# Which is your favorite piano concerto by Beethoven?



## Guest

Mine favorite is 5th. What about you?


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## Ravndal

No 4. You like piano concertos?


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## Guest

ABSOLUTELY! [Mozart aside. XD] I enjoy all 20th century piano concertos and Beethoven's are a treasure.


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## Op.123

3rd. the best by far


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## Guest

@3rd After hearing the first movement well over a dozen times, i still do not get it. It is slower compared to its other four counterparts. The others have more "thunderous" shall we say of an intro?


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## Mahlerian

So, I don't have to be honest here?

Then I say #2.


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## Art Rock

Hors concours: none
Essential: Piano concerto 3
Important: Piano concertos 4,5
Good to have: Piano concerto 1
Not required: Piano concerto 2


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## moody

No.4 is the one.


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## Ondine

No. 5 is a masterpiece.


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## schuberkovich

5. 4 just behind.


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## Skilmarilion

I voted for the 3rd but I adore the 5th as well, in particular its spellbindingly beautiful slow movement.


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## Ravndal

Dayum. 3, 4 and 5 is equally loved.


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## Novelette

Mahlerian said:


> So, I don't have to be honest here?
> 
> Then I say #2.


It seems that we all have leave to be as honest or dishonest as we like!

Still, I'll take the former condition:

3rd & 4th equally in first place, the 5th stands at second place--in my opinion.


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## kv466

Favorite tender movement?...the adagio un poco mosso from the e-flat concerto
Favorite intense movement?...the allegro con brio from the c-minor concerto
Favorite concerto overall?...the concerto in G

All five concerti, of course, played by Glenn Gould. The fourth and fifth are tolerable by Arrau.


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## Feathers

karajan said:


> ABSOLUTELY! [*Mozart aside. XD*] I enjoy all 20th century piano concertos and Beethoven's are a treasure.


Wait, what? 

Well, lucky you for still having the opportunity to discover the brilliance of Mozart's piano concertos for the first time!  I wish I could start fresh and discover them again.


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## Guest

kv466 said:


> Favorite tender movement?...the adagio un poco mosso from the e-flat concerto
> Favorite intense movement?...the allegro con brio from the c-minor concerto
> Favorite concerto overall?...the concerto in G
> 
> All five concerti, of course, played by Glenn Gould. The fourth and fifth are tolerable by Arrau.


*GOULD?* His playing is unnaturally fast. SO FAST! Sheesh he couldn't relax his finger while playing.


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## Guest

Feathers said:


> Wait, what?
> 
> Well, lucky you for still having the opportunity to discover the brilliance of Mozart's piano concertos for the first time!  I wish I could start fresh and discover them again.


I had a set of Ashkenazy which i had downloaded. Deleted it, did not enjoy the concertos even the slightest. Although Mozart's style and so called "depth" is favored by some, i simply do not like it. I love complex [outright complex that is, unlike, yet again, Mozart] concertos by great composers like Brahms and 20th century piano concertos.


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## Guest

Novelette said:


> It seems that we all have leave to be as honest or dishonest as we like!
> 
> Still, I'll take the former condition:
> 
> 3rd & 4th equally in first place, the 5th stands at second place--in my opinion.


lol

Yes! I have left it up to the user if they want to be honest or not... Mahlerian


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## Arsakes

#3 is da best! ...


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## GodNickSatan

The 4th takes me places where not a lot else can. Not much separates the 3rd and 5th. 1st and 2nd are both really enjoyable, but not on the same level.


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## kv466

karajan said:


> *GOULD?* His playing is unnaturally fast. SO FAST! Sheesh he couldn't relax his finger while playing.


Oh, yeah, clearly what we hear after 3:18 is 'unnaturally fast' and non-relaxed.

Sorry, man, but I simply can't listen to anyone who is unnaturally inferior and insufficient and unable to play at high levels of virtuosity while still dissecting the piece with respect. Hence, I enjoy Glenn and Earl more than anyone else. Didn't like Earl's Beethoven, though.


