In this lesson, Swiss pianist Louis Schwizgebel guides you through the first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15. In his discussion of the movement’s playful exposition section, Schwizgebel attunes you to the ways in which Beethoven broke from the conventions of his time through unusual modulations and thematic introductions.

Schwizgebel also teaches you how you should approach concerti differently than solo and chamber repertoire: you must learn to project by exaggerating your articulation and phrasing and maintaining a strong inner pulse so that you stay together with the orchestra. Schwizgebel encourages you to study the orchestra’s part, so that you know when you're the soloist, when you're the accompanist, and when you're conversing with the orchestra.

Finally, you learn tips on how to tackle particularly different passages by maintaining flexible wrists and rotating your forearms.

In this lesson, Swiss pianist Louis Schwitzgebel demonstrates his lyrical interpretation of the second movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15. Inviting you to highlight the movement’s operatic, aria-like quality, Schwitzgebel encourages you to treat Beethoven’s rhythms, ornamentation, and large melodic leaps with a degree of rubato. He advises you, however, to adopt a stricter pulse whenever you find yourself approaching the return of orchestral passages, so that the orchestra will enter in the correct tempo.

Schwitzgebel also introduces you to ways of creating an orchestral sound at the piano by, for instance, lightly touching the sustain pedal on staccato notes to evoke the resonance of plucked strings.

Are you struggling with trills? This lesson is for you! Schwitzgebel discusses the importance of maintaining a flexible wrist – by raising your wrist and moving it toward the piano’s fallboard, you release tension and sustain the speed of your trills. You learn, however, that you don’t have to play your trills at the same speed – you can slow them down and speed them up for expressive purposes.

In this lesson, Swiss pianist Louis Schwizgebel shares with you his technical insights into learning the final movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15.

The fingerings that you see marked in scores, for instance, don’t necessarily have to be the ones that you use. Sometimes, you can find alternate fingerings that allow you to enhance your articulation. As Schwizgebel mentions in his lesson on the first movement, you should exaggerate your articulation when playing concerti so that your sound speaks over the orchestra. Certain soloistic passages, however, may require a lighter (though still precise!) touch. For this kind of playing, Schwizgebel prescribes a loose wrist and rotating forearm.

Finally, this lesson will teach you strategies for practicing cadenzas and broken octaves – strategies that will help you not only learn this movement but countless other pieces of Classical and Romantic repertoire.