This album was recorded in two sessions in 2005 at the National Concert Hall in Budapest, with Concertos 1-3 recorded in June and 4-5 in November.
Composer Biography
Beethoven grew up in the shadow of two formidable figures: Mozart, with whom he hoped to study, and Haydn, who had not yet written his most famous works.
Composer Biography
Beethoven stopped composing piano concertos in 1809 because he was too deaf to play in public anymore, last attempting to do so in 1814.
Composition History
The confusing numbering of Beethoven's first two piano concertos comes from their publication dates rather than their composition dates.
Historical Context
Beethoven composed his Piano Concerto No. 5, known as the 'Emperor' Concerto, in 1809 while Napoleon was laying siege to Vienna.
Composer Biography
Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1770 and received training that allowed him to play the complete Well-tempered clavier in his early teens.
