In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many homes throughout society had pianos, and these instruments were not only a source of family entertainment, but a vehicle for composers and publishers to publicize their work. The Leipzig Publisher C.F. Peters expanded its Beethoven catalogue with four hand arrangements of the master’s Ouvertures by the eminent conductor and pianist Richard Kleinmichel. The Beethoven Three Marches are original Beethoven, and skillfully exploit all of the technical possibilities that four hands can bring to the piano. He dedicated them to Countess Maria Esterházy, and if they played them together, she must have been an excellent player.
Program:
Ludwig van Beethoven: Coriolan Ouverture, Opus 62
Ludwig van Beethoven: Three Marches for piano, Opus 45
Credit: tom mesic
