Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4

Welcome to episode number 200 of Sticky Notes!!


On December 22nd, 1808, a day that would live in classical music
lore forever, Ludwig Van Beethoven sat down for his very last
appearance as a solo pianist to play this new piano concerto, his
4th. This performance was not only the premiere of the new piano
concerto, but the premiere of two new symphonies as well, the 5th
and the 6th. It featured many other new works, and the concert
itself lasted nearly 4 hours, all inside of the cold and dark
Theater an Der Wien with an underprepared and underrehearsed
orchestra. The concert, despite featuring 3 works that would go
on to be some of the most performed works in the history of
classical music, was not a success. It was too long and too cold,
featuring too many premieres and too much difficult music. It was
criticized severely in all quarters, and Beethoven considered the
concert a failure. And even that new concerto, the one that
surprised so many people with its supremely gentle character,
didn’t catch on quickly at all. It wasn’t until 1836 when Felix
Mendelssohn, who we have to thank for so many of these
situations, revived the piece. Today it is known as one of the
most beloved concertos in the entire piano repertoire, partly due
to the fact that it is so surprising, but not for the reasons one
normally would expect. In the 4th piano concerto, Beethoven turns
his entire musical brand so to speak upside down. Instead of a
blazing fire, we get a gentle warmth, instead of drama, we get
tenderness. And instead of virtuosity, we get a practically
transcendental level of simplicity. Other than the short second
movement, which does give us some of the old Beethoven fire, it
is one of the most tender creations of Beethoven’s entire career.
Join us to learn all about it today!