I listened with great pleasure to this performance by pianist Rudolf Serkin yesterday. I was astounded at the beauty of the music, particularly the second movement…
It must have been a shock for the audience in Vienna who heard the premiere of this concerto, because there is no orchestral introduction before the piano comes in. That is Beethoven’s innovation, as compared to Music of Haydn and all but one of Mozart’s concertos.
Rudolf Serkin has amazed audiences the world over during his long career. His gentle technique has earned him profound respect, and critical acclaim. Serkin was born in Eger, Bohemia, to Mordko and Augusta Serkin, Russian Jews who had fled the pogroms. He could play the piano and read music by the time he was four years old.
Although practicing was difficult in a one-room apartment with his seven brothers and sisters, young Serkin ignored the chaos around him and learned to play so well that he made his debut as guest artist with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra when he was only 12. He was invited to tour the continent, but declined in order to continue studying piano.
He began his concert career when he turned 17, performing solo and in chamber orchestras. He also played a series of sonatas for piano and violin with Adolf Busch. Over the next few years, Serkin toured the capitals of Europe, impressing audiences everywhere with his intense and dignified style.
Listen now to the late Rudolf Serkin as he performs the Beethoven Concerto #4:
