Ronald Brautigam Plays Beethoven on Historical Piano

Ronald Brautigam stands among the rarest of virtuosos to achieve mastery across both modern and historical pianos. His complete Beethoven sonatas for the BIS label, honoured with an Edison Award and Germany's Record Critics' Annual Prize, are acclaimed as an authoritative interpretation that ‘challenges conventional wisdom and heralds a stylistic paradigm shift’. This concert presents an unparalleled Beethoven programme in China.

Marking the inaugural stop of his first China tour, Brautigam will perform this Beethoven recital on an antique Bechstein piano dating from 1862. This historical instrument, remarkably close in age to Beethoven's late period, will restore the composer's most authentic tonal textures.

The first half explores the duality of Beethoven's character – the tender romanticism of Piano Sonata No. 24 stands in stark contrast to the fiery emotional outburst of Sonata No. 23 (‘Appassionata’). The second half focuses on the breaking and reshaping of conventions, progressing from the Moonlight Sonata No. 14, which attempts to liberate itself from sonata form constraints, to the monumental finale of Piano Sonata No. 32. Brautigam specifically notes that the entire concert commences with the two-movement Op. 78 and concludes with the equally rare two-movement structure of Op. 111, drawing a perfect formal full stop.