Ludwig van Beethoven. Piano Concerto No 3 in C minor
Anton Bruckner. Symphony No 4 in E flat major (Die Romantische)
Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra
Nikolaj Znaider (the biography) >>
| Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto was first performed in Vienna
on 5 April 1803. Beethoven himself performed the solo, improvising the
cadenza of the first section which he recorded on paper six years
later. The remaining virtuoso passages, however, which were typically
improvised, he wrote into the role, and at the time this left many
people dissatisfied. The critic of the Leipzig Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung
remarked: “The composer has anticipated all the arbitrary
embellishments by precisely and carefully writing the things that truly
can be used to embellish. Whoever is simply performing the notes will,
as a result, find several places incredibly difficult. But, as they
say, this work is not for them.” | The great Austrian symphonist Anton Bruckner was normally
miserly with regard to extracting meaning from his works. Just once did
he break his own rule. His Fourth Symphony (written in 1874 and first
performed on 20 February 1881 in Vienna under Hans Richter) bears the
title Die Romantische. There is even a programme for the first
movement that comes from the composer himself: “A medieval town – the
early morning gloom – the morning reveille ringing out from the town’s
towers – the gates open – knights enter riding proud horses; they are
gripped by the magic of the woods – the noise of the forest –
birdsong – and the romantic scene unfolds.” |
| user_name | | Exit |