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## Guest

kv466 said:


> Oh, yeah, clearly what we hear after 3:18 is 'unnaturally fast' and non-relaxed.
> 
> Sorry, man, but I simply can't listen to anyone who is unnaturally inferior and insufficient and unable to play at high levels of virtuosity while still dissecting the piece with respect. Hence, I enjoy Glenn and Earl more than anyone else. Didn't like Earl's Beethoven, though.


So all the other recordings of the concertos are "inferior" because they let the pieces breathe? Gould does not give "respect" to the piece.

Sorry man, but i disagree.


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## mmsbls

Usually I don't have trouble deciding how to rank works, but here I'm a bit stuck. At various times I think I've felt that each of 3, 4, and 5 was my favorite. I guess I would place them essentially equal. I also adore the 1st.


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## kv466

karajan said:


> So all the other recordings of the concertos are "inferior" because they let the pieces breathe? Gould does not give "respect" to the piece.
> 
> Sorry man, but i disagree.


Just taking the cadenzas alone,...this performance by Vladi is among the top and best of any I've heard from the big names and certainly among lesser known performers. Still, it is far below par compared to what Glenn and Leonard did. We just hear different things, kid.

I just think the difference is obvious.


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## EllenBurgess

Piano Concerto No. 4,its mine favorite one


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## Guest

kv466 said:


> Just taking the cadenzas alone,...this performance by Vladi is among the top and best of any I've heard from the big names and certainly among lesser known performers. Still, it is far below par compared to what Glenn and Leonard did. We just hear different things, kid.
> 
> I just think the difference is obvious.


To each to his own.


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## Guest

kv466 said:


> Just taking the cadenzas alone,...this performance by Vladi is among the top and best of any I've heard from the big names and certainly among lesser known performers. Still, it is far below par compared to what Glenn and Leonard did. We just hear different things, kid.
> 
> I just think the difference is obvious.


To each to his own.


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## Novelette

kv466 said:


> Just taking the cadenzas alone,...this performance by Vladi is among the top and best of any I've heard from the big names and certainly among lesser known performers. Still, it is far below par compared to what Glenn and Leonard did. We just hear different things, kid.
> 
> I just think the difference is obvious.


Glenn's performance of that cadenza--my favorite of Beethoven's original cadenzas for his piano concertos--is thrilling! How had I not heard this performance before now?

Easily on par with Argerich's and maybe greater. I'll have to listen a few more times.


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## TrevBus

I take this as; your favorite and not the Best. Therefore, #2. Silly fun. If going for the best, a tie; 4th and 5th.


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## handlebar

Number 4 for sure but they are all gems.


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## chrisco97

The 5th, is my absolute favourite of the five. It is so amazing, beginning to end. One of Beethoven's best works in my opinion.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

No. 4 

...........


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## adrem

My favourite: 1 and 4. First is so youthful and prankish. I love fourth for one reason: second movement. Of course all of them are true masterpieces.


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## jeanmarc

I voted based on which one I had the most recordings of, which is certainly the Emperor. Probably the only piece of music in my collection I think I have too many recordings of.


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## Alydon

moody said:


> No.4 is the one.


I've always gone for No.4 - there is something about the 1st mov. which is always looking back on itself and then the mighty 2nd mov. coupled with the last mov. which seems to make sense of the whole thing.


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## Tapiola

No. 5 is the piece that got me into piano concertos and really piano music in general. It is also still probably my favorite piano concerto, although Mozart's 24th is also in contention. No. 3 would be my second favorite by Beethoven.


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## afterpostjack

It seems the poll result reflects my taste pretty well, as I find that the 4th just edges the 5th. I have not listened much to the 3rd, though.


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## Bix

fünf natürlich


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## Bas

I voted for the third concerto (as in: I enjoy this one the most, 4 and 5 are probably the best, musically)

Some good and HIP recording I like to share with my fellow Beethoven Piano Concerto fans:

Christopper Hogwood direction and Steve Lubin on forte piano, on Decca. Also on of the most amazing Pathetique performance I have ever heard.


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