Beethoven's early piano lessons were harsh, with his alcoholic father often dragging him from bed for impromptu tutorials or performances.
Compositional Technique
In his First Piano Concerto, Beethoven dedicated it to Countess Babette von Keglevics, a gifted blonde pupil he was enamoured with.
Composition History
Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2 was composed before No. 1, but was revised and published after No. 1, leading to its misleading numbering.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven was the first successful, major freelance musician, establishing himself as an independent pianist and composer by the turn of the 19th century.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven's First Piano Concerto opens unusually with a militaristic first theme played pianissimo by the string section, rather than a trumpet call-to-arms.
Performer Biography
Elizabeth Sombart, the pianist on this album, founded Fondation Résonnance in 1988 to bring classical music to hospitals, orphanages, and prisons.
Composer Biography
Mozart, upon hearing a young Beethoven play, predicted his future greatness, saying, 'Watch this lad, Some day, he will force the world to talk of him!'
