Concerto Budapest / Várjon, Marwood, Keller

“The radiant intensity of Marwood’s playing had extraordinary emotional power”; “played with blistering intensity and astonishing accuracy”; “awesome dexterity and passion”. These are some critics’ thoughts on the violin playing of Anthony Marwood, who we hear in the opening number of the concert, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major. The launch of this work was not trouble-free: the 1806 première proved a flop, thus it was not made part of the repertoire until Joachim József took it up half a century later. ▪ The Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor was the outcome of a lengthy compositional process dating from the beginning of the middle creative period of Beethoven. Anecdotally, Beethoven is said to have been out strolling once when he heard the strains of Mozart’s Piano Concerto in C minor (K. 491) at an outdoor performance, and turning to the pianist-composer he was with cried: “Cramer, Cramer! We shall never be able to do anything like that!” It is no surprise, therefore, that the opening part of the piano concerto echoes the melody of its musical forerunner. The concert concludes with Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major.