At a rehearsal for the C major concerto's premiere, the piano was tuned a semitone lower than the wind instruments, forcing Beethoven to transpose his solo part up to C sharp major.
Composition History
Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major was not his first piano concerto; he had written an earlier one in E flat at age 12 or 13, of which only the piano part survives.
Notable Performances
At the first performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3, the piano part was not fully written out, and the page-turner, Ignaz Seyfried, struggled with blank sheets containing only 'unintelligible squiggles'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The Third Piano Concerto, despite Mozartean elements, is thoroughly Beethovenian with its impetuosity, sudden surges of energy, and subtle connections between movements.
Composition History
For the premiere of his C major concerto, Beethoven wrote the finale only two days before the performance, despite being unwell, with copyists working in the next room.
Interpretation
Pianist Ronald Brautigam, experienced in playing these concertos on fortepiano, aims to capture a 'chamber-musical intimacy' in his performances with modern orchestras.
Composition History
Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor underwent a long gestation, with the autograph score showing three different inks representing three stages of composition.
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