This album is part of a long-term collaboration between Olli Mustonen and Ondine, which includes the recording of all Beethoven Piano Concertos with the Tapiola Sinfonietta.
Interpretation
Olli Mustonen commendably restores the unity of composer and soloist in these recordings by performing in the dual role of soloist and conductor, an ideal shattered after Beethoven could no longer perform his own works.
Historical Context
Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerto was composed during a militant epoch, with sketches for its second movement chronologically close to his drafts for patriotic soldiers' songs related to Austria's declaration of war on Napoleon in 1809.
Composer Biography
Beethoven himself was the soloist for the premiere of his Piano Concerto in G major in March 1807 and repeated it in December 1808, defying his increasing deafness.
Composition History
Beethoven originally intended both Piano Concertos No. 4 and No. 5 for Archduke Rudolph of Austria, his piano and composition student.
Performer Biography
Olli Mustonen, the pianist and conductor on this recording, began his studies in piano, harpsichord, and composition at the age of five in Helsinki.
Compositional Technique
In his Piano Concerto No. 5, Beethoven made the revolutionary decision to exclude a cadenza at the traditional place towards the end of the first movement, noting in his autograph score: 'Do not make a cadenza here.'
