Beethoven's fifth and last piano concerto was mostly composed in the difficult surroundings of Vienna in the summer of 1809. It was difficult because between May and October that year Napoleon defeated the Austrian army in battle, besieged Vienna, and then occupied the city for several months. Beethoven was losing the remains of his hearing rapidly, and he feared that the crash of artillery shells would hasten his total deafness. In an attempt to protect his hearing, he is said to have hidden in the cellar of his brother's house with a pillow over his head!

At this time he had the support of several rich and influential patrons, and in particular a new patron to whom Beethoven was also giving piano & composition lessons, the Archduke Rudolph. Rudolph became one of Beethoven's best and constant friends, to whom Beethoven in gratitude dedicated many works - several piano sonatas including the Hammerclavier, chamber music including the Grosse Fugue, the fourth and fifth piano concertos, his opera Fidelio and the Missa Solemnis.

Perhaps because of the war, the concerto had to wait until late in 1811 for its premiere, which took place not in Vienna but in Leipzig, on 28th November. It was very successful; one German critic wrote "It is without doubt one of the most original, imaginative, most effective but also one of the most difficult of all existing concertos". The first performance in Vienna three months later was much less successful, the audience finding it difficult to understand. It is not known who gave it the nickname "Emperor", but the name has stuck.

The first movement begins with three bold chords from the orchestra, separated by dramatic cadenza-like flourishes from the soloist. This impulsive opening gives way to the orchestra announcing the main themes of the work in traditional style. The principal theme branches out into a number of subsidiary subjects, of which the most important is played first very quietly and staccato by strings in the minor key, and is immediately repeated, warmly & smoothly, by the horns in the major key. Both themes are developed at some length before the piano rejoins to present its own version of the same substance. There is a dramatic and carefully worked out development before the main themes are repeated, including the opening chords and flourishes on the piano. At the point where a cadenza would be expected, Beethoven writes in the score "Do not play a cadenza; play this instead" - and proceeds to carefully write out a cadenza. He didn't want his concerto ruined by the showmanship of tasteless soloists! This substantial movement is then wrapped up by a bold and triumphant coda.

After the power and dramatic contrasts of the first movement, the adagio could hardly present a greater contrast. A simple song of great beauty and tenderness, the piano decorates the theme first presented on strings alone with subtlety and restraint. At the end, the tonality slips gently down by a semi-tone, and the piano picks out the shape of a new tune … ... which, without a break, becomes the rondo finale. The main tune, which leaps upward in powerful syncopated rhythms, reappears several times, each time separated by music which seems unrelated, but is in fact closely derived from the principal theme. Much of the energy comes from the dotted triple rhythms which underpin the movement, and drive the music to its triumphant conclusion.