Some of the highlights from this (asterisks for the things I especially liked): 0:56 - A tiny detail, but the two unslurred chords that everyone forgets about are actually detached from the rest of the phrase. 2:21 - Those French horns! 5:06 - Most pianists fudge this bit into a wash of Gb sound, but the line is kept clear here. 6:02* - A wonderful decrescendo (also at 14:49, this time nearly to the point of inaudibility). The tutti statement at 6:07 is strikingly textured, with the horns/trumpets more prominent than usual. 6:41* - The staccato here is rarely observed in performance, but works really well (see also the slur/staccato differentiation at 6:45). 7:06 - The decrescendo and colour change over these two long descending arpeggios. 7:25* - Another passage that’s usually turned into mush, now given a gorgeous detached/burbling texture (repeated at 16:13). 7:40 - The leggiero scales are taken with one of the cleanest semi-semi-staccatos I’ve come across. 7:55* - Clear separation/rhythmic contrast between the RH/LH chromatic scales (also 16:42). 11:13 - The taper on that octave line + the big downshift in tempo that comes right after. 12:42 - The way the horns insert themselves into that fat dominant chord, and the tempo distortion at the senza tempo right after. 13:21 - The dolce playing of the woodwinds + horn. 18:14 - There’s a slight dragging on the horns, which creates a sense of freedom/dialogue. 23:19* - Helmchen isn’t afraid to separate the texture of the climax from the rest of the movement. Note also 23:32, where the change from a staccato to a slurred staccato texture is very clear. 27:27* - You can hear the (relatively gentle) slurs of the rondo theme, the separation of different note values, as well as the dynamic contrast between the antecedent and consequent phrases (pretty tricky to pull off when you’re playing big chords at high speed). 28:31 - Beautiful articulation of the transition theme (especially the contrast between slurred and unslurred notes). 30:33* - The way the accented high chords are picked out with agogic accents/exaggerated slurs 33:16 - Hyper-exaggerated slurs here, for a really nice effect. 36:14 - Mid-value slurs this time. 36:36 - The evenness and crispness of the scale.
What a wonderful command of the language you have in describing what you observe! And there is this precious humility that comes through in your writing, unlike every other critic you have read. Live long and prosper Mr. Ashish!
His pedaling in general is very, very clear. In passages you'd expect it to be held down (7:25), he just leaves it off altogether. It's very refreshing.
i cannot really agree with those Highlights to be honest. what would you say this piano concert is about? to me it always sounds like finding the truth. and the Highlight must be the mysterious themes from the first and also in the second mvmnt
the most beautiful cords already at the beginning and at the end of the 2. mvmt. the end of the 3rd mvmnt sound like flying! and for about three bars orso you are suddenly in the ground again, but instantly fly again - it is so amazing
Why does everyone agree with this pretentious d bag? Surely if you listen listen this music, you must study history. A cursory glance of historical events around beethovens Era would show much more trying times. But since we all want to play the victim today we agree with the original posters stupid assessment that we are in trying times. I'm pretty sure he masks up and does whatever the elites tell him to do. Then he virtual signals with his mask on scoffing at the working class questioning the sanity of locking down the economy over a virus that kills really old and really unhealthy people.
Another weird thing about the Emperor -- most concertos will have one or two really great moments, but this one contains around a dozen of them. My three favourites: 18:55 - Leave out the modulating build-up that starts at 18:46, and this climax actually sounds kind of pedestrian, what with its oom-pah rhythm and I-ii-V. But in context it's heart-stopping -- there's a huge sense of release, the passage sounds so generous & soaring. 30:33 - I've always found this C maj variant of the rondo theme really moving & even intimate, though it's a bit hard to say why -- some combination of the high register of the RH, the thinned-out melody + LH, & the pizzicato strings. 35:51 - It's a really simple thing, but the way the bassoon line transfers to the horn, which then floats a Bb in the middle of the texture while the piano shapes the melody above - gorgeous stuff.
3:38 very simple but very moving - I wish it didn't dissolve into something else 8:25 closing theme - again, very simple but very moving, and Bb makes it more lyrical
A couple years since I first listened to this recording and I still find it fascinating that Helmchen managed to breathe new life into the piece, not by doing an unconventional interpretation, but by being hyper-attentive to all the little details in Beethoven's original score.
I really can't understand how so many of you can even enjoy this abomination, much less consider it a masterpiece, and even less regard it as one of the greatest pieces of music ever written -- it's truly beyond my ability to grasp, and I've listened to dozens of different interpretations, over and over, to try to find out what I didn't understand unlike apparently everyone else, but I can't: to say it's vomitous is beyond understatement
Love this Concerto. It’s pretty cool that Beethoven took control of the whole piece to put the cadenza at the beginning. I love the 17:19 mark. It’s the third theme that belongs to the soloist.
Yes. And listen at 20:41. Two measures that Leonard Bernstein took and turned into the West Side Story song, "Somewhere". You can sing the melody: "There's a place for us. Some where a place for us."
