We know him as a musical battering ram, but there was plenty of battering going on inside Ludwig van Beethoven’s head at times as well. Beethoven was temperamental and famed for his capricious moods. So it may not come as a surprise that his intensity also found its way into his compositions. Like Beethoven’s orchestral work, his keyboard music draws on an astonishing combination of affects. The charming Andante favori, the comical Rondo a capriccio (subtitled ‘Rage Over a Lost Penny’) or the white-hot Waldstein Sonata illustrate Beethoven’s familiarity with every nook and cranny of the emotional landscape. Big gestures, fine nuances, intelligence and naturalness: Ronald Brautigam is the perfect man for a Beethoven that sounds familiar yet fresh. At the age of 70, the Dutch pianist is an authority on the historic keyboard, and a musician that every Beethoven fan should have heard!
This concert is a postponed performance from February 29, 2024.
Program
L. van Beethoven: Sonata no. 21, opus 53 ‘Waldstein’ | Andante in F Major, WoO57 ‘Andante favori’ | Fantasia, opus 77 | 7 Bagatelles, opus 33 | Rondo a capriccio, opus 129 ‘Rage Over a Lost Penny’
Performers
Ronald Brautigam: fortepiano
