Instrument: Fortepiano

Brautigam bridged Wilms and Beethoven at the fortepiano, while Farrenc’s First Symphony added symphonic breadth, all shaped by the assured playing of the Kölner Akademie under Michael Alexander Willens.

Melbourne-born soprano Sioghan Stagg returns for a one night stand with Kristian Bezuidenhout and the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra as part of their Australian tour.

Schiff takes the long view in Mendelssohn's unfashionable masterpiece. 

Series of a composer's relatively neglected symphonies, or other genre, face one key test. Do the works emerge with greater stature than before?

The first of three concerts in a Mendelssohn cycle sees Sir András Schiff and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment tackle the composer's First and Fourth Symphonies, preceded by the Piano Concerto no. 1.

Kristian Bezuidenhout joins the ACO for a piecemeal programme leading to a complete performance of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto. 

Three concertos and a symphony made for an unusual but generous programme, but Les Siècles illustrate that versatility can come with mixed blessings.