I am ashamed and at the same time proud to say that this is one of my first of my very few interactions with Beethoven Piano Concertos in all my years learning and listening to classical music. These concertos seem to attract quite a lot of attention, but in the times that I’ve tried to appreciate them, they felt really hard to parse - however, this here is really damn beautiful. Can’t say I completely appreciate it yet especially on my first listen, but I’m glad to say it’s a start. Thanks.
That's absolutely okay! I had the same thing for Schumann, actually. For some composers or pieces I feel that there's a "right time" and also that it's them who call me to listen to their pieces and not the opposite. It's weird, I know, but that's exactly how I feel when I finally listen to something that's been on my list for ages thinking "well, OK, now I'm ready" and then I think "OMG what have I been missing?!!". However, when I "force" myself to get in touch with a piece/composer, I very often can't appreciate it.
I think that's a very natural reaction -- especially for concertos, which are generally a lot more, shall we say, _structurally spacious_ than other musical forms. For concertos in general, I think a good way in is to start paying a lot more attention to the orchestra, especially the way it interacts with the soloist. A really good concerto will have at least a couple of bits where the woodwinds or the brass get to shine, or passages where the melody is passed between different groups of instruments. Done well this stuff can be frighteningly good. For _this_ particular concerto, especially the first movement, I think a knowledge of structure is very helpful to dispelling the notion that it's just a bit overlong (which is the understandable reaction of quite a few people the first time they hear it). But that structural stuff is all in the Grimaud video!
@@AshishXiangyiKumar yes. My favorite is the 1st, followed by the third. I find this one movements 1 and 3 repetitive. (not saying THEY ARE, just my lack of structural knowledge dummie perception ).
and about 24:55 then sounds like you found a place again, where you have already been before, but you can hardly remeber. and it is a very important place and you can suddenly remeber lots of important stuff. probably even a place, which you saw in another life before - must be something very mysterious
ah i have another good definition of 17:37 - it is like finding a secret palace, where nobody has been before. you can hear the gold and the diamonds shimmering. or an ice palace or something similar
00:00 І ч. вст. Es 01:12 І ч. ГП Es 02:07 І ч. ПП 1 т. es 02:22 І ч. ПП 2 т. Es 04:11 І ч. РБ, початок 10:25 І ч. РБ, кульмінація 12:25 І ч. РП, початок 14:57 І ч. кода 20:22 ІІ ч. ОТ H 21:40 ІІ ч. CР (монологи) 24:04 ІІ ч. РП (варіації) 27:26 ІІІ ч. ГП (рефрен) Es 28:31 ІІІ ч. ПП 1 т. Es 29:05 ІІІ ч. ПП 2 т. F 29:37 ІІІ ч. РБ, початок 35:38 ІІІ ч. кода Es
I’ve been listening to this concerto since I was 16. I’m in my 40’s now and it still is my most beloved musical composition. Every time I listen to it I find something new that amazes me. And your descriptions truly helped this endeavor of constant discovery with the Emperor, that transition from a B to B flat, the handover of the melody from a bassoon to a horn, the many notes that you don’t even know are there but that enrich this composition and somehow ground the triumphant with lovely tenderness all throughout. Oh, I have no words. So thank you for this post, for your enlightening commentary, and for this phenomenal recording that, as someone else put it in another comment, is simply playing what’s already there to our delight. So thank you!
Wow I can't believe how incredibly well articulated every bar of this performance is - it's as if they went through ever phrase and decided precisely how it would be intoned, and then cut it live in one shot, perfectly.
Having heard this many times without the score it's a true revelation to be able to follow with it. Beethoven's genius and invention is simply incredible (as we all know). Wonderful playing too.
I’ve always thought of this concerto as the closest piece to the definition of ‘brillante’ in music. Every single movement is, in its own way, joyful, classy and, i’d say, ‘optimistic’.
Disagree. The era of 'style brillante' arrived after the publication of this concerto. The perfection of that style came at the end right when it became out of fashion, with the compositions of Chopin (op.22, op.11 come to mind) and Mendelssohn.
Thank you so much for this post. Went to Amazon and bought Helmchen's LVB Concertos 1,2,4 and 5. So far, stunning. Your posts are outstanding. While I am not an idiot about "classical" music and I can't speak with the musical authority many show here, I do understand what it is being said. I love the opinions expressed and I love the paths I am led down.
After a long I'm listening to the emperor and My God! this rendition is absolutely stunning. I think this might be my new favourite interpretation of the Emperor :)
Until this moment, on this rather fine day, I prized Zimerman and Bernstein's recording with the VPO as the finest 3, 4, 5 of B.'s piano concertos, but this has swayed me. This is indeed the pinnacle of the emperor.
I think in many cases the notion that performers are supposed to strictly try and replicate "what the composer intended" is dogmatic nonsense (especially for composers like Bach who didn't tell us at all what he "intended", and probably for good reason). But, in my opinion, there are also some extremely trustworthy composers, whose instructions, followed to the letter, can reveal completely new magic. Beethoven is one such composer. Mahler too. Funnily enough, these composer's instructions seem to be ignored particularly often. I find that the most excellent Beethoven interpretations are consistently the ones that take great care to observe his markings and instructions and this one is an absolute prime example. Maybe the freshest recording of the piece I've ever heard. I'm sure Beethoven would love this interpretation. Other pianists who take this approach to Beethoven include Zimerman and Buchbinder, also two of my favorites.
