Piano Concerto No. 0 (Beethoven)
Encyclopedia
Ludwig van Beethoven
's Piano Concerto in E flat major, WoO 4, is one of his earlier works, written in 1784 when Beethoven was 13. Only the piano
part survives today, although there are some indications in the manuscript for orchestral cues. On the occasions when this work has been performed, the orchestral part has had to be arranged beforehand. This concerto is sometimes referred to as Piano concerto
No. 0, as it came before all of Beethoven's other piano concertos. Because the work is rarely performed, it has not had a chance to enter into the popular mainstream.
as follows:
The fact that each performance has a different orchestration makes it difficult to describe the work accurately, but in general the concerto has the style of classical composers of the late 18th century such as Joseph Haydn
, who would later come to tutor Beethoven.
The first movement has a piano part using mainly scale ideas at a fast tempo, and the slow movement is quite similar in form, with arpeggiation and ornamenting quite common. The last movement has a jolly melody for the main theme, played very fast, again based on scales.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's Piano Concerto in E flat major, WoO 4, is one of his earlier works, written in 1784 when Beethoven was 13. Only the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
part survives today, although there are some indications in the manuscript for orchestral cues. On the occasions when this work has been performed, the orchestral part has had to be arranged beforehand. This concerto is sometimes referred to as Piano concerto
Piano concerto
A piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...
No. 0, as it came before all of Beethoven's other piano concertos. Because the work is rarely performed, it has not had a chance to enter into the popular mainstream.
Description
The work is in three movementsMovement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
as follows:
- Allegro moderato
- Larghetto
- Rondo allegretto
The fact that each performance has a different orchestration makes it difficult to describe the work accurately, but in general the concerto has the style of classical composers of the late 18th century such as Joseph Haydn
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
, who would later come to tutor Beethoven.
The first movement has a piano part using mainly scale ideas at a fast tempo, and the slow movement is quite similar in form, with arpeggiation and ornamenting quite common. The last movement has a jolly melody for the main theme, played very fast, again based on scales.