There is hardly a better way to get close to Ludwig van Beethoven than in his piano concertos. The piano was Beethoven’s very own instrument. His improvisations, which made him the darling of the Viennese salons, fused virtuosity and an untamed will to express. The piano concertos give a clear idea of these performances. At the same time, they are prime examples of Beethoven’s ability to create large orchestral works with never-ending arcs of tension. The complete recording of these five works with Mitsuko Uchida and Sir Simon Rattle was one of the most sensational projects of the Berliner Philharmoniker during the Rattle era – and at the same time the high point in the collaboration between orchestra and pianist that has existed since 1984. At the end, there was enthusiastic applause in the auditorium and in the press – a “collective feeling of happiness” gripped the audience on these evenings, according to the words of one critic. In their vital freshness, the interpretations made the whole combative energy of these works tangible. At the same time, Beethoven’s incomparable spirituality was revealed, which – according to Mitsuko Uchida – “allows us to see to the end of the universe”.