0:39 - Concerto no 1, first movement 15:34 - Concerto no 1, second movement 24:44 - Concerto no 1, third movement 37:17 - Concerto no 2, first movement 50:55 - Concerto no 2, second movement 58:37 - Concerto no 2, third movement 1:08:41 - Concerto no 3, first movement 1:25:04 - Concerto no 3, second movement 1:33:50 - Concerto no 3, third movement your welcome whoever see's this
Though I live in Miami, I had the good fortune to be in Melbourne in March and was able to attend this magnificent concert. It was meant to be the beginning of a year-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. I sat in the second row, which was almost like being among the players. At first I found the sound of the fortepiano, which was new to me, a bit on the "thin" side, but after a while I grew to love its bright, crisp sound. Kristian Bezuidenhout has extraordinary control yet plays with passion. The players of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra are equally adept, and the interaction between piano and orchestra, as you can see here, is something to behold. Most important of all, they make clear the genius of Beethoven. Let me also say: at the end of the performance of the three concertos, I felt a bond with my fellow audience members. We had all been deeply moved and drawn together. It is a special pleasure to be able to experience this music again at home. Thank you, Melbourne Recital Centre, for lightening the burden of quarantine.
And now, almost two years later as we begin to come out of the pandemic, this performance brings light to my soul and a smile to my face. Thank you, Kristian and Freiburg!
Thanks to the Melbourne Recital Centre for making performances available on RUclips during Melbourne's various lockdowns. Your music always brightens my day.
If you watch from 21.51 to 22.00 you'll see the first clarinet, with a rubber band around the throat key. A standard woodwind player's trick when a spring is broken, or too weak to seat the pad properly. More than that, there is even a spare rubber band around the top joint a bit further up, in case the one in service snaps!
Glorious. Fresh. Dazzling. Vibrant. Dizzyingly effervescent but always with a full-bodied, never superficial, sound. "Alive," as another commentator noted. Glorious.
Thank you Melbourne Recital Hall for reminding us just how much we miss live performance, and how much we look forward so VERY much to reconnecting with your program when the time is right. Tears of joy!
Thank you Melbourne Recital Centre for this wonderful concert! I expected great playing from this ensemble and they exceeded my expectations. Kristian Bezuidenhout's exquisite touch on the fortepiano was magical. This has been a highlight of the lockdown and a performance to treasure, showing that sometimes the video can be almost as good as being there. Just a pity we didn't quite see Kristian's fingers on the keys, but a very minor quibble. Bravo.
from 1:23:45, the end of the first movement of no. 3. always gives me goosebumps. even this time although the sound is different from the one I'm used to. great! 💖
My wife and I were present at this concert. The video brings back wonderful memories. Such expert musicianship and crisp playing by the orchestra, and what a soloist.
Well, now I look carefully I see and sometimes hear that he plays continuo is some but not all places. It makes a difference to the textures. Its great!
Großartig, spitzenmässig. (Toscanini und Szell sitzen beide im ZuhörerInnenraum, schauen sich an, strahlen und sagen voller Bewunderung und Anerkennung "ja, so geht Beethoven,.....auch ohne uns")
Strange that he/they didn't have him accompany the orchestra in the tutti sections, continuo-style. Because Beethoven is well-known for having explicitly specified the soloist to do exactly that in his Piano Concerto No. 5! (And do you seriously think he only intended it for that one Concerto?) On the contrary, this remained standard practice well into the Nineteenth Century! (And is the basis for keyboard accompaniment even in modern-day Jazz ensembles!) 😮
This is amazing stuff. I love it. My only question is whether or not the piano played the (figured) bass in the orchestral sections in the early piano concertos. I have heard this in late Mozart and seen it in the Mozart scores and I think I have heard it in the early Beethoven concertos also. Does anybody know the facts on this one? What's in the original scores and is there any other evidence of contemporary practice?
