Piano Concerto No. 4 (Beethoven)
| Piano Concerto in G major | |
|---|---|
| No. 4 | |
| by Ludwig van Beethoven | |
 The composer in 1815, portrayed by J. W. Mähler | |
| Opus | 58 |
| Composed | 1805–06 |
| Dedication | Archduke Rudolph |
| Performed | 22 December 1808, Vienna |
| Movements |
|
| Scoring |
|
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58, was created in 1805 and 1806. Beethoven was the soloist in the first public playing as part of the concert on 22 December 1808 at Vienna's Theater an der Wien.
Orchestration
[change | change source]It is scored for solo piano and an orchestra that has a flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings.
Playing and reception
[change | change source]It was first played in March 1807 at a concert at the home of Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz. The Coriolan Overture and the Fourth Symphony were also first played in that concert.[1] However, the first time it was played in public was not until a concert on 22 December 1808 at Vienna's Theater an der Wien. The concert was Beethoven's last time playing as a soloist with orchestra, as well as the first playings of the Choral Fantasy and the Fifth and Sixth symphonies. Beethoven dedicated the concerto to his friend and student, the Archduke Rudolph.
A writing in the 17 May 1809 edition of the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung says that "[this concerto] is the most admirable, singular, artistic and complex Beethoven concerto ever".[2] After its first performance, the piece was not well known until 1836, when it was changed by Felix Mendelssohn.[3]
The first recording was done by York Bowen and made public by Vocalion in 1925.[4] Today, the work is recorded often, and it is liked by people who go to concerts.[5][6][7]
Cadenzas
[change | change source]Cadenzas for the Fourth Piano Concerto have been written many pianists and composers, such as: Beethoven (two separate sets of cadenzas), Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, Ferruccio Busoni, Hans von Bülow, Ignaz Moscheles, Camille Saint-Saëns, Anton Rubinstein, Wilhelm Kempff, Nikolai Medtner, Eugen d'Albert, Leopold Godowsky, Wilhelm Backhaus, Samuil Feinberg, Manuel M. Ponce, and more.
Reception
[change | change source]As of 2021[update], it was the second-most played piano concerto at Carnegie Hall, with 192 plays.[8]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Steinberg, Michael. The Symphony: A Listeners Guide. pp. 19–24. Oxford University Press, 1995.
- ↑ "Nachrichten". Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (in German). No. 33. 17 May 1809. p. 523. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ↑ "Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 4 in G". Classic FM. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- ↑ York Bowen – The Complete Solo 78 rpm Recordings, APR 6007 (2009), originally Vocalion A-0237/40 (1925)
- ↑ Wilson, Conrad (2005). Notes on Beethoven: 20 Crucial Works. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 44. ISBN 0802829309.
- ↑ Swafford, Jan (1992). The Vintage Guide to Classical Music. Vintage Books. p. 192. ISBN 0679728058.
- ↑ "San Francisco Symphony – Beethoven: Concerto No. 4 in G major for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 58". San Francisco Symphony. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- ↑ "The Five Most-Often Performed Piano Concertos at Carnegie Hall". www.carnegiehall.org. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
Other websites
[change | change source]
Media related to Piano Concerto No. 4 (Beethoven) at Wikimedia Commons- Piano Concerto No. 4: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Freed, Richard. Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58, program notes, Kennedy Center. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- Program note by Thomas May, Kennedy Center