Fair enough. I've got to say that it's always a bit disappointing when all the fun markings Beethoven puts in the score get glossed over -- his interpretive ideas are uniformly wonderful. One of the very few interpreters who gets away with this, I think, is Paul Lewis -- his style has a spacious sort of natural-ness to it that is really lovely. Reminds me a bit of a modern-day Arrau.
One of my most favorite piano concertos ever......second movement is nothing less then spectacular.....heavenly sound.....gorgeous cords......Ludwig was a genious
AXK has done the Emperor Concerto! Hooray! The Emperor Concerto has one of my all-time favorite moments in Beethoven's music. If I had to pick my top 5, they would be 1. The crescendo into the beginning of the finale of the 5th Symphony, quite possibly the greatest crescendo in musical history, when the brass blazes forth with the opening of the finale; 2. This concerto. Same place--final movement transition. That change from B to B-flat, with the quiet ascending passage that anticipates the surging Rondo theme, then the piano's sudden leap into the Rondo. 3. The opening of the 9th--the "orchestra tuning up" section, then all hell breaks loose 4. Last variation in the op. 109 leading to the return of the theme 5. Similar to the Emperor, the sudden transition into the finale of the op. 81a, the Wiedersehen movement, as though Beethoven is giving a shout for joy at seeing his friend return and they're rushing to embrace. (Honorable mentions: the first appearance of the Ode to Joy theme in the 9th; the opening of the Cavatina in the op. 130 quartet; the exultant final page of the op. 110 sonata, where the fugue falls away and the theme rises to glory) The dramatic segue-into-finale seems to be a thing in Beethoven's middle period: 4th and 5th concerti; 5th symphony, Appassionata, Waldstein, and Das Lebewohl sonatas. Setting aside 40 minutes to listen to what looks like a terrific recording.
Tim Ward Those are all wonderful Beethovenian moments. I doubt I could keep my own list to 5 or 6, but I would want to include . . . let's see . . . : the opening of the A Major Cello Sonata; the opening of the F Major Razumovksy; the entire last movement of the Waldstein; the entire Heiliger Dankgesang of Op. 132; the Arietta theme of Op. 111; that brief, insane section in the middle of the Op. 135 scherzo, where the violin goes dancing off into the heights and the other strings obsessively reiterate a grounding motif; the hushed, calm, transfigured (when it's played well) opening of the G Major Piano Concerto; yeah, they keep on coming . . . It's LvB's 250th birthday this year! December 16th. With all the crap going on in the world today, there are still things to make you smile and feel proud to be part of a species that produced Ludwig van Beethoven.
As well as all of your favourite moments I would add to my list lento of op.135, last two movements of op.131 and fugue from second movement of op. 55 Symphony
1. Introduction of 7th symphony 1st movement, 2. Fughetta in Hammerklavier 1st movement, 3. Both the transition and the recapitulation in Hammerklavier 3rd movement 4. (tied) Opening of Waldstein and the exposition of Les Adieux mov1
"...the opening of the Cavatina in the op. 130 quartet; the exultant final page of the op. 110 sonata, where the fugue falls away and the theme rises to glory" THIS. I'd add the final of the 4th PC 1st movement, and the whole eroica symphony. Not to mention the Diabelli Variations.
I'll take your moment in this concerto and raise you the section from 32:40 to 33:06. It's the same concept, but I prefer the way Beethoven seamlessly transitions to the rondo theme from the anticipatory rising notes of the orchestra in this part. The downwards scale into the theme is just genius. (Not trying to one-up your choice btw. Just personal preference)
I just started listening to this one a couple of weeks ago, the timing couldn't have been more perfect! Thanks for the upload as always. Love reading your thoughts about the concerto.
Os mais belos harpejos escalas e resoluções. As palhetas colorem em contraste com a exuberância orquestral. As batidas dos timpanos marcam a beleza da base orquetral. É muita emoção...
Sheer and tremendous beauty from simplicity. B's fifth concerto, 'Emperor' is quite easy to play(both pianoforte and orchestra, in technical point of view)but this expresses majestic sound and feeling as Brahms' 2 concertos. This is absolute MASTERPIECE. After listening to this piece, you will know why this is called as 'Emperor'.
@@stephensefi2287 Actually, you're both wrong and the name has nothing to do with the piece at all and was not given by Beethoven. You're thinking of Beethoven's dedication of the third symphony.
@@SpaghettiToaster Actually, the two replies are wrong. The original commenter was referring to the fact that this is colloquially known as the ‘Emperor’ Concerto, and not necessarily that the composer gave this name himself. This is irrelevant because it doesn’t matter who gave the name in this circumstance.
@@therealrealludwigvanbeethoven Yes it is. because we call the concerto "Emperor" not because it's majestic, but because it was published with that nickname.
Beethoven would laugh his ass off at all this detailed discussion and hair splitting about this performer and that interpretation. He created where others recreate and analyse recordings!
