Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 5 & 0

Featuring

Boris Giltburg
Vasily Petrenko
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Ludwig van Beethoven

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Critical Reception

The premiere of the 'Emperor' Concerto in Leipzig in 1811 was a great success, with one reviewer noting the audience's enthusiastic response.

Compositional Technique

The 'Emperor' Concerto's second movement, in the unexpected key of B major, was later copied in its structure by Grieg for the second movement of his Piano Concerto.

Compositional Technique

The 'Emperor' Concerto's first movement radically departs from tradition by opening with written-out cadenzas in the piano part, rather than placing them at the end of the movement.

Interpretation

For the recording of Piano Concerto No. 0, WoO 4, pianist Boris Giltburg chose to perform it as a concerto without orchestra, using only Beethoven's original piano reduction.

Composer Biography

The two concertos on this album were composed by Beethoven at very different stages of his life: one at age 13 and the other at age 38.

Composition History

Beethoven's early Piano Concerto No. 0, WoO 4, was likely composed for him to perform at the electoral court in his native Bonn, where he was employed.

Historical Context

During the composition of the 'Emperor' Concerto, Beethoven experienced the bombardment of Vienna by the French army and hid in a basement to protect his hearing.