Piano Concerto No. 1 (Beethoven)
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Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, op. 15, was started in 1796, and was finished the following year. The first performance was in Prague in 1798, with Beethoven himself playing the piano.
This piece was in fact the composer's third attempt at the genre, following an unpublished piano concerto in E-flat major (not to be mistaken for the Piano Concerto No. 5), and the later-to-be-published Piano Concerto No. 2, which was in fact composed almost ten years earlier, but not published until 1801.
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[edit] Movements
In the standard classical concerto style, it is in three movements:
Like the Piano Concerto No. 2, the C major concerto reflects Beethoven's assimilation of the styles of Mozart and Haydn, while its abrupt harmonic shifts demonstrate Beethoven's unique musical personality. It also adheres to the concerto variant of the sonata form, where the first movement is in sonata form, but with an added orchestral exposition, a cadenza, and a coda. The second movement is in ABA or ternary form, and the third movement is in a seven-part rondo form (ABACABA).
[edit] I. Allegro con brio (tempo: quarter note=144)
The first movement has a main theme repeated many times, and there are several subordinate themes. The orchestral exposition changes keys many times, but the 2nd exposition is mainly in G Major. The development is in C Minor, which ends with an octave glissando. The recapitulation is in C Major.
There are three cadenzas to this movement, all of which vary in length and difficulty but they all end with trills. The coda is played by the orchestra alone. Average performances vary in length from 16 to 18 minutes.
[edit] II. Largo
The second movement is in the remote key of Ab Major; if the movement adhered to traditional form, then it would be in F Major, the subdominant key.
Like many slow movements, this one is in ABA form, where several themes are stated in the opening section, and the themes are developed in the middle.
Typical performances last more than 10 minutes.
[edit] III. Rondo-Allegro scherzando
The third movement is a Seven-Part Rondo (ABACABA), which is traditioanl for Classical concerti. The piano states the main theme, which is repeated twice. The two B sections (subordinate themes) are in G Major and C Major respectively. The middle section is in A Minor.
There is one very short cadenza that is not at the end of the movement. The movement ends with a big contrast; the piano plays a melody quietly, but the orchestra comes in and ends the movement forcefully.
Typical performances last 8-9 minutes.
Beethoven's early playfulness shows up here.