Tambi én me agrada mucho el Concierto Nro. 5 "Emperador" para piano y orquesta de Beethoven. Es mi favorito con toda su música , las nueve sinfonías, opera Fidelio, sus obras para piano y orquesta, para violin y orquesta. Me vuelo con sus hermosas melodías. Esta es música.
Some of the highlights from this (asterisks for the things I especially liked):
0:56 - A tiny detail, but the two unslurred chords that everyone forgets about are actually detached from the rest of the phrase.
2:21 - Those French horns!
5:06 - Most pianists fudge this bit into a wash of Gb sound, but the line is kept clear here.
6:02* - A wonderful decrescendo (also at 14:49, this time nearly to the point of inaudibility). The tutti statement at 6:07 is strikingly textured, with the horns/trumpets more prominent than usual.
6:41* - The staccato here is rarely observed in performance, but works really well (see also the slur/staccato differentiation at 6:45).
7:06 - The decrescendo and colour change over these two long descending arpeggios.
7:25* - Another passage that’s usually turned into mush, now given a gorgeous detached/burbling texture (repeated at 16:13).
7:40 - The leggiero scales are taken with one of the cleanest semi-semi-staccatos I’ve come across.
7:55* - Clear separation/rhythmic contrast between the RH/LH chromatic scales (also 16:42).
11:13 - The taper on that octave line + the big downshift in tempo that comes right after.
12:42 - The way the horns insert themselves into that fat dominant chord, and the tempo distortion at the senza tempo right after.
13:21 - The dolce playing of the woodwinds + horn.
18:14 - There’s a slight dragging on the horns, which creates a sense of freedom/dialogue.
23:19* - Helmchen isn’t afraid to separate the texture of the climax from the rest of the movement. Note also 23:32, where the change from a staccato to a slurred staccato texture is very clear.
27:27* - You can hear the (relatively gentle) slurs of the rondo theme, the separation of different note values, as well as the dynamic contrast between the antecedent and consequent phrases (pretty tricky to pull off when you’re playing big chords at high speed).
28:31 - Beautiful articulation of the transition theme (especially the contrast between slurred and unslurred notes).
30:33* - The way the accented high chords are picked out with agogic accents/exaggerated slurs
33:16 - Hyper-exaggerated slurs here, for a really nice effect.
36:14 - Mid-value slurs this time.
36:36 - The evenness and crispness of the scale.
What a wonderful command of the language you have in describing what you observe! And there is this precious humility that comes through in your writing, unlike every other critic you have read. Live long and prosper Mr. Ashish!
His pedaling in general is very, very clear. In passages you'd expect it to be held down (7:25), he just leaves it off altogether. It's very refreshing.
I really like the arpeggios at 32:14
i cannot really agree with those Highlights to be honest. what would you say this piano concert is about? to me it always sounds like finding the truth. and the Highlight must be the mysterious themes from the first and also in the second mvmnt
the most beautiful cords already at the beginning and at the end of the 2. mvmt.
the end of the 3rd mvmnt sound like flying! and for about three bars orso you are suddenly in the ground again, but instantly fly again - it is so amazing
That second movement is something we all need to give us some hope in these times ...
Yes, totally agree
I agree🎹🎼🎶🎶🎶💛😊🌅
So very true...
Although there is the frustrating taunting promises of something good. Let’s hope we actually get an encouraging third movement.
Why does everyone agree with this pretentious d bag? Surely if you listen listen this music, you must study history. A cursory glance of historical events around beethovens Era would show much more trying times. But since we all want to play the victim today we agree with the original posters stupid assessment that we are in trying times. I'm pretty sure he masks up and does whatever the elites tell him to do. Then he virtual signals with his mask on scoffing at the working class questioning the sanity of locking down the economy over a virus that kills really old and really unhealthy people.
The chordal tuttis in the very beginning is just so monumental like GO BEETHOVEN
Another weird thing about the Emperor -- most concertos will have one or two really great moments, but this one contains around a dozen of them. My three favourites:
18:55 - Leave out the modulating build-up that starts at 18:46, and this climax actually sounds kind of pedestrian, what with its oom-pah rhythm and I-ii-V. But in context it's heart-stopping -- there's a huge sense of release, the passage sounds so generous & soaring.
30:33 - I've always found this C maj variant of the rondo theme really moving & even intimate, though it's a bit hard to say why -- some combination of the high register of the RH, the thinned-out melody + LH, & the pizzicato strings.
35:51 - It's a really simple thing, but the way the bassoon line transfers to the horn, which then floats a Bb in the middle of the texture while the piano shapes the melody above - gorgeous stuff.
I always listen to this concerto for 30:33. Pure genius.
Thanks for the description!
For me, just one... From 00:00 - 37:29
Hello, please check out his incredible rendition of the Dvorak Piano Concerto op.33. It's a miracle. And his Mozart K.332 Sonata
3:38 very simple but very moving - I wish it didn't dissolve into something else
8:25 closing theme - again, very simple but very moving, and Bb makes it more lyrical
A couple years since I first listened to this recording and I still find it fascinating that Helmchen managed to breathe new life into the piece, not by doing an unconventional interpretation, but by being hyper-attentive to all the little details in Beethoven's original score.
