Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37

Recorded live at the prestigious Klavier-Festival Ruhr in May

2007, this DVD recording reflects both a very individual and special reading of Beethoven's music and the artist's life-long dedication to the composer.

1080i 16:9, PCM 2.0, DTS-HD Master Audio

Booklet Notes: English, German, French

Running Time: 198 mins

Audiences: all audiences (FSK 0)

The third and final volume in the complete recordings of Beethoven’s Piano Concerti, by François-Frédéric Guy and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under Philipe Jordan.

Following the critically-acclaimed first two volumes in this series the flourishing musical partnership between François-Frédéric Guy and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under Philipe Jordan continues with Beethoven’s Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3. Beethoven’s Piano concerto No. 2 in B flat major Op. 19 took 15 years to write and was the earliest piano concerto that Beethoven himself deemed appropriate for presentation to the public. In comparison, the creative process that to Op. 37 was relatively short. In this stunning work, the scoring of Op.19 is expanded to include clarinets, trumpets and timpani in the orchestra.

François-Frédéric Guy is now firmly established as a pianist of immense interpretative authority and superlative technique, especially admired in music of the Austro-German tradition. His recording of this last work for Näive was recently declared the best available by BBC Radio 3’s Building a Library. Currently Principal Guest Conductor of the Berlin Staatsoper and Musical Director of the Opera National de Paris starting in the 2009-10 season, Philippe Jordan has at 34 already established himself as one of the most gifted and exciting conductors of his generation.

“Whenever Mackerras appears with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra he produces magical alchemy” The Scotsman

“I think that [Pizarro] would have won Beethoven's hearty applause and approval.” Gramophone

Ludwig van Beethoven’s piano concertos are some of the most popular works in the classical repertoire. Renowned conductor Sir Charles Mackerras leads pianist Artur Pizarro and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in a truly memorable performance of these great works.

Ludwig van Beethoven’s final three piano concertos are extremely vital in the transition from the classical to the romantic period.

These works demonstrate Beethoven’s move away from the classical style by challenging previous concerto models; delicate and ornamental features are replaced with powerful, rousing, and even heroic, melodies and developments

The magical partnership of Mackerras and the SCO resulted in the addition of Concerto No. 5, which was not originally in the recording plan. Concertos 3 and 4 were recorded very quickly - often in one take!

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Sir Charles Mackerras have enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship. Their recording ‘Mozart Symphonies 38 – 41’ was named the classical recording of 2008 by the Sunday Times and HMV Choice. It also won a 2009 Midem Award for Symphonic Works and a Choc de l’année Award from Le Monde de la Musique.