Beethoven: Piano Concertos, Vol. 2

Pianist Inon Barnatan, conductor Alan Gilbert and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields complete their cycle of Beethoven piano concertos with this second collection. It contains not only the Second and Fifth Piano Concertos, but also the Choral Fantasy Op. 80, for which the musicians are joined by London Voices and some acclaimed soloists. Even more of a rarity is Beethoven’s own arrangement of his Violin Concerto for piano and orchestra.

Featuring

Alan Gilbert
Inon Barnatan
Amy Lyddon
Lydia Teuscher
Rosie Aldridge
Toby Spence

Benjamin Bevan
Neal Davies
Academy of St Martin in the Fields
London Voices
Ludwig van Beethoven

Did you know?

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Historical Context

Beethoven completed his 'Emperor' Concerto during the 1809 French occupation of Vienna, a period of stress and depression for him, despite some interpreting the work as a response to the military events.

Recording & Production

This album features three of Beethoven's least-often performed concertos: the Second Concerto, the Choral Fantasy, and Beethoven's own piano version of his Violin Concerto.

Composition History

The 'Choral Fantasy' was hurriedly composed by Beethoven as a concluding work for his epic 1808 'Akademie' concert, which also premiered his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies.

Compositional Technique

The 'Choral Fantasy' is a precursor to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, using a theme that would later become part of the main theme of the Ninth Symphony's finale.

Composition History

Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2 was started when he was a teenager, revised in Vienna, and had an entirely new finale written after its 1795 premiere, showing his continued affection for the work.

Compositional Technique

Beethoven's piano arrangement of his Violin Concerto includes a spectacular cadenza for the first movement where the piano is joined by the timpani in a dramatic dialogue.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Beethoven's music caused a "seismic shift" in classical music, demanding bigger instruments, dedicated conductors, and repeated hearings due to its drama, scope, and complexity.