Klavierkonzert Nr. 5 Es-Dur op. 73

Beethoven dedicated his last completed piano concerto to the Archduke Rudolph, one of his highest-profile piano pupils. In 1810, the archduke returned from exile in Hungary to a Vienna still reeling from the shock of the French occupation. Although it is frequently dubbed the “Emperor Concerto” in the English-speaking world, the work is about a lot more than just patriotism and heroism, and incorporates its fair share of peaceful passages. This excerpt includes the end of the second, slow movement, which flows seamlessly into the final rondo. Towards the end of the idyllic Adagio, the piano gives two soft but distinct hints of the theme to come in the final movement, which then surprises us by crashing into the spotlight in a thunderous Fortissimo.

Here, the Austrian-American pianist Rudolf Serkin (1903–1991) rushes almost frantically into the final movement. Serkin was known for his lively, powerful playing style, which made no concessions to technical boundaries in fast movements. Together with his long-time chamber music partner, the violinist Adolf Busch, he set a stylistic example for others to follow, especially as far as chamber music was concerned. Serkin is accompanied in this 1941 recording by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Bruno Walter (1876–1962).
(Constanze Köhn)