Camilo Marchesini's Blog

Glenn Gould, The Secret Live Tapes: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 73: III. Rondo: Allegro

05 Aug 2021

The closing movement of the cycle of the “Emperor Concerto”, Beethoven’s last piano concerto, in a majestic performance by Glenn Gould accompanied by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Josef Krips on November 6, 1960.

Deeply embedded in the digressions of the rondo, an energetic conversation between horns and oboes interweaves with the fabric of Gould’s piano scales, lending the movement the characteristic familiarity of allegro refrains but with the addition of a shimmering nuance stirred by Gould’s glowing take on Beethoven’s tempos.