Beethoven piano works highlighted ahead of 2027 bicentenary

As the 2027 bicentenary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death approaches, new recordings and historical insights are bringing his early and late works into focus.

A Platoon label recording will feature pianist Kirill Gerstein and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe performing all six of Beethoven’s piano concertos. This includes the spotlighting of his earliest, incomplete work, catalogued as WoO 4, often referred to as Piano Concerto No. 0. This piece dates back to approximately 1784 or 1785, when Beethoven was a teenager living in Bonn.

In the realm of piano sonatas, Penelope Crawford has released a notable interpretation of Beethoven’s final three sonatas, Op. 109, Op. 110, and Op. 111, using a 1835 Conrad Graf fortepiano. Her performance is noted for its lyricism and spiritualism, offering a period-accurate approach to the composer’s late-period works.