This week we begin the cycle of the Beethoven piano concerti, of which there are five.
Beethoven arrived in Vienna as a young man the way Bob Dylan later arrived in New York: a country bumpkin determined to make a big splash in the world. and what better way to do it than with his own concerti featuring himself as soloist. Alas, things went badly for Beethoven: as his writing became more ambitious, progressive hearing loss robbed him of his ability to perform ensemble works. We'll listen to the process as it unfolded this Thursday and over the next four weeks.