Well it feels nice giving a non-Mozart post for the first time in over a month. Not that there is anything I have against Mozart, but as they always say, too much of anything over a given period of time is enough.

Anyway, today I thought since it hasn't been covered yet, a concerto from the master, Mr. Beethoven would be different. Seeing as I'm especially fond of the piano, the fact that I've done few of the big time works for the instrument surprises me. The Mozart Concerto No.9 is the only one I can think of recently.

Oh well, time for a new turn perhaps. Today we start at the very beginning with Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.1 in C major, Op.15. The concerto was written during 1796-97 and was first performed in Prague in 1798 with Beethoven himself playing the piano.

The concerto, despite being recognized as the first, was Beethoven's third attempt in the genre. It followed an unpublished concerto in E-flat major (not to be mistaken for the "Emperor" concerto no.5) and the second Piano Concerto, which was published after the first in 1801 but was written almost ten years earlier.

Third Movement


The video is a fantastic rendition of this concerto's third movement with the great Krystian Zimmerman performing and conducting what I assume to be the Vienna Philharmonic. The spirited and delicate sound Zimmerman gets from the piano blends greatly with the force of the orchestra and a great ensemble experience is achieved.