Forgotten how much I love his piano concertos.
Me to
*forgot
Beautiful! A real Emperor amongst concertos! How great Beethoven was. He is still alive in his music.
Can i say that i consider this one of the best pieces of music in existence?
It is
I really can't understand how so many of you can even enjoy this abomination, much less consider it a masterpiece, and even less regard it as one of the greatest pieces of music ever written -- it's truly beyond my ability to grasp, and I've listened to dozens of different interpretations, over and over, to try to find out what I didn't understand unlike apparently everyone else, but I can't: to say it's vomitous is beyond understatement
@@pe-peron8441 There are kinds of mental problems that don't let you enjoy music
@@miguelisaurusbruh1158 And there are others that make you enjoy stuff like this
@@pe-peron8441 It's nice to listen to, that is my opinion. Probably not musically revolutionary.
Thought I was tired of this piece - knew every note - wrong. An amazing performance. Instead of knowing every note I'm hearing every note.
My composition teacher told me ...hear the music don't analyse it only....true❤
It's like a relationship... the first lovely stages dissipate quickly, but that will only lead to greater stages of intimacy afterwards
This is really really damn good, isn't it?
100%
who are you, master of Scriabin?
yep
@Scriabin is my Dog i see you everywhere in classical music video lol
why not?
Thank you! It's always nice to listen to a piece you've heard dozens of times before and discover things that you never noticed before.
Love this Concerto. It’s pretty cool that Beethoven took control of the whole piece to put the cadenza at the beginning. I love the 17:19 mark. It’s the third theme that belongs to the soloist.
21:37 most beautiful part in this piece
Yes !!
5:20
10:00
@@mikoaj4686 i love that part too but nothing beats 21:37
Yes. And listen at 20:41. Two measures that Leonard Bernstein took and turned into the West Side Story song, "Somewhere". You can sing the melody: "There's a place for us. Some where a place for us."
Long-time listener here.
Many many thanks for all you have provided over the years and going forward. I'm very truly grateful to you.
27:07 The ending of the second movement sounds like the 3rd movement slowly waking up, seeing the time and scrambling to work.
Some of the world's most beautiful music ever written by mankind right here. Thank you for sharing this recording and analysis.
How on earth does one make such a stupendously perfect recording?
Feels good to be so early for listening to this masterpiece
you're not that early. About 209 years late, actually. Still a brilliant piece though, after all those years.
いつもより爽やか、軽やかな演奏ですね。その為か1音1音が本当に煌めいて聞こえる。本当こんな曲だったなんて。ベートーベンは凄すぎるな。
3rd movement (Rondo) was my wedding recessional 💖💖💖
An exceptional choice-such a joyous yet extraordinarily complex movement
first time I heard this concerto was 20 years ago. I've listened it hundreds of times and it never cease to amaze me.
!!
I am ashamed and at the same time proud to say that this is one of my first of my very few interactions with Beethoven Piano Concertos in all my years learning and listening to classical music. These concertos seem to attract quite a lot of attention, but in the times that I’ve tried to appreciate them, they felt really hard to parse - however, this here is really damn beautiful. Can’t say I completely appreciate it yet especially on my first listen, but I’m glad to say it’s a start. Thanks.
That's absolutely okay! I had the same thing for Schumann, actually. For some composers or pieces I feel that there's a "right time" and also that it's them who call me to listen to their pieces and not the opposite. It's weird, I know, but that's exactly how I feel when I finally listen to something that's been on my list for ages thinking "well, OK, now I'm ready" and then I think "OMG what have I been missing?!!". However, when I "force" myself to get in touch with a piece/composer, I very often can't appreciate it.
I think that's a very natural reaction -- especially for concertos, which are generally a lot more, shall we say, _structurally spacious_ than other musical forms. For concertos in general, I think a good way in is to start paying a lot more attention to the orchestra, especially the way it interacts with the soloist. A really good concerto will have at least a couple of bits where the woodwinds or the brass get to shine, or passages where the melody is passed between different groups of instruments. Done well this stuff can be frighteningly good.
For _this_ particular concerto, especially the first movement, I think a knowledge of structure is very helpful to dispelling the notion that it's just a bit overlong (which is the understandable reaction of quite a few people the first time they hear it). But that structural stuff is all in the Grimaud video!
@@AshishXiangyiKumar yes. My favorite is the 1st, followed by the third. I find this one movements 1 and 3 repetitive. (not saying THEY ARE, just my lack of structural knowledge dummie perception ).
