Piano Concerto No.0 in E-flat major - Ludwig van Beethoven / Willy Hess

Описание: Berlin Chamber Orchestra conducted by Peter Gülke. Eva Ander as the pianist.

I - Allegro moderato: 0:00
II - Larghetto: 9:58
III - Rondo. Allegretto: 19:03

Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.0 was composed in Bonn circa 1784, when he was just thirteen or fourteen years old. It was the composer's first attempt at a large orchestral composition that has been conserved, written while he was studying under Christian Gottlob Neefe. It is unknown if the work was performed at the time, but in all likelihood Beethoven wrote it for himself to play at the electoral court in his native Bonn, where he was employed at the time. It can also be safely assumed that the composer disowned the piece, considering it never appeared in his catalogue of works. The original orchestral parts were lost over time, and when the work was rediscovered in 1890, only the solo piano score had survived.

Swiss musicologist Willy Hess orchestrated the concerto between 1934-43, based on the extant cues left in the manuscript. The first movement was performed in Oslo 1934 by Walter Frey, and the complete reconstruction was performed in 1968 at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. Hess admittedly used orchestral scoring that Beethoven surely would not have had the proficiency to create at that young age. Thus, it is impossible to know how closely this concerto compares with the original, which if we can accept the composer's judgment, was not among his better early works. In addition, other orchestrations also have been realized, thus the work can greatly vary depending of the recording.

By 1784, Mozart’s influence on the concerto genre was yet to be felt: his greatest piano concertos were only then beginning to emerge. Beethoven’s early concerto is more likely to have been modelled on the popular concertos of J. C. Bach; brilliant and pleasing, largely keyboard-centred, with modest orchestral forces providing simple accompaniment rather than having equal prominence with the soloist. Throughout, the piano writing brims with intricate and fiery passagework that at times verges on the overly complex. In addition to the written piano part, multiple cadenzas and connecting passages are implied in the score, which Beethoven would have improvised in each performance.

The first movement is structured in a concert-sonata form. It begins with a solemn, march-like main theme in E-flat major, exposed by flutes and horns. It is followed by a bucolic and gentle second theme in B-flat major, also presented by flutes. The development then starts as the soloist enters, unfolding the material with virtuosity. A series of exchanges between tutti and solo also move this section forward. Despite being a very early work, we get some occasional flashes of Beethoven's genius and (still restrained) romantic spirit; bold modulations and sharp dynamic contrast culminate in a passionate climax. The material is then recapitulated in the home key of E-flat major, shared between tutti and soloist. A cadenza for the soloist then takes place, Beethoven's original one being lost. A graceful coda, based on the main theme, ends the allegro.

The second movement is structured as a theme and variations. It opens with a lyrical and cantabile main theme in B-flat major, introduced by strings and taken by flutes. The soloist then takes it and unfolds it in the subsequent graceful and elegant variations. These get increasingly complex and elaborate, rivalling the virtuosity of the surrounding movements. We find an incredible display of decorative figuration; rapid scales and highly ornamented broken-chord figures typical of Beethoven’s early piano writing. The climax is an expressive G minor variation, almost Mozartian in its "sturm und drang". Then a cadenza for the soloist takes place, which again isn't written down. A serene coda ends the movement.

The third movement is structured as a rondo (A-B-A'-C-A''-D-A'''-E-A''''). It opens with the soloist presenting a joyful and rhythmic main theme in E-flat major, soon taken by the orchestra. The first episode consists of a virtuosic variation of the main material, mostly very fast figurations in ascending and descending motion. The main theme is then recapitulated and enriched with increasingly virtuosic triplets. The second episode starts as the music modulates to a minor key, which again seems to be a brief flash of Beethoven's genius. The main theme is recapitulated once more, leading to a third episode with a rhythmic variation of the tune in E-flat minor. Another recapitulation of the main theme leads to a fourth episode of fast demisemiquaver notes. The main theme returns once serving as a cheerful coda to the rondo.

Picture: "Poem of the Soul - One evening" (1892) by the French painter Louis Janmot.

Musical analysis written by myself. Sources: https://bit.ly/3kA95CQ, https://tinyurl.com/29rws58f and https://bit.ly/3QT4d7A

To check the score (piano part): https://tinyurl.com/26g4r55t