Beethoven: Piano Concerto in E-flat Major, WoO 4

The Piano Concerto in E-flat Major, WoO 4, is Beethoven’s earliest concerto and ‎probably his first work to use any sort of 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.‎

I. Allegro moderato

II. Larghetto

III. Rondo: [Allegretto]