Beethoven’s “Imperial” Concerto no. 5

Through its bold innovations, Beethoven’s last piano concerto opened a new path to musical Romanticism. The relationship he instilled between soloist and orchestra mirrors his social status in the 19th century: that of an independent artist sometimes at odds with the world around him. The drive and intensity of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto also enliven Sibelius’ Symphony no. 5, a radiant work that is often triumphant in character.