Run Time: Approx. 34 minutes

In the first part of his compositional life, Beethoven diligently studied the works of other masters like Mozart and Haydn. The influence of these classical-era composers is apparent in his earlier music, but shortly after 1800, around his 30th birthday, he began to explore his own more liberal path. His music grew more expansive, he injected more drama, enlarged the orchestra, and began exploring grand humanistic ideas. Sometimes known as Beethoven’s middle period, the years between 1802 and 1812 were extraordinarily productive for the composer, and during this time he produced some of his most famous works including the Eroica (Heroic) Symphony, and the famous Fifth Symphony. The Third Piano Concerto, written in 1803, stems from the early years of this exploration, and showcases some of Beethoven’s first exploration into the grandeur that would come to define his compositional output.

Beethoven selects C-minor for the work, a favorite key of his and one that carries particular weight. Beginning in the Classical Era, certain key centers became associated with specific thematic material; C-minor was often reserved for works of great turbulence and dramatic arc. For Beethoven, the key seems to encompass the depth of human struggle and sorrow, often exuding a particular expressive urgency. Notably, his most famous and turbulent Fifth Symphony also employs this key.

The first movement of the concerto features two diametrically opposed themes. The opening immediately introduces the ominous first theme which increases in insistence throughout the movement until it is finally played by the timpani. The second theme, introduced first by the clarinet, is more serene, a calm answer to the impassioned cries of the opening.

The second movement contrasts the drama of the first with an air of reverence. The piano begins alone with an elegant and understated melody. As with much of Beethoven’s music, the magic is in the harmonies he selects, and with the opening of the second movement, he creates an intimacy that seems to dare the audience to make a sound.

The concerto concludes with a rondo, a lively galloping form typical of the classical concerto. Here, Beethoven returns to C-minor and, like the first movement, alternates between his ominously percolating main theme and episodes of lighthearted, almost humorous music.