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Ludwig van Beethoven – Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 5, Op. 73 in E flat major, “Emperor”, mvt II: Adagio un poco mosso
András Schiff, piano / Staatskapelle Dresden, conducted by Bernard Haitink -
Johannes Brahms – Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 1, Op. 15 in D minor
András Schiff, piano / Wiener Philharmoniker, conducted by Georg Solti
The classical period played out – the master’s final move.
Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto is regarded as the most influential work that paved the way for the Romantic piano concerto of the nineteenth century.
With this piece, Beethoven did not merely open the door to Romanticism; he kicked it off its hinges. He gave the piano the power of an orchestra and the pianist the allure of an action hero.
For the young, perfectionist Brahms this was rather intimidating, but he instinctively picked up the ‘Emperor‘ vibe for his own First Piano Concerto. He adopted both the heroic struggle and the monumental scale, while infusing it with his own blend of melancholy and North German stubbornness.
Without Ludwig’s muscular example, Johannes would probably never have dared to build such epic musical cathedrals.
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