Compositions for large orchestral formations, such as piano concertos, were very popular with audiences already in the nineteenth century. Yet, there were much fewer opportunities for symphonic performances than we are accustomed to today.
the musicians required to put together a complete orchestra were often not available, and the financial means were likewise lacking. The large number of symphony orchestras at our disposal today, which are supported either by subventions or sponsors, were not yet in existence. For larger performances the artists therefore had to find patrons or pay the expenses from the ticket sales. In this situation it was essential to also prepare arrangements of these large scores for small ensembles, in order to ensure that the works would be played.
The nineteenth-century, string-quintet version of the orchestral part to Beethoven's Piano Concerto no. 3 in C Minor, op. 37, for two violins, two violas, and violoncello, is based on a set of parts that, together with a copy of a set of parts of the string-
quintet version of the Piano Concerto no. 4 in G Major, op. 58, is preserved in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz. The arranger is not known.
The chamber music version of the Piano Concerto no. 4 in G Major, op. 58, was rediscovered by the musicologist Hans-Werner Küthen, and traced back to Alexander Pössinger. According to the results of Küthen's research, this version dates from the time after the premiere in 1807 and before the printing of the first edition, which was published in August 1808. The solo part therefore must have been played by Beethoven himself.