Piano Concerto No. 4 (Beethoven)

The Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op 58 is a piano concerto by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Formation

The 4th piano concerto was written in between 1805 and 1806. Was first performed publicly in March 1807 in Vienna at a semi-private concert at the Palais Lobkowitz and on December 22, 1808 Beethoven as soloist at the Theater an der Wien. The Piano Concerto was on this day on the one academy, in which also the 5th symphony, the Symphony No. 6, parts of the Mass in C major, Op 86, and the Choral Fantasy premiered program. Beethoven dedicated his Op 58 Archduke Rudolph.

Together with the Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major work by Beethoven is this important contribution to the genre of the piano concerto dar. In this work, Beethoven established new ideological and artistic qualities. The in musicology much discussed merger between Symphony and Piano Concerto for the so-called symphonic piano concert will take place here a beginning. The Symphony Orchestra Beethoven extends the previously differentiated form of the solo concerto to the symphonic aspect. For the first time in Beethoven's solo concerts are also the three contrasting movements content a unit. Lyrical and idyllic thoughts are in the foreground of the work.

About the Music

1st movement: Allegro moderato

• 1st movement: Allegro moderato / i? Sorry, but your browser either has JavaScript disabled or not supported playback software. You can download the clip or download a software player to play the clip in the browser.

At the beginning of the sentence is a theme by Beethoven delicate and lyrical beauty. With quiet G- major chords in the piano - volume set will be opened by the piano. This Allegro introduces himself with a melodic theme, which is a kind of rhythmic backbone for the rest of the sentence simultaneously. The quiet trembling, presented in eighths chords make the set as it were preceded by a motto. A relationship with the " fate motif" from his Symphony No. 5, Op 67 can not be dismissed out of hand. After this introduction, the orchestra begins with the exposure. The topic will be conducted according to B major, developed and modulates back to the original key of G major. Only after the solo instrument continues. The following second theme looks mysterious and is of a floating character. First, the subject is presented in A minor, but then heard raised triumphantly in C major. Only in connection with the forward-moving main theme reveals itself triumphantly by the strength of this second theme. It develops below a virtuoso guided dialogue between the orchestra and the soloists. Here, several small, new themes develop. Especially in the center puts a double whammy melody in the treble of the piano. This ornamented with trills B flat major theme appears throughout the set to even more frequently. In triumphant interaction of the pianist with the orchestra, the soloist expressive figuration, dazzling trills to cope with massive chords and chromatic scales. Beethoven provides two cadenzas for selection for this concert. The Beethoven preferred cadence is thematic and developed their virtuosity through to the end. The second cadence, called " Triolenkadenz " is preferred example of the great Italian pianist Maurizio Pollini. The pianist is free, which of the two cadenzas he chooses.

The cadenza is followed by a final lyrical section with a quote from the main theme, before the huge set is a brilliant conclusion by the orchestra.

2nd movement: Andante con moto

• 2nd and 3rd movement: Andante con moto - Rondo ( Vivace ) / i? Sorry, but your browser either has JavaScript disabled or not supported playback software. You can download the clip or download a software player to play the clip in the browser.

The middle movement is in this concert of great thematic importance. The choice of the relative minor E minor again illustrates the close thematic connections of the second set in the overall structure. According to friends of Beethoven, the set was inspired by the Orpheus myth. The singer of love conquers where the dark forces of the underworld. This conflict is represented by Beethoven by the two principles with which he describes the dialectic of his work. A very dark, march -like unison theme is preliminarily presented by the orchestra. Answer it is from an intimate to peace pleading legato theme of the piano. It creates a dialogue during which both " sides " no less than eleven ever shorter arguments present. Here there will be a counter-movement of both topics. During the self-conscious orchestra is always tentative, quieter and shorter in his statements, wins the intimate piano theme of self-awareness. The seemingly invincible motive of the powers of darkness is losing the fight against the singer of love ( Orpheus ). An elementary erupting Piano storm ended the ever timid expectant, dark border motif in the strings and finally sealed the victory of Love theme.

3rd movement: Rondo vivace

The Rondo, which decides the concert in the home key of G major, is of a cheerful character. First, the main theme of dance samples in the subdominant C major slow. This timidity, however, is only of short duration. The solo piano now carries the theme before in his entire hilarity and the D -major intermediate topic can then fully develop. It is supported and developed by a contrasting dotted vote against. After a few sequences of the various parts of sentences (see Rondo ) also includes this sentence with a cadence. This consists of improvisations, which Beethoven wrote. According to a recent modification of the rondo theme of the movement ends with a typical beethoven, brilliant Presto stretta.

The concert in the complete works of Beethoven

Suggests the G Major Concerto, as well as his later E-flat major Concerto, bridges for subsequent era of Romanticism. It originated in Beethoven's most productive creative period. The concert was composed in that middle period in the company of works such as the 5th and 6th Symphony, the Violin Concerto op 61 famous piano sonatas ( " Waldstein " op 53 or " Appassionata " Op 57) and important chamber music.

This concert is the center of Beethoven's development of this genre. The development of the genre of symphonic Piano Concerto, which he began in his third concert, he now leads up to this concert on to it to complete his last piano concerto. Also this concert influenced later artists to a significant extent. It belongs in the fixed repertoire of every major pianist.