1. Moderato (＝ca.40)－Allegro moderato (＝ca.60) 2. Lento (＝ca.40) 3. Allegretto (＝ca.76)

Sadao Bekku composed four concertos in his lifetime, and the Piano Concerto is the third of these works. It was composed between 1979 and 1981, commissioned by the Japan Symphony Foundation. It was premiered on April 23, 1981, by Hiroko Nakamura (piano) with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Tadaaki Otaka. It was revised in 1997 and recorded by Ikuyo Kamiya (piano) with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hiroshi Wakasugi.

The composer himself stated, “I was very happy when Ms. K, a pianist I had known for a long time, told me that the Piano Concerto was ‘music that makes people happy.’ I was much happier than being praised for ‘good sound’ or ‘excellent structure.’” This statement likely speaks to the unique character of this work. Although the first and final movements conclude with a C-E♭-G chord, suggesting C minor as the main key, the actual functional main key is F minor.

First Movement

The first movement is in sonata form with an introduction. A motif presented by the low strings at the beginning foreshadows the first theme, and when the tempo changes from rehearsal number 4, the first theme in F minor is presented by the piano solo. Contrasting the descending first theme is the ascending second theme, presented in C minor by the orchestra from rehearsal number 13. Subsequently, the chorale-like musical idea played by the piano from rehearsal number 19 might seem like a new theme, but it is actually a transformation of the first theme. The development section begins where the tempo returns to Allegro moderato at rehearsal number 23. From rehearsal number 36, a piano cadenza begins, which also marks the start of the recapitulation (Bekku himself cited this as an “original device” in his writings). From rehearsal number 46, the second theme is recapitulated in F minor, and after a brilliant build-up in the coda from rehearsal number 52, the movement suddenly shifts from E-flat minor to C minor at the very end.

Second Movement

The second movement is a slow movement in ternary form. It begins in D major, with the orchestra and piano engaging in a dialogue. At rehearsal number 59, the musical idea shifts and the music begins to move, but from rehearsal number 66, the initial theme returns again. From rehearsal number 69, the mood becomes ominous, leading seamlessly into the next movement.

Third Movement

The third movement adopts a free structure that cannot be strictly classified as either rondo form or sonata form. A simple theme presented in F minor by the piano solo forms the core, with other themes interspersed during transitions to various keys. In this movement too, the ending features a sudden sounding of the C minor dominant at six measures before the end, concluding with the C minor tonic chord.