Beethoven's five piano concertos established a new model: the Romantic concerto, which was a type of symphony with an obbligato piano.
Performer Biography
Haochen Zhang won the gold medal at the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven's deafness forced him to retire from performing, which diminished his interest in the concerto form, though he continued to compose for solo piano.
Composition History
During the premiere of his Piano Concerto No. 3, Beethoven, as the soloist, played long passages from memory because he hadn't had time to write them down.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37, is in C minor, a key he favored for 'tormented heroism,' also used in his 'Pathétique' Sonata and Fifth Symphony.
Composition History
The earliest of Beethoven's five 'official' concertos was actually No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19, largely written in 1788 and 1789 while he was still in Bonn.
Notable Performances
Beethoven made his Viennese concert debut with his Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19, in 1795, conducted by Joseph Haydn.
