The Piano Concerto No. 8 in A-flat major, Op. 151 "Gruss an den Rhein" () (), by
Ferdinand Ries
Ferdinand Ries (baptised 28 November 1784 – 13 January 1838) was a German composer. Ries was a friend, pupil and secretary of Ludwig van Beethoven. He composed eight symphonies, a violin concerto, nine piano concertos (the first concerto ...
was composed around 1826 and published in 1829 by
Simrock Simrock may refer to the German sheet music publisher N. Simrock, or one of the following members of the Simrock family engaged in that business:
* Nikolaus Simrock, (1751–1832), founder of N. Simrock
* Karl Joseph Simrock (1802–1876), son of N ...
.
While still showing the structural influence of
Beethoven's piano concerto
A piano concerto is a type of concerto, a solo composition in the classical music genre which is composed for a piano player, which is typically accompanied by an orchestra or other large ensemble. Piano concertos are typically virtuoso showpiec ...
s, the writing for the piano is more akin to that of later composers such as
Chopin,
Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositi ...
&
Schumann
Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
.
Composition history
Ries composed this work in 1826, some two years after his return from England and approximately two years after the publication of the last of his early piano concerti (Opp.
123 & 132). Allan Badley comments that this would most likely make it the seventh of Ries's eight piano concertos to be written.
As he was no longer an active concert pianist publication by N. Simrock, bearing a dedication to
Godefroi Weber followed within a year.
Structure
The concerto follows the traditional three-movement structure:
# ''
Allegro con moto''
# ''Larghetto con moto ''
# ''
Rondo
The rondo is an instrumental musical form introduced in the Classical period.
Etymology
The English word ''rondo'' comes from the Italian form of the French ''rondeau'', which means "a little round".
Despite the common etymological root, rondo ...
: Allegro molto''
A typical performance of the work lasts around 28 to 30 minutes.
Recordings
Notable recordings of this composition include:
References
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External links
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{{Ries concertos
08
1826 compositions
Compositions in A-flat major
Music with dedications