Beethoven initially performed his first two piano concertos (excluding an early one in E-flat major, WoO 4) at semi-private events before their public premieres in 1798 and 1800.
Historical Context
In the 1790s, Vienna was a challenging environment for a composer to gain recognition, dominated by the esteemed Haydn and the legendary Mozart.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven, like Mozart, carefully guarded his piano concertos, often reserving the right to perform them himself and delaying their publication.
Instruments
The fortepiano used for this recording is a 1989 copy of an 1824 Conrad Graf instrument, built by Rodney Regier and owned by Edwin Beunk.
Recording & Production
The idea for recording Beethoven's complete piano concertos was conceived during a 2015 tour in Germany and Spain with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and Pablo Heras-Casado.
Interpretation
Kristian Bezuidenhout's approach to these concertos combines modern critical scholarship with articulations and dynamics found in the original editions, and re-examines Beethoven's figuration decisions.
Recording & Production
The recording project involved recording all five of Beethoven's piano concertos in a single ten-day period, which the performer Kristian Bezuidenhout described as physically exhausting.
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