Emperor concerto

The Emperor concerto is the generally-used name in the USA and Britain for the fifth (and last) piano concerto by Ludwig van Beethoven (Op. 73 in E flat major).

The name was given by the English composer J. B. Cramer, who described it as "an Emperor among concertos", reflecting the high regard in which it is held as possibly the greatest of all piano concertos. It has no reference to Napoleon, whom Beethoven despised after he took the title of Emperor. However, the Napoleonic wars may have influenced Beethoven to introduce the spirit of military music, marches and massed trumpets into the music.

Beethoven wrote it in 1809. Whereas he played at the premiere of his earlier piano concertos, his failing hearing made this impossible in 1809. Its first performance was in Leipzig in 1811, where one reviewer said "the crowded audience was put into a state of enthusiasm ... This is without doubt one of the most original, imaginative and effective of all existing concertos".

Like most classical concertos, it is in three movements. Beethoven described them as respectively Allegro, Adagio un poco mosso and Rondo - Allegro. In a typical performance, the work lasts arond 38 minutes.