Piano Concerto No.5, Op.73

• English
• Nederlands
• Français

Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, "Emperor Concerto," is an impressive work in the classical repertoire, composed in 1809, during the turbulent Napoleonic Wars.
Beethoven was being offered a position in August 1808 by Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte, king of Westphalia, for a well-paid position as Kapellmeister at the court of Cassel. Archduke Rudolf, Prince Kinsky, and Prince Lobkowitz pledged to pay Beethoven a royal pension, to keep him in Vienna. He accepted that offer, and started writing his fifth piano concerto, that he ultimately dedicated to Archduke Rudolf, who was a:lso his pupil, friend and patron. The concerto was probably started at the end of 1808 and finished in April 1809.
This concerto exudes an unmistakable majestic and heroic spirit. It was completed while Beethoven struggled with his increasing deafness and while Vienna was besieged by Napoleon's armies, which makes its power and grandeur all the more remarkable.

The concerto opens with a powerful and surprising piano cadenza, unusual for its time, as if Beethoven wanted to spotlight the soloist from the very beginning. The first movement, Allegro, is grand and triumphant, featuring rich harmonies and a brilliant dialogue between the piano and orchestra. The second movement, Adagio un poco moto, is a still, almost timeless reflection, with a serene melody that unfolds like a night-time stroll. Without pause, it transitions into the sparkling third movement, Rondo: Allegro, is a seven-part movement which concludes jubilantly with a sense of triumph.

Although the nickname "Emperor Concerto" likely did not originate with Beethoven himself, it aptly reflects the grandeur and power of the piece, but musicologists agree there is no real emperor connected to the work.

Recently discovered evidence suggests that Archduke Rudolf played the concerto, as the soloist, in Prince Lobkowitz's palace, in January 1811. The first public performance took place in Leipzig in November 1811 with the Gewandhaus Orchester, but without Beethoven at the piano—his hearing loss made performing impossible. Nevertheless, the concerto is considered one of the most personal and powerful expressions of his genius, a work that continues to inspire both pianists and audiences alike. The premiere in Vienna was played in February 1812 with Carl Czerny, Beethoven's pupil, as the soloist. Felix Mendelssohn played it in England in June 1829.

Anecdote

• # While composing his Piano Concerto No. 5, Beethoven was in Vienna, under siege by Napoleon’s army. To protect his ears from the sound of cannon fire, he wrapped his head in pillows while continuing to write. It is remarkable that, in such a turbulent time, he created a heroic and grand work, as if celebrating the resilience of the human spirit and proclaiming a musical triumph over the miseries of war. Although he could not perform it himself due to his worsening deafness, the concerto remains a monument to his resilience and genius.
• # Franz Liszt frequently performed the concerto numerous times during his life. At a 1877 concert, with the 11-year-old Ferruccio Busoni in attendance, he played with nine fingers because of an injury to his left hand. Apparently, Busoni was the only one to notice it with disappointment.