Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)
The Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, known as the Emperor Concerto in English-speaking countries, is a piano concerto composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven composed the concerto in 1809 under salary in Vienna, and he dedicated it to Archduke Rudolf, who was his patron, friend, and pupil. Its public premiere was on 28 November 1811 in Leipzig, with Friedrich Schneider as the soloist and Johann Philipp Christian Schulz conducting the Gewandhaus Orchestra. Beethoven, usually the soloist, could not perform due to declining hearing.
Beethoven in 1815: portrait by Joseph Willibrord Mähler
Beethoven's patron, Archduke Rudolf; portrait by Johann Baptist von Lampi
Sketches for the first movement of the Fifth Piano Concerto
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire and span the transition from the Classical period to the Romantic era in classical music. His early period, during which he forged his craft, is typically considered to have lasted until 1802. From 1802 to around 1812, his middle period showed an individual development from the styles of Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and is sometimes characterized as heroic. During this time, Beethoven began to grow increasingly deaf. In his late period, from 1812 to 1827, he extended his innovations in musical form and expression.
Beethoven (1820)
Beethoven's birthplace at Bonngasse 20 in Bonn is now the Beethoven-Haus museum.
Christian Gottlob Neefe, one of Beethoven's first music teachers, depicted in a c. 1798 engraving
Count Waldstein, depicted in a c. 1800 portrait by Antonín Machek