Beethoven: The Piano Concertos - Rudolf Buchbinder/Vienna Philharmonic

A brilliant Beethoven scholar releases his interpretations of the great man's piano concertos. Album of the Weekend, 8-9 February 2014.

It’s fair to say that Rudolf Buchbinder is obsessed with Beethoven. He owns some of the composer’s original manuscripts, and has studied his music in great depth over the last few years. After decades of work on the original scores, Buchbinder has now released live performances of all of Beethoven's piano concertos. He directs the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra from the keyboard, in concerts that took place in May 2011 at the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein.

Here, Buchbinder plays with the authority of a man who knows these works inside out, and considerable elegance. These being live recordings there is also a spontaneity and emotional impact that is often absent from studio versions.