Ludwig van Beethoven conquered the musical city of Vienna as a pianist. He created outstanding works for his instrument. These include his five piano concertos. His Concerto No. 1 in C major op. 15 was an immediate success. The broad structure, the first ever large orchestral scoring with timpani, clarinets and trumpets, and the powerful and brilliant solo part represent a significant development of the genre. It is a virtuoso early work, fascinating for its strong contrasts in the heroic opening movement. After a lyrical middle section, Beethoven leads to a rapid dance melody in the final movement.

The success of the Piano Concerto No. 1 op. 15 at its premiere at the Vienna Hofburgtheater on 29 March 1795 prompted Beethoven to perform it also on his concert tours to Berlin and Budapest in 1796 and to Prague in 1798. For his first Academy Concert in Vienna in 1800, Beethoven reworked the work thoroughly, after the originally planned Concerto op. 37 had not been completed in time. After the performance, Beethoven revised the solo part again. The piano concerto was first printed in this new version in 1801.

The Urtext edition by Beethoven scholar Hans-Werner Küthen provides the text of the new Beethoven Complete Edition in a practical format, supplemented by a detailed preface on the complex history of its genesis and sources. The edition corrects numerous errors and irregularities found in earlier editions. “Hans-Werner Küthen gives these masterpieces the editions that they deserve”, praises the trade press.
Be inspired by Beethoven's first piano concerto, a fascinating testimony to his early work and at the same time a forerunner of his later large-scale symphonic concertos.