Eivind Aadland
Paul Lewis
Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven’s first and fourth piano concerto

Oslo Concert Hall Buy ticket

Beethoven’s first and fourth piano concerto

Ludwig van Beethoven was himself the soloist and the star when he performed his first piano concertos. Paul Lewis is the soloist and Eivind Aadland is conducting when the Oslo Philharmonic performs all five piano concertos over three nights. This is the final concerts, with Beethoven's first and fourth piano concerto on the program.

Already at 13, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was so skilled at the piano that he could earn his own money as a musician in the court orchestra in his hometown of Bonn. And he had enough confidence as a composer to start writing a piano concerto.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was Beethoven’s great role model. In the 1780s, Mozart dazzled Vienna as a soloist in his own piano concertos. In 1795, Beethoven gave his debut concert in the city, probably with the newly written Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major on the program.

Like Mozart, Beethoven used his concerts to demonstrate that he was the best pianist of his time. His role model also inspired the music, but Beethoven’s distinctive features, such as strong contrasts and dramatic shifts, are clear already in the first concertos.

When he finished his Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major in 1806, Beethoven was a mature and recognized composer. He premiered the work at a major concert in Vienna just before Christmas in 1808, and it was a great success. This is the most poetic of the five, beginning softly with the piano alone.

What is played

  • Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1
  • Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4

Performers

Tickets

Prices

Price groups Price
Adult 150 - 540 NOK
Senior 150 - 430 NOK
Student 150 - 270 NOK
Child 150 NOK

Eivind Aadland
Paul Lewis
Ludwig van Beethoven

Oslo Concert Hall Buy ticket