My favourite DUO - Beethoven Piano Concerto No 4 in G major | Classical Music Reaction

[@MattSmith-il4tc]

I think this is a perfect piano concerto. Maybe the greatest of all piano concertos. The movements work together perfectly, the melodies are memorable, and the 2nd movement is one of the most moving passages that I've ever heard. The piano is consistent in its peace despite the orchestra's initial tension and strife. After several confrontations, the orchestra can't help but be calmed by the ever peaceful piano, eventually falling into line and accompanying the piano is its tranquil melody. It's brilliant and beautiful.

[@andrewashdown3541]

For me the top 3 are: Tchaikovsky No.1; Rachmaninov No.2; Beethoven No.5 'Emperor'. And don't forget Mozart 24

[@masterhighground3677]

Fun fact: this concerto was premiered together with his 5th AND 6th Symphony, as well as the Choral Fantasy, in 1808. That must have been one hell of a concert

[@harveychilds3992]

It was a disaster, supposedly. A freezing cold cold concert hall and lousy performing. For. Four. Hours.

[@SpaghettiToaster]

@@harveychilds3992 Lousy performing? Beethoven was conducting the symphonies and playing the concertos himself.

[@harveychilds3992]

Lousy in the sense that Beethoven was performing with very little rehearsal time, with a reduced orchestra due to competition, with some of the players being amateurs, plus the soprano for various works was inexperienced and suffered stage fright, PLUS the Choral Fantasy being stopped halfway through as it fell apart. The last part was partly due to Beethoven's hearing, as he began to play a repeat the orchestra were not playing, and overall, he had little conducting input.

[@codonauta]

The full concerto was 4 hours long. I don´t know why they did it that long, and not divided in 2 concertos with 2 hours long each, for example. Interesting that Beethoven was 38 years old and he played the piano in the concerto 4 and in the fantasia choral that night, and there wasn´t any complaint the pianist played badly though. Beethoven had the relevant hearing problems that time, but he yet could play piano in concertos. (Three years later he couldn´t anymore.)

[@lczq6737]

In December 2022 I went to watch Zimerman play this piece live. It was the first time I attended a concert on my own. It sounded so different than on KZbin. The thrill of Zimerman being physically right in front of you, playing while conducting at the same time was overwhelming and indescribable. (He also conducted Beethoven's 4th symphony after). He even interacted with the audience and made us laugh. Aside from his remarkable skill he displays a remarkable personality, sometimes I forget he is someone of an untouchable level, and not my close friend. It was an irreplaceable experience, which I wish would have never ended, and something that I would hold close to my heart and cherish forever.

[@Numberonesorabjifan]

Bro was talking during the best part of the piece 😭😭💀💀

[@ymatsuda6406]

The big hug between Bernstein and Zimmerman at the end says it all. What a great chemistry! The best thing in concerto is to experience something magical that shift us all where there is such strong bonds among the conductor, soloist and orchestra.

[@Sploinky_doinky]

Bernstein is my favorite conductor and Zimerman happens to be my favorite pianist so I am so excited when I see a recording of both of them

[@pianoman1857]

the 2nd and 3rd movement are so beautiful, i LOVE IT!! Please listen to the 3rd Concerto with also Zimmerman/Bernstein :)

[@brianbritchie8710]

My favourite Beethoven piano concerto.

[@markthomas2577]

One of my favourites. I think piano and violin concertos are a good way to get attuned to classical music because it's an understandable structure, basically a duet between the orchestra and the solo player with the orchestra doubling as 'accompaniment' and generally the composers chuck in some flashy stuff for the soloist to show off their virtuosity. I started on classical music from scratch in my 30s and found the concertos the best introduction.

[@071949]

Leonard Bernstein's ¨dates¨ were b. August 25, 1918--d. October 14, 1990. In addition to being a conductor he was also a composer and music educator. He wrote the music to Stephen Sondheim´s lyrics for *West Side Story*... A man of many talents...

[@Queeen7q]

He was a good pianist also.

[@Todd1356]

Number 4 is the best of Beethoven’s piano concertos. I like this with Mozart’s 25th.

[@lagwulf1637]

Great reaction, great choice! What I adore most in this piece, is the 2nd mvt with its strength - almost spooky, it reflects perhaps the myth of Orpheus in underworld. This duo is best! Gidi - if you love Bernstein, check out him conducting 4th movement of Haydns 88th symphony - just with moving his head and blinking eyes. That has so much charme!!