Great performances; Kristian Bezuidenhout is a fantastic player. I have only a minor quibble: Kristian appears (on video) to play continuo accompaniment quite often, but most of the time it is inaudible; of course it should be subdued, but I think it should be heard.
It's a fortepiano - the kind of piano that Beethoven would have played. It doesn't sound as loud as a modern grand piano and has a much lighter touch. There's a RUclips video where Kristian Bezuidenhout talks about the fortepiano. Very interesting.
Sadly it was not recorded - MRC commented in the chat at 1:47:18. They have released concertos 2, 4 and 5 on CD and digital. Their live performance just before COVID in this superb concert hall must remain a memory.
Very nice! But why no continuo playing with the 'tutti' sections, by the soloist, when it is well-known that Beethoven routinely demanded this from his solists (even going so far as to write out the continuo part explicitly in full, in his 'Emperor' Concerto)? This puzzles me, as this is one of the finest period instrument ensembles (and soloists!) out there today. 😢
No big deal. The playing is perfect in its imperfection. It is vibrant and dizzyingly effervescent. I am not sure that a little "oops" matters one bit.
0:39 - Concerto no 1, first movement
15:34 - Concerto no 1, second movement
24:44 - Concerto no 1, third movement
37:17 - Concerto no 2, first movement
50:55 - Concerto no 2, second movement
58:37 - Concerto no 2, third movement
1:08:41 - Concerto no 3, first movement
1:25:04 - Concerto no 3, second movement
1:33:50 - Concerto no 3, third movement
your welcome whoever see's this
Though I live in Miami, I had the good fortune to be in Melbourne in March and was able to attend this magnificent concert. It was meant to be the beginning of a year-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth.
I sat in the second row, which was almost like being among the players. At first I found the sound of the fortepiano, which was new to me, a bit on the "thin" side, but after a while I grew to love its bright, crisp sound. Kristian Bezuidenhout has extraordinary control yet plays with passion. The players of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra are equally adept, and the interaction between piano and orchestra, as you can see here, is something to behold. Most important of all, they make clear the genius of Beethoven. Let me also say: at the end of the performance of the three concertos, I felt a bond with my fellow audience members. We had all been deeply moved and drawn together.
It is a special pleasure to be able to experience this music again at home. Thank you, Melbourne Recital Centre, for lightening the burden of quarantine.
And now, almost two years later as we begin to come out of the pandemic, this performance brings light to my soul and a smile to my face. Thank you, Kristian and Freiburg!
Freiburg Baroque is amazing and astonishing as always. This music makes me awake and walk forword.
Fantastic! Who needs modern instruments? This is how to perform Beethoven and happy birthday, Ludwig van!
Thanks to the Melbourne Recital Centre for making performances available on RUclips during Melbourne's various lockdowns. Your music always brightens my day.
A huge pleasure to hear an orchestra actually tuning. Thank you for looking and being professional musicians.
Tout simplement magnifique !
Amazing interpretations; fresh, immediate and alive. Thank you to the artists and to the program organizers!
Thank you Melbourne Recital Centre for allowing us to watch this wonderful rendition worldwide !
I love the sound of this orchestra- not only their exceptional muscianship, but the lovely sound of the period instruments!
I forgot to mention the outstanding performance from the pianist as well. My favorite Schumann concerto interpretation!
If you watch from 21.51 to 22.00 you'll see the first clarinet, with a rubber band around the throat key. A standard woodwind player's trick when a spring is broken, or too weak to seat the pad properly. More than that, there is even a spare rubber band around the top joint a bit further up, in case the one in service snaps!
Glorious. Fresh. Dazzling. Vibrant. Dizzyingly effervescent but always with a full-bodied, never superficial, sound. "Alive," as another commentator noted. Glorious.
Only a baroque orchestra can play Beethoven like this. Gorgeous!
