Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 premiered with the composer himself as the soloist on April 5, 1803. Two other pieces were premiered at the same concert, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 and the oratorio “Christ on the Mount of Olives.” The theme to this concerto is reminiscent of Mozart’s C minor Piano concerto.
Beethoven wrote this impressive concerto under stressful circumstances. It was composed over the course of several years, between 1799 and 1802. Beethoven was beginning to realize that his hearing problems were more than a temporary condition. He had started to retreat from society in order to hide his deafness and was struggling to understand why fate had dealt him this blow. In a letter to a friend Beethoven confesses that he lives “most unhappily, in discord with nature and with the Creator. More than once I have cursed the latter for exposing his creatures to the slightest accident, so that often the loveliest blossoms are destroyed and broken by it.” At 30, Beethoven was having difficulty having conversations with people and hearing certain instruments play. In Beethoven’s Heilegenstadt Testament, written in 1802, he even admits that he wanted to end his life but didn’t, feeling that he was called by “Art” to produce all that he was capable of producing. It is thanks to this calling of his that we have this piano concerto and any other monumental works in our repertoire.
Contrary to his feelings of dismay Beethoven’s Third Piano concerto was received with triumph. The opening movement has an unusually long orchestral prologue in which all of the movement’s themes are presented. After the long orchestral statement of themes there is the dramatic piano entrance, marked by ascending scales. The movement’s ending is preceded by a cadenza or improvisatory passage.
The second movement is in the key of E major, not ordinarily used in conjunction with C minor. The effect of using such a distant key is transforming, making one feel as if time has stopped and as if we have been transported into a completely different world.
The third movement brings us back into C minor but not for long. This rondo is is full of twists and turns, taking the audience on a whirlwind voyage to many different keys until Beethoven finally settles on the key of C major. A brief piano cadenza towards the end of the movement further highlights the change in mood as a jokingly taunts the orchestra and the audience before diving into the coda.
The Orchestra of the Incarnate Word will be performing this work along with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 at McAllister Auditorium on Monday, February 26th and at Incarnate Word University Saturday, March 3.