Beethoven: Piano Concertos Ronald Brautigam, Die Kölner Akademie & Michael Alexander Willens

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15:
• 1 Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15: I. Allegro con brio 13:38
• 2 Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15: II. Largo 08:27
• 3 Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15: III. Rondo. Allegro 08:25
• Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 19:
• 4 Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 19: I. Allegro con brio 13:20
• 5 Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 19: II. Adagio 06:35
• 6 Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 19: III. Rondo. Molto allegro 05:43
• Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58:
• 7 Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58: I. Allegro moderato 17:02
• 8 Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58: II. Andante con moto 03:37
• 9 Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58: III. Rondo. Vivace 09:44
• Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37:
• 10 Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37: I. Allegro con brio 15:17
• 11 Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37: II. Largo 08:36
• 12 Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37: III. Rondo. Allegro - Presto 08:54
• Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 "Emperor":
• 13 Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 "Emperor": I. Allegro 18:55
• 14 Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 "Emperor": II. Adagio un poco mosso 06:12
• 15 Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 "Emperor": III. Rondo. Allegro 10:19
• Total Runtime 02:34:44

Info for Beethoven: Piano Concertos

As one of the finest pianists of his era and an improviser of genius, Ludwig van Beethoven’s preferred vehicle for musical exploration was the piano. His earliest composition, from 1782, was a set of piano variations and he continued to compose for solo piano until the last years of his life. His interest in the concerto form diminished as his deafness forced him to retire from performing. Nonetheless, with his five piano concertos composed between 1788 and 1809, Beethoven not only achieved a brilliant conclusion to the Classical piano concerto, but also established a new model for the Romantic era: a sort of symphony with obbligato piano which remained a reference point well into the beginning of the twentieth.

Ronald Brautigam has already recorded these seminal works with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, in acclaimed performances released between 2008 and 2010. Since then he has also released all of Beethoven’s solo piano music on the fortepiano to universal praise. When Brautigam now returns to the concertos, it is in the company of conductor Michael Alexander Willens and Die Kölner Akademie playing on period instruments. The same team has previously partnered him in an 11-disc survey of Mozart’s piano concertos and it is plain to hear that all involved clearly relish the opportunity to congratulate Beethoven on the eve of his 250th anniversary.

Ronald Brautigam, fortepiano
Die Kölner Akademie
Michael Alexander Willens, conductor

Ronald Brautigam
has deservedly earned a reputation as one of Holland’s most respected musicians, remarkable not only for his virtuosity and musicality but also for the eclectic nature of his musical interests. He has received numerous awards including the Nederlandse Muziekprijs, the highest Dutch musical award. A student of the legendary Rudolf Serkin, Ronald Brautigam performs regularly with leading orchestras including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de France and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Among the distinguished conductors that he has performed alongside are Riccardo Chailly, Charles Dutoit, Bernard Haitink, Marek Janowski, Sir Roger Norrington, Marin Alsop, Sir Simon Rattle and Iván Fischer.

Besides his performances on modern instruments Ronald Brautigam has established himself as a leading exponent of the fortepiano, working with orchestras such as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Tafelmusik, the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, the Wiener Akademie, Concerto Copenhagen and l’Orchestre des Champs-Elysées.

In 1995 Ronald Brautigam began what has proved a highly successful association with the Swedish label BIS. His discography of over 60 recordings to date includes the complete works for solo keyboard of Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn on the fortepiano, as well as an 11-disc series of Mozart’s complete piano concertos on the fortepiano with the Kölner Akademie, playing on period instruments. Among his most recent releases are two discs with Mendelssohn’s complete Lieder ohne Worte. His recordings have received prestigious awards such as the Edison Klassiek Award, Diapason d’Or de l’année, MIDEM Classical Award and the Jahrespreis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik. Ronald Brautigam is a professor at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel.

Booklet for Beethoven: Piano Concertos