25:43 Love that bar. Such a strange mood. Not sad, not happy, but definitely beautiful.
i definitely love 21:20
and from 17:37 it sounds so mysterious, like finding secretly something breathtaking new, like the truth
oh and 24:48. it sounds so complete, like man and woman who found each other or something like this
and about 24:55 then sounds like you found a place again, where you have already been before, but you can hardly remeber. and it is a very important place and you can suddenly remeber lots of important stuff. probably even a place, which you saw in another life before - must be something very mysterious
ah i have another good definition of 17:37 - it is like finding a secret palace, where nobody has been before. you can hear the gold and the diamonds shimmering. or an ice palace or something similar
00:00 І ч. вст. Es
01:12 І ч. ГП Es
02:07 І ч. ПП 1 т. es
02:22 І ч. ПП 2 т. Es
04:11 І ч. РБ, початок
10:25 І ч. РБ, кульмінація
12:25 І ч. РП, початок
14:57 І ч. кода
20:22 ІІ ч. ОТ H
21:40 ІІ ч. CР (монологи)
24:04 ІІ ч. РП (варіації)
27:26 ІІІ ч. ГП (рефрен) Es
28:31 ІІІ ч. ПП 1 т. Es
29:05 ІІІ ч. ПП 2 т. F
29:37 ІІІ ч. РБ, початок
35:38 ІІІ ч. кода Es
The orchestra in this recording is outstanding: the horns and the timpani in particular.
This makes my heart feel delighted, especially the 3rd movement, since I listened to it at age 6-7.
beethoven's epics are gigantic suns of sound. it's like they don't fit in this world, their grandiosity is out of scale. larger than life!
Not even ten seconds in and I was completely taken aback by how stellar this recording is. Everything about it is just so... amazing!
The greatest of all piano concertos!
1: Beethoven's 5th
2: Rachmaninoff's 2nd
3: Grieg's
4: Brahm's 2nd
5: Tchaikovsky's 1st
How about Mozart's and Bach's ?
@@LiamLKV Chopin 1st
Rautavaara, Ligeti, Schoenberg:
@@commentingchannel9776 I'm sure they would agree with me.
Best Beethoven piano concerto in my opinion
I absolutely love this piece
I’ve been listening to this concerto since I was 16. I’m in my 40’s now and it still is my most beloved musical composition. Every time I listen to it I find something new that amazes me. And your descriptions truly helped this endeavor of constant discovery with the Emperor, that transition from a B to B flat, the handover of the melody from a bassoon to a horn, the many notes that you don’t even know are there but that enrich this composition and somehow ground the triumphant with lovely tenderness all throughout. Oh, I have no words. So thank you for this post, for your enlightening commentary, and for this phenomenal recording that, as someone else put it in another comment, is simply playing what’s already there to our delight. So thank you!
4:19 - 4:30 is so peaceful with the suddle violin harmony 😩
The second movement slays me every time. This is beautiful. Thanks Ashish!
Wow I can't believe how incredibly well articulated every bar of this performance is - it's as if they went through ever phrase and decided precisely how it would be intoned, and then cut it live in one shot, perfectly.
18:05 - 18:21 - Brilliant piano accompaniment on the return of the French horns.
Totally agree Ashish. The attention to detail allows for a very lively freshness to this work. Not over pedalled either. Lovely performance.
I'm not sure anyone but those who really understand this piece sees the towering piano genius and technique application. Huzza!
I feel like God gave us a gift when Beethoven wrote this. Beethoven is probably a gift God gave to us as well. I hope he will make it to heaven.
No he will not. But he was a genius, of course
@@argi0774 and you judge with what authority?
@@jameslorenz3718 What "authority"? There is no such thing as a "heaven". That's why.
@@argi0774 if you did not believe, why did you act as if you did? And, what did you hope to accomplish by commenting?
@@jameslorenz3718 I didn't act as if I did. And there is nothing to "accomplish".
His rondo theme is insane. Such a massive sound. I especially love how he plays the descending chromatic thirds
Having heard this many times without the score it's a true revelation to be able to follow with it. Beethoven's genius and invention is simply incredible (as we all know). Wonderful playing too.
Came across this a few years back, but only truly listened to it today. You are so spot on with the texture!
Bravo! I am in awe! Zimmerman and Barenboim are the masters of the Emperor in my opinion, but this is very close!
I think the same
I’ve always thought of this concerto as the closest piece to the definition of ‘brillante’ in music. Every single movement is, in its own way, joyful, classy and, i’d say, ‘optimistic’.
Disagree. The era of 'style brillante' arrived after the publication of this concerto. The perfection of that style came at the end right when it became out of fashion, with the compositions of Chopin (op.22, op.11 come to mind) and Mendelssohn.
If the rumours of Beethoven being bipolar are true, then this might be his manic episode xD.
Thank you so much for this post. Went to Amazon and bought Helmchen's LVB Concertos 1,2,4 and 5. So far, stunning.
Your posts are outstanding. While I am not an idiot about "classical" music and I can't speak with the musical authority many show here, I do understand what it is being said. I love the opinions expressed and I love the paths I am led down.
17:48 ich bin sprachlos. Fühle meine Kraft und Schütze, das Leben schenkt das allerbeste .. absolut Lieblingsstück von Beethoven ☺️
I've been waiting my WHOLE life for the Emperor to be posted and here I am!!! Thank you so much Ashish!!!
After a long I'm listening to the emperor and My God! this rendition is absolutely stunning. I think this might be my new favourite interpretation of the Emperor :)
Thank you for uploading, love it. This music was one of my childhood's favorite. You are my favorite classical piano music youtuber
Awww... the Cadenza at the beginning... Just wonderful and so beautiful..