Thank you Melbourne Recital Hall for reminding us just how much we miss live performance, and how much we look forward so VERY much to reconnecting with your program when the time is right. Tears of joy!
just wonderful
Thank you Melbourne Recital Centre for this wonderful concert! I expected great playing from this ensemble and they exceeded my expectations. Kristian Bezuidenhout's exquisite touch on the fortepiano was magical. This has been a highlight of the lockdown and a performance to treasure, showing that sometimes the video can be almost as good as being there. Just a pity we didn't quite see Kristian's fingers on the keys, but a very minor quibble. Bravo.
from 1:23:45, the end of the first movement of no. 3. always gives me goosebumps. even this time although the sound is different from the one I'm used to. great! 💖
Extraordinaire!
I am completely speechless
Wonderful performance and full recorded sonics really making it smashing. What Beethoven would have wanted for sure.
Thanks for this. This fantastic pianist was featured by Alex Ross in the New Yorker....
My wife and I were present at this concert. The video brings back wonderful memories. Such expert musicianship and crisp playing by the orchestra, and what a soloist.
Wonderful! So grateful to be able to hear this.
Well, now I look carefully I see and sometimes hear that he plays continuo is some but not all places. It makes a difference to the textures. Its great!
Großartig, spitzenmässig.
(Toscanini und Szell sitzen beide im ZuhörerInnenraum, schauen sich an, strahlen und sagen voller Bewunderung und Anerkennung "ja, so geht Beethoven,.....auch ohne uns")
Excellent performance. Why not a less known work like Hummel piano concerto 1 in C between Beethoven works...
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Strange that he/they didn't have him accompany the orchestra in the tutti sections, continuo-style. Because Beethoven is well-known for having explicitly specified the soloist to do exactly that in his Piano Concerto No. 5! (And do you seriously think he only intended it for that one Concerto?) On the contrary, this remained standard practice well into the Nineteenth Century! (And is the basis for keyboard accompaniment even in modern-day Jazz ensembles!) 😮
This is amazing stuff. I love it. My only question is whether or not the piano played the (figured) bass in the orchestral sections in the early piano concertos. I have heard this in late Mozart and seen it in the Mozart scores and I think I have heard it in the early Beethoven concertos also. Does anybody know the facts on this one? What's in the original scores and is there any other evidence of contemporary practice?
Great performances; Kristian Bezuidenhout is a fantastic player. I have only a minor quibble: Kristian appears (on video) to play continuo accompaniment quite often, but most of the time it is inaudible; of course it should be subdued, but I think it should be heard.
It's a fortepiano - the kind of piano that Beethoven would have played. It doesn't sound as loud as a modern grand piano and has a much lighter touch. There's a RUclips video where Kristian Bezuidenhout talks about the fortepiano. Very interesting.
Where's the pedal?..
Amazing performance, thanks for uploading!
Will the second day performance be made viewable? Can’t wait to hear the two heavier.
Sadly it was not recorded - MRC commented in the chat at 1:47:18. They have released concertos 2, 4 and 5 on CD and digital. Their live performance just before COVID in this superb concert hall must remain a memory.
Very nice! But why no continuo playing with the 'tutti' sections, by the soloist, when it is well-known that Beethoven routinely demanded this from his solists (even going so far as to write out the continuo part explicitly in full, in his 'Emperor' Concerto)? This puzzles me, as this is one of the finest period instrument ensembles (and soloists!) out there today. 😢
Excellent performance!!!
What was the encore?
The largo of Op. 7
or in full: Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-Flat Major, Op. 7 - II. Largo, con gran espressione
It's the second movement, Largo, con gran espressione, from Beethoven's sonata op. 7 (1797).
Who are the cadenzas by?
Should be by the pianist himself
0:53 auchhhhhhhhhhh
Happens to the best when playing live 😬
No big deal. The playing is perfect in its imperfection. It is vibrant and dizzyingly effervescent. I am not sure that a little "oops" matters one bit.
I guess they fear to miss their airplane. Otherwise I do not understand these tempi...
It is a pity... Many baroque music people confuse crispness and liveliness with speed - esp. Bezuidenhout