The Piano Concerto in E-flat Major, WoO 4, is Beethoven¿s earliest concerto and probably his first work to use any sort of an orchestra. Probably composed in 1785, the work is a substantial one, with three fully-developed movements spread fairly evenly over its thirty-five minute length. A manuscript copy of the solo piano part (no full score has been found) contains all tutti sections as well as instrumental cues indicating an orchestra of two flutes, two horns, and strings. In 1943 a workable version for piano and orchestra assembled by Swiss musicologist Willi Hess was published, but it was a product of its time, and some liberties were taken (for instance, the endings of the second and third movements were changed). The present edition retains Beethoven¿s scoring and also features parts for bassoons, which would normally have played along on the bass line. The original endings of the Larghetto and Rondo have been restored, original dynamics are closely adhered to, thematic material is introduced at logical places, and interplay between the soloist and various instruments is featured at a number of locations. Beethoven tightened up this concerto by crossing out measures in all three movements, and these have been included in appendices.

Eminent Beethoven scholar Willy Hess completed his own reconstruction of the concerto in 1943. His version has been recorded three times, but only one is currently available on the Philips label (442580-2). The newest reconstruction of the concerto, created by Professor Jon Ceander Mitchell in 2003, is presented in this study in the form of a piano reduction (as a two-piano critical edition). This present edition, edited by Dr. Mitchell and the author of this essay, retains Beethoven's instrumentation and restores the endings of the second and third movements (which were changed by Willy Hess). This study also includes a piano cadenza for the first movement, which is a free composition by the author. It also discusses both available restorations of this work and some of the concerto's interpretative issues.

The connections between a great artist's life and work are subtle, complex, and often highly revealing. In the case of Beethoven, however, the standard approach has been to treat his life and his art separately. Now, Barry Cooper's new volume incorporates the latest international research on many aspects of the composer's life and work and presents these in a truly integrated narrative. Cooper employs a strictly chronological approach that enables each work to be seen against the musical and biographical background from which it emerged. The result is a much closer confluence of life and work than is usually achieved, for two reasons. First, composition was Beethoven's central preoccupation for most of his life: "I live entirely in my music," he once wrote. Second, recent study of his many musical sketches has enabled a much clearer picture of his everyday compositional activity than was previously possible, leading to rich new insights into the interaction between his life and music. This volume concentrates on Beethoven's artistic achievements both by examining the origins of his works and by expert commentary on some of their most striking and original features. It also reexamines virtually all the evidence--from fictitious anecdotes right down to the translations of individual German words--to avoid recycling old errors. And it offers numerous new details derived from sketch studies and a new edition of Beethoven's correspondence. Offering a wealth of fresh conclusions and intertwining life and work in illuminating ways, Beethoven will establish itself as the reference on one of the world's greatest composers.

Written for the general reader, this book reveals how Beethoven's great works reflect both his artistic individuality and the deepest philosophical and political currents of his age.

Widely regarded as the greatest composer that ever lived, Ludwig van Beethoven was the principal musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. Dominating a period of musical history as no other composer before or since, Beethoven produced monumental works that combine a forceful intensity of feeling with a perfection of design. Delphi’s Great Composers Series offers concise illustrated guides to the life and works of our greatest composers. Analysing the masterworks of each composer, these interactive eBooks include links to popular streaming services, allowing you to listen to the pieces of music you are reading about. Evaluating the masterworks of each composer, you will explore the development of their works, tracing how they changed the course of music history. Whether a classical novice or a cultivated connoisseur, this series offers an intriguing overview of the world’s most famous and iconic compositions. This volume presents Beethoven’s masterworks in succinct detail, with informative introductions, accompanying illustrations and the usual Delphi bonus features. (Version 1) * Concise and informative overview of Beethoven’s masterworks * Learn about the classical pieces that made Beethoven a celebrated composer * Links to popular streaming services (free and paid), allowing you to listen to the masterpieces you are reading about * Features a special ‘Complete Compositions’ section, with an index of Beethoven’s complete works and links to popular streaming services * Includes Beethoven’s letters (translated by Lady Wallace) - spend hours exploring the composer’s personal correspondence * Also features four biographies, including Thayer’s seminal study - explore Beethoven's intriguing musical and personal life Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting eBooks CONTENTS: The Masterworks Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II Piano Concerto No. 2 Piano Sonata No. 8, Pathétique Symphony No. 1 Piano Sonata No. 14, Moonlight Sonata Violin Sonata No. 9, Kreutzer Sonata Symphony No. 3, Eroica Fidelio Violin Concerto in D major Symphony No. 5 Symphony No. 6, Pastoral Egmont Bagatelle No. 25, Für Elise Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor Concerto Piano Trio No. 7, Archduke Symphony No. 7 Missa solemnis Symphony No. 9 String Quartet No. 14 Complete Compositions Index of Beethoven’s Compositions The Letters Beethoven’s Letters (1790-1826) The Biographies Life of Beethoven by Anton Schindler The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven by Alexander Wheelock Thayer Beethoven: A Memoir by Elliott Graeme Brief Biography: Ludwig van Beethoven by Donald Francis Tovey Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of exciting titles

One of Beethoven's most admired and widely performed piano concertos -- perfectly designed and profoundly poetic -- is reprinted here complete with bar-numbered movements.