Until this moment, on this rather fine day, I prized Zimerman and Bernstein's recording with the VPO as the finest 3, 4, 5 of B.'s piano concertos, but this has swayed me. This is indeed the pinnacle of the emperor.
I think in many cases the notion that performers are supposed to strictly try and replicate "what the composer intended" is dogmatic nonsense (especially for composers like Bach who didn't tell us at all what he "intended", and probably for good reason). But, in my opinion, there are also some extremely trustworthy composers, whose instructions, followed to the letter, can reveal completely new magic. Beethoven is one such composer. Mahler too. Funnily enough, these composer's instructions seem to be ignored particularly often. I find that the most excellent Beethoven interpretations are consistently the ones that take great care to observe his markings and instructions and this one is an absolute prime example. Maybe the freshest recording of the piece I've ever heard. I'm sure Beethoven would love this interpretation. Other pianists who take this approach to Beethoven include Zimerman and Buchbinder, also two of my favorites.
Fair enough. I've got to say that it's always a bit disappointing when all the fun markings Beethoven puts in the score get glossed over -- his interpretive ideas are uniformly wonderful. One of the very few interpreters who gets away with this, I think, is Paul Lewis -- his style has a spacious sort of natural-ness to it that is really lovely. Reminds me a bit of a modern-day Arrau.
One of my most favorite piano concertos ever......second movement is nothing less then spectacular.....heavenly sound.....gorgeous cords......Ludwig was a genious
This performance is a REVELATION! Amazing interpretation!
AXK has done the Emperor Concerto! Hooray! The Emperor Concerto has one of my all-time favorite moments in Beethoven's music. If I had to pick my top 5, they would be
1. The crescendo into the beginning of the finale of the 5th Symphony, quite possibly the greatest crescendo in musical history, when the brass blazes forth with the opening of the finale;
2. This concerto. Same place--final movement transition. That change from B to B-flat, with the quiet ascending passage that anticipates the surging Rondo theme, then the piano's sudden leap into the Rondo.
3. The opening of the 9th--the "orchestra tuning up" section, then all hell breaks loose
4. Last variation in the op. 109 leading to the return of the theme
5. Similar to the Emperor, the sudden transition into the finale of the op. 81a, the Wiedersehen movement, as though Beethoven is giving a shout for joy at seeing his friend return and they're rushing to embrace.
(Honorable mentions: the first appearance of the Ode to Joy theme in the 9th; the opening of the Cavatina in the op. 130 quartet; the exultant final page of the op. 110 sonata, where the fugue falls away and the theme rises to glory)
The dramatic segue-into-finale seems to be a thing in Beethoven's middle period: 4th and 5th concerti; 5th symphony, Appassionata, Waldstein, and Das Lebewohl sonatas.
Setting aside 40 minutes to listen to what looks like a terrific recording.
Tim Ward Those are all wonderful Beethovenian moments. I doubt I could keep my own list to 5 or 6, but I would want to include . . . let's see . . . : the opening of the A Major Cello Sonata; the opening of the F Major Razumovksy; the entire last movement of the Waldstein; the entire Heiliger Dankgesang of Op. 132; the Arietta theme of Op. 111; that brief, insane section in the middle of the Op. 135 scherzo, where the violin goes dancing off into the heights and the other strings obsessively reiterate a grounding motif; the hushed, calm, transfigured (when it's played well) opening of the G Major Piano Concerto; yeah, they keep on coming . . . It's LvB's 250th birthday this year! December 16th. With all the crap going on in the world today, there are still things to make you smile and feel proud to be part of a species that produced Ludwig van Beethoven.
As well as all of your favourite moments I would add to my list lento of op.135, last two movements of op.131 and fugue from second movement of op. 55 Symphony
1. Introduction of 7th symphony 1st movement, 2. Fughetta in Hammerklavier 1st movement, 3. Both the transition and the recapitulation in Hammerklavier 3rd movement 4. (tied) Opening of Waldstein and the exposition of Les Adieux mov1
"...the opening of the Cavatina in the op. 130 quartet; the exultant final page of the op. 110 sonata, where the fugue falls away and the theme rises to glory" THIS. I'd add the final of the 4th PC 1st movement, and the whole eroica symphony. Not to mention the Diabelli Variations.
I'll take your moment in this concerto and raise you the section from 32:40 to 33:06. It's the same concept, but I prefer the way Beethoven seamlessly transitions to the rondo theme from the anticipatory rising notes of the orchestra in this part. The downwards scale into the theme is just genius. (Not trying to one-up your choice btw. Just personal preference)
Best tone for this piece achieved.
OK, this is a "wow" from the first note!
This recording made this piece 10x better in my head.
Hope you upload the five Beethoven piano concertos!
He will this year in honor of Beethovens 250th birthday. He said so in the premiere
@@erikbreathes I missed that! Thank you!
fourth concerto too
Isn't there a 6th piano concerto?
@@AntoniusTertius No, the Piano Concerti are five, then there is a triple concerto, for Piano, Cello, Violin and orchestra.
