Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, “Emperor,” Op. 73

Composer: BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van
  • Beethoven completed his Fifth (and last) Piano Concerto in 1809. He dedicated the work to his friend and important patron, Archduke Rudolph of Austria (of “Archduke” Trio fame).1
  • This concerto had its first premier on Nov. 28, 1811, in a Gewandhaus Orchestra performance in Leipzig. For the first time, Beethoven was not able to play the premiere of his own concerto, due to his hearing loss. The piano soloist at the premier was Friedrich Schneider.2
  • Beethoven’s student, Carl Czerny, played the concerto’s Viennese premier on Feb. 12, 1812.3
  • Apparently the nickname “Emperor” is rarely used outside English-speaking countries. According to (probably apocryphal) nickname origin story, a French officer was present at the Viennese premiere of this work, and shouted, “C’est l’Empereur!” Considering how much Beethoven hated Napoleon for proclaiming himself emperor of France, it’s understandable that D.F. Tovey opined that the concerto was called “The Emperor” “to Beethoven’s profound, if posthumous, disgust.”4

Sources

  1.  Douglas Johnson et al, “Beethoven, Ludwig van,” Grove Music Online (Oxford University Press, 2001), accessed January 13, 2021, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000040026.
  2.  Michael Steinberg, The Concerto: A Listener’s Guide(UK: Oxford University Press, 2000), 71.
  3. Ibid.
  4. Ibid.

Cut IDs

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