Composer of the Week: Beethoven: Birth of a Legend - The First Piano Concerto

Donald Macleod explores five of the composer's most famous works, discovering both the pieces' direct importance to the composer, and also finding wider issues that each of them point to in the general life of a complex and troubled man. Donald begins by examining the story of the young Beethoven's relationship with the city of Vienna, and his First Piano Concerto, which was to be a key work in his triumphant debut as a performer in the city. He also looks at Beethoven's encounters with Mozart and Haydn. Beethoven: Symphony No 7 - IV. Finale. Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Herbert Blomstedt (conductor). Piano Quartet No 1 in E flat, WoO 36 - II. Allegro con spirito. Konstantin Selheim (piano), Klaviertrio Hannover. Cantata on the death of Emperor Joseph II - I. Todt! Todt! - III. Da kam Joseph. Sally Matthews (soprano), Tamara Mumford (mezzo), Barry Banks (tenor), Andrew Foster-Williams (bass-baritone), San Francisco Symphony Chorus, San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas (conductor). Piano Sonata in C, Op 2'3 - IV. Allegro Assai. Igor Levit (piano). Piano Concerto No 1 in C, Op 15 - 1st movement. Krystian Zimerman (piano), London Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle (conductor)