Beethoven - Piano Concerto 4 [Perahia/ Haitink-Concertgebouw Orchestra] This is another sup from this incredible box set [17th February 2011], and also i listened to this very same work last year [17th February 2010], and this Piano Concerto continues to grow on me, now on a par with the Third Concerto.
Murray Perahia is an American, but has now moved to London, he made this recording in 1984.
The Fourth Concerto is a work which doesn't reveal up all it's goodies on the first dozen listens, this has certainly been a work which has grown on me, and just in the last couple of years i've come to appreciate it a lot more, it's certainly nicely blooming for me, it was the first movement which had me in musical raptures, the opening is so memorable, and for Beethoven this was quite revolutionary too, a gentle little preview of the main tune [0:00-0:16], with just piano solo, but it's the more traditional, say 'Mozartian' orchestral introduction afterwards that i really like [0:18-2:53], with its powerful fortes,
Here's Murray Perahia playing the last half of the first movement on YouTube.
