We live in challenging times; not least on a practical level, where movement between countries is becoming increasingly fraught because of the spread of COVID-19. Fortunately, the stars have aligned to allow Melbourne audiences to experience over two nights all five Beethoven piano concertos played by some of the world’s leading exponents of historically informed performance.

Kristian Bezuidenhout. Photo © Marco Borggreve

Fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout is no stranger to our shores, having spent time here as a student and returning to perform with groups such as the Australian Chamber Orchestra as part of his wide-ranging international career. The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra is a perfect partner in this enterprise, bringing their elegant, energetic expertise to these diverse but well-loved works.

Reflecting the musical and technical developments that occurred during the 20-year trajectory of these concertos, Bezuidenhout played two different instruments. A 2008 instrument by Paul McNulty, modelled after a Walter & Sohn fortepiano, c. 1805 was used for the first concert which comprised the first three concertos, while the fourth and fifth concertos were played on an instrument conceived after a Conrad Graf fortepiano, c. 1817.

With its delicate sound and shorter compass, the McNulty...