard the G-major Concerto, with Beethoven wearing two hats, as conductor and soloist. This was one of those typical monster concerts of the period at which the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, the Concert Aria “Ah Perfido” and the Choral Fantasia were also premiered. True to Beethoven’s form, the orchestra was poorly and hastily rehearsed; many of the orchestral parts were not yet ready; Beethoven quarreled with the musicians; and the hall was freezing cold. As deafness descended on him, it was also his last performance as a soloist.

With the composition of the G-major Concerto in 1806, Beethoven broke important new ground. The standard concerto form at the time consisted of the so-called double exposition, in which the orchestra plays the dual role of introducing much of the thematic material of the movement as well as building up tension and expectation for the entrance of the soloist. But the Fourth Piano Concerto opens with the soloist – briefly but significantly – stating the main thematic and rhythmic motive that drives the movement. The orchestra then takes up its traditional role but starts off by offering a response to the piano in a distant key. Thus begins a remarkably complex work in which the two forces continually engage in a true musical dialogue.

The second movement has recently engendered quite a bit of musicological controversy. The conversation between soloist and orchestra of the first movement escalates into an argument. The orchestra's demanding fortissimo, answered by the piano's gentle, almost pleading response, has been associated with the legend of Orpheus's taming of the wild beasts or even his confrontation with the forces of death to recover his dead Eurydice. The ease with which this program can be applied to the movement has led some scholars to suggest that it might have originated with Beethoven himself, although there is certainly no documentary evidence for the association.

By the time the finale opens, the mood has cleared, and soloist and orchestra return to their conversation in a cheery rondo. Again, Beethoven alters the typical structure by beginning this movement with the orchestra, rather than the soloist. The two occasionally interrupt each other. And at times, the orchestra "mumbles" a commentary, reiterating the opening rhythmic pattern, as the piano performs its fanciful elaborations.

Audiences did not take to the Fourth Concerto at first, preferring the more conventional Third or more dramatic Fifth. It fell into neglect until Mendelssohn revived it in 1836, performing it frequently thereafter. It became a favorite of famed pianist Clara Schumann, who played it throughout Europe and also wrote cadenzas for it.