BEETHOVEN Concerto No.2 In B-Flat (Op. 19), William Kapell, RCA, DM-1132

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BEETHOVEN
Concerto No. 2 in "B" Flat (Opus 19)


William Kapell - Piano

and the NBC Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Vladimir Golschmann


RCA Victor Masterpiece Set
DM-1132

Complete on Four Twelve-inch Records

Matrix numbers: 9622 - 9625

Ludwig van Beethoven (?l?dv?? væn ?be?.to?v?n/; German: [?lu?tv?ç fan ?be?t.ho?f?n]; baptized 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. His best known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 concertos for piano, 32 piano sonatas, and 16 string quartets. He also composed other chamber music, choral works (including the celebrated Missa Solemnis), and songs.

Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of the Holy Roman Empire, Beethoven displayed his musical talents at an early age and was taught by his father Johann van Beethoven and Christian Gottlob Neefe. During his first 22 years in Bonn, Beethoven intended to study with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and befriended Joseph Haydn. Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792 and began studying with Haydn, quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist. He lived in Vienna until his death. In about 1800 his hearing began to deteriorate, and by the last decade of his life he was almost totally deaf. He gave up conducting and performing in public but continued to compose; many of his most admired works come from this period.

The Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 19, by Ludwig van Beethoven was composed primarily between 1787 and 1789, although it did not attain the form it was published as until 1795. Beethoven did write another finale for it in 1798 for performance in Prague, but that is not the finale that it was published with. It was used by the composer as a vehicle for his own performances as a young virtuoso, initially intended with the Bonn Hofkapelle. It was published in 1801, by which time he had also published the Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, although it had been composed after this work, in 1796 and 1797.

The B-flat major Piano Concerto became an important display piece for the young Beethoven as he sought to establish himself after moving from Bonn to Vienna. He was the soloist at its premiere on 29 March 1795, at Vienna's Burgtheater in a concert marking his public debut. (Prior to that, he had performed only in the private salons of the Viennese nobility.) While the work as a whole is very much in the concerto style of Mozart, there is a sense of drama and contrast that would be present in many of Beethoven's later works. Beethoven himself apparently did not rate this work particularly highly, remarking to the publisher Franz Anton Hoffmeister that, along with the Piano Concerto No. 1, it was "not one of my best." The version that he premiered in 1795 is the version that is performed and recorded today.

Movements

The work is scored for solo piano, flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns and strings. The concerto is in three movements:

I. Allegro con brio

II. Adagio

III. Rondo. Molto allegro

The first movement begins with a triumphant orchestral opening on the tonic chord, and maintains a playfulness while using chromatic passages to show off the soloist's dizzying technique. The second movement is characteristically serene and peaceful, while the closing Rondo brings back the youth-filled playfulness heard in the opening movement.

I. Allegro con brio

This movement is in the concerto variant of sonata form (double-exposition sonata form). The orchestra introduces the main theme and the subordinate theme in its exposition. The second exposition is in F major. The development wanders in key and ends on a long B-flat major scale. The recapitulation is similar to the exposition and is in B-flat major.

There is a rather difficult cadenza composed by Beethoven himself, albeit much later than the concerto itself. Stylistically, the cadenza is very different from the concerto, but it makes good use of the first opening theme. Beethoven applies this melody to the cadenza in several different ways, changing its character each time and displaying the innumerable ways that a musical theme can be used and felt. This movement was written between 1787 and 1789 in Bonn.

Average performances last from thirteen to fourteen minutes.

II. Adagio

This movement is in E-flat major, the subdominant key. Like many slow movements, it has ABA (ternary) form, where the opening section introduces the themes, and the middle section develops them. This movement was written between 1787 and 1789 in Bonn.

Average performances last from eight to nine minutes.

III. Rondo. Molto allegro

This movement takes the form of a Third Rondo (ABACABA). Beethoven's playfulness of his early period can be heard here. There is a constant angular feel within the 6/8 melody itself that Beethoven plays on with each return of the rondo theme. The C section is also highly contrasting with the others, being that it is in a minor key and more forceful and stern in meaning. Also, prior to the last appearance of the rondo theme, Beethoven brings the piano in the "wrong" key of G major, before the orchestra "discovers" the discrepancy and returns to the correct tonic key. This musical joke can be seen in many of Beethoven's subsequent compositions. This rondo is the one that Beethoven wrote in 1795 and premiered in Vienna that year. It does show Haydn's influence.

Average performances last from five to six minutes.

From the private collection of the late Dr. Harry Hammer, who was the Chairman of Macalester College’s music department from 1969-1977 as well as an avid collector for over 40 years. Dr. Hammer once served as a special hitting coach for the New York Mets. That was in August, 1965...hired to help the Mets' hitters follow the ball better, using a method he originally developed to teach musicians sight reading. All albums are from the late 20’s to early 40’s, and many are original, 1st editions containing pristine pressings from the golden age of 78’s. This collection consists of a nearly complete run of RCA Victor Musical Masterpiece Albums and Columbia Masterworks Album Sets.

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