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

The connection to Orpheus trying to plead for the sould of Euridice has been made over and over again, probably because the movement strongly resembles what Gluck was doing in his opera in that scene. I'd like to think that while Beethoven was definately trying to do pay hommage, there is also another level: Beethoven's deafness and his perceieve misanthropy, which he lamented in his Heiligenstadt Testament, where he says that he wishes he could express how he feels inside. This movement seems to do that. The strings are the hard outside shell and the world that doesn't understand, the piano is his soul, crying for understanding.

[@philipadams5386]

Beethoven's 4th piano concerto is relatively mellow for Beethoven. In many ways it reminds me of Beethoven's violin concerto, which is another wonderful piece. FYI, orchestra administrators pick programmes and performers, in collaboration with the orchestra's Music Director, who is usually a conductor. You might be interested to know that Bernstein refused for decades to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic, because of its historical anti-semitism. In his older years, though, Bernstein relented and to his amazement, he and the Vienna Philharmonic had a kind of love affair during which they made many recordings.

[@bilahn1198]

Not to mention the fact that the VPO didn't hire women, I think until the late nineties! Except maybe for the harp!

[@Queeen7q]

When Beethoven had just written this concerto, none of Beethoven's students began to perform it, everyone was scared. And he had to play himself, and he was already almost completely deaf.

[@Misha.K23040]

Bernstein is great, I have requested his performances of different pieces (Tchaikovsky Symphony 4). But like I said before, this is him a year or two before his death, in his prime a decade earlier his performances were even more exhilarating!

[@giovic9802]

My fav concerto ♥️

[@classicalricky]

You should check out bernstein conducting Beethoven’s eroica symphony

[@daveloutorres9651]

Awesome! State of the art then...and now!

[@stevenklimecky4918]

If you like the Bernstein and Zimmerman combination, I'd recommend the KZbin video that has that pair performing the 1st and 2nd piano concertos by Johannes Brahms. If you like musical drama, these are the bomb. 💥

[@heftic]

Hi Gidi, i like your videos very much. Love to watch someone exploring the huge world of classical music and always like the Bernstein concerts. I highly recommend you to listen to concerts conducted by Carlos Kleiber. He was in my opinion top class of conductors. Additionally I recommend his rehersal Videos witch you can find on KZbin as well. These videos realy show what impact conductors can have on the piece. Viele Grüße aus der Nähe von Siegen. Super Kanal :-)

[@andrewashdown3541]

Yes Kleiber could use his arms independently - sort of ambidextrous

[@paris4235]

I sure do love Beethoven. Rachmaninov and Beethoven are the 🐐 (Btw bernstein unfortunately passed not too long after this recording)

[@GIDIREACTS]

Oh 😥 RIP…

[@anthropocentrus]

Grieg and Beethoven 4 in a row? Bruh…😵 I need to get back down..⬇️🌍…I have work

[@adrianoargenziano3103]

Certo che Beethoven e' proprio un rivoluzionario! Per la prima volta e' il pianoforte ad iniziare il concerto e non l'orchestra. Scrive la sinfonia n. 3 eroica nel 1802 ma potrebbe essere stata scritta anche a fine ottocento per come sviluppa i temi e tratta l'orchestra. Per non parlare degli ultimi quartetti per archi che, se li ascoltassi la prima volta senza conoscerne l'autore, direi che sono stati scritti nel '900. Un compositore avanti coi tempi e per questo, in vita, non sempre compreso.

[@JohannesBrahms-1833]

beethoven is best

[@thethikboy]

The music is playing and he's talking about the weather?

[@joebloggs396]

Mozart led the way for the Beethoven piano concertos.

[@featherineaugustusaurora3416]

Great reaction,You can do Another Piano concerto after this,react to Mozart Piano concerto no 20(6 months Recomendation along with Symphony no 41 that you already react)

[@bendent4416]

You should absolutely check out Symphonic Suite from "On The Waterfront" by Leonard Bernstein. It's the only movie score that Bernstein wrote and it is incredible

[@bendent4416]

@SileXeo Those aren't movie scores... Those are musicals that were made into movies. And not scores...

[@andrewashdown3541]

BTW it's pronounced as in 'fate' - Batehoven' - not Beet🧐

[@nerowolfe5175]

I almost don't want to say this, because I enjoy your pronunciation so much, but Leonard Bernstein is as American as they come - you don't need "Lay-o-nard Bairn-shtine." "Lenard Burnstine" is perfectly O.K.