Beethoven Concertos IV vs V

[chopianist123]

Beethoven - Piano Concerto IV and V

Which one do u prefer more, and which one is technically more difficult to play?

[stormx]

I prefer the IV (it is my favorite LvB piano concerto)

I have not the slightest idea of which is more difficult. Being at Clementi sonatinas level (i began playing less than 2 years ago), those works belong to another world for me...

[apion]

Beethoven's 4th PC is one of the greatest concertos ever penned.  The motivically integrated yet lyrical beauty of the 1st movement has no equal in the repertoire.  A perfect gem.  5 is very great, but not quite as great as 4.

They are equally difficult.

[beethoven2]

personally, i like five, and i don't know which one is harder. sorry.

[Waldszenen]

Love both, prefer No. 5, No. 4 is harder.

[teresa_b]

Hi,

No 4 is my favorite PC in all concerto literature!  I'm currently working on it for a performance in April.  (I also played twice before, years ago.) 

Whether you like 4 or 5 better is a matter of personal preference--No 4 is more introspective while 5 is full of bravado, so their overall appeal is different. 

I think both are quite difficult, and possibly 4 slightly more so.  It requires a great deal of control in the 1st movement, with rapid, yet extremely light and even passagework.  There are a lot of leaps in 1st and 3rd movements.  Most challenging, the interpretation--I have found that too much concentration on detail for too long results in a loss of forward flow of the music.  The sheer beauty of the lyricism is stunning, but takes a lot of effort to produce the "effortless" quality!  My goal is to have this quality without revealing to the audience that I have put literally hours into just the FIRST line. 

Teresa