I love the beginning where measure bars are dispensed with. Never noticed that before; makes so much musical sense.
Music to make angels tarry to listen to in silence: so love this piece I wish it could be the last I hear before I pass on.
Incredible performance of an incredible piece of music~
I love all your little time-stamp notes; lots of things I hadn't noticed
This is an excellent recording! Thank you!
Incredibly beautiful.
Never heard of the pianist, but he sure plays amazing!
I just started listening to this one a couple of weeks ago, the timing couldn't have been more perfect! Thanks for the upload as always. Love reading your thoughts about the concerto.
this is my favourite piano concerto.
O meu também pqp que concerto lindo, e meu favorito é o 3 de Beethoven, em c menor
Sempre te encontro nos vídeos kkkk
You made it through, Ashish! Congratulations!
Thank you so much for your channel. This is how I unwind.
03:37 already this piece has me crying due to its beauty.
34:05 Ive never heard the turn on the b flat played like that before, sounds nice
Holy fuck who is this guy?
recording is perfect
and his skills, touch, and interpretation is just amazing
I've always loved 17:47 It reminds me of a music box
Now you know where John Williams took inspiration for the Harry Potter score
You are so right!
The best piano concert, I love it
This is Cosmos, UNIVERSE including all Stares Moon and Sun.
Me encanta. el concierto Nro. 4 para piano y orquesta de Beethoven.
27:25 When Howard Hamlin's car keys got sabotaged.
A minha número 1 de todas as eruditas,conheci em dezembro de 1980 aos 17 anos.♥️
시대 좋아졌다 이런 멋진 음악을 집에서 유튜브로 듣고 있다니!
0:00 Soyuz nerushimyy respublik svobodnykh~~
It reminded me of that too. Probably because of really loud brass.
I don’t know Russian, but yeah it sounded like that
@@wodzimierzwosimieta2758 I guess it's because they're all in Eb
*Rossiya svyaschennaya nasha derjava!
This was my dad’s favorite piano concerto. The second movement-oh I miss him!!
Saw him perform this live!
really fantastic recording! Gonna have to go get it now to add to my collection.
The 2nd mov while high made me feel like I was discovering the secrets of the universe
Os mais belos harpejos escalas e resoluções. As palhetas colorem em contraste com a exuberância orquestral. As batidas dos timpanos marcam a beleza da base orquetral. É muita emoção...
5:32 am i the only one who likes this part..
nö
@@nobodyinabody yess... oh whoa wait nooooo woowwwwwww
Camille Saint-Saëns was probably inspired by this
TYVM!! Saw Garrick Ohlsson play this with the SF ~14YA. Was great, very powerful... for a Chopin interpreter. : - )
Outstanding performance.
actually my favorite is zimerman's but this one is fantastic too!
Sheer and tremendous beauty from simplicity. B's fifth concerto, 'Emperor' is quite easy to play(both pianoforte and orchestra, in technical point of view)but this expresses majestic sound and feeling as Brahms' 2 concertos. This is absolute MASTERPIECE. After listening to this piece, you will know why this is called as 'Emperor'.
Actually it was named The Emperor in honor of Napoleon Bonaparte, before Beethoven lost all faith in the man after the invasion of Russia in 1812
@@stephensefi2287 Actually, you're both wrong and the name has nothing to do with the piece at all and was not given by Beethoven. You're thinking of Beethoven's dedication of the third symphony.
@@SpaghettiToaster Actually, the two replies are wrong. The original commenter was referring to the fact that this is colloquially known as the ‘Emperor’ Concerto, and not necessarily that the composer gave this name himself. This is irrelevant because it doesn’t matter who gave the name in this circumstance.
@@therealrealludwigvanbeethoven Yes it is. because we call the concerto "Emperor" not because it's majestic, but because it was published with that nickname.
@@SpaghettiToaster But the reason why the commenter said that is because it is subjectively majestic and they felt the nickname suited the piece.
8:48~9:13 I feel like I'm lifting up my passion that I've only dreamed of
Some composers beg interpretive licence but if you want "beethoven" just play what's there. This recording proves it.
Exactly, It sort of of annoys me how some people play Beethoven like Chopin.
6:34, 17:47, 21:38, 31:42, 32:14, 35:54
Helmchen is absolutely fantastic. His recording of the Vingt Regards is my one of my favorites.
Beethoven would laugh his ass off at all this detailed discussion and hair splitting about this performer and that interpretation. He created where others recreate and analyse recordings!
Tambi én me agrada mucho el Concierto Nro. 5 "Emperador" para piano y orquesta de Beethoven. Es mi favorito con toda su música , las nueve sinfonías, opera Fidelio, sus obras para piano y orquesta, para violin y orquesta. Me vuelo con sus hermosas melodías. Esta es música.
I find it an absolute masterpiece the transition from the 2nd to the 3rd movement
Wow Beethoven is realy good. Does enyone know where and when he will play another concert?
i really hope Helmchen of all people is going to record the 32 sonatas
21:05 my three favorite chords in this entire movement
its actually 2
@@aswomebro2601 lol im counting the g# minor chord at the end