Dedicated to Beethoven's patron and student, Archduke Rudolph, the Piano Concerto 4 had its private premiere in 1807 at the palace of another of Beethoven's patrons, Prince Lobkowitz. The private concert also included the premieres of Symphony 4 and the Coriolan Overture.
The public premiere took place at one of the most famous concerts in music history. In December of 1808, Beethoven held a benefit concert at Vienna's Theatre an der Wien. The performance lasted for four hours and included premieres of Beethoven's 5th and 6th Symphonies, the Choral Fantasy, and the 4th Piano Concerto with Beethoven as soloist.
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| PORTRAIT OF PRINCE LOBKOWITZ |
The 4th piano concerto is one of the most loved works in the repertoire, stretching the boundaries of established musical form and the relationship between the soloist and the orchestra. Beethoven also makes many innovations in harmonic progressions and virtuosic technique.
Despite the favorable reviews, Piano Concerto 4 was not performed again until 1836 when it was revived by composer and conductor, Felix Mendelssohn. It has remained a staple of the repertoire ever since.
VIDEO WALKTHROUGH
VIDEO WALKTHROUGH
