It is only a few minutes from the angelic, gentle, calm statements of the first movement of the Fourth Concerto to the orchestral explosion in the second movement—an explosion for which a lesser composer might have required a huge brass section but which Beethoven manages with only the strings. The piano subdues the aggressive orchestra, an effect that Franz Liszt compared to Orpheus taming the Furies. The transition from the second to the third movements shows Beethoven at his most glorious, in total control of all the means at his disposal, demanding from the audience a full and total commitment. This is very definitely not background music. Barenboim plays the second and third movements of the Fourth Piano Concerto with Sir Adrian Boult conducting the New Philharmonia Orchestra. (28 minutes)