Beethoven and Tchaikovsky

Two heroic tales of a battle with fate.

Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto is a heroic epic in which the soloist throws themselves into battle with leonine courage. In this hero, we recognise the composer himself. Though he became deaf, he continued to compose, overcame his fate, and became a shining example for generations to come — including Tchaikovsky. “In essence, my symphony is an imitation of Beethoven,” he said of his own heroic Fourth. An imitation? You might just as well call it an intensification.