Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major by Ludwig van Beethoven is Beethoven for piano virtuosos. Margarita Höhenrieder shines on the piano, accompanied by the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Fabio Luisi. The concert took place in 2008 at the Philharmonie im Gasteig Munich.
(00:00) I. Allegro con brio
(18:39) II Largo
(29:50) III Rondo: Allegro scherzando
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) wrote seven piano concertos, five of which are numbered as opuses. The Piano Concerto in C major, Op. 15 is known as Piano Concerto No. 1, even though it was not the first concerto for piano that Beethoven wrote. First drafts for the Piano Concerto in C major date from 1793, a first complete transcription was available in late 1794 or early 1795, a new score existed before 1800 and finally the print appeared in 1801 after the solo part had been rewritten a second time. Beethoven probably performed an early version of the C major concerto himself in Vienna in 1795, where he is also thought to have performed a later version for the first time in 1800.
Beethoven initially wrote his piano concertos primarily for himself. As a piano virtuoso, he wanted to show off his skills to an audience with the solo concertos; he was, after all, famous for his brilliant improvisations on the popular instrument.
There are similarities between the Piano Concerto in C major and Symphony No. 1, not only with respect to the period in which they were composed. In both works, the young Beethoven’s knack of bringing forth the most diverse musical emotions from a simple thematic idea is already evident. And both works are characterized by a festive tone in which virtuosity is celebrated to the highest degree.
