Jan Lisiecki

When Jan Lisiecki is asked why he enjoys performing the five Beethoven concertos in a cycle, he talks about their inner dramatic arc: these works tell a common story, from their classical origins to the bold reinvention of the genre. Beethoven himself was the pianist at many of the performances, conducting at the same time. Jan Lisiecki follows suit and begins his journey with the first three concertos: starting from the elegant classical form, a new, independent language develops step by step – with a minor-key concerto at the center (No. 3), the work that Lisiecki says he would play if he were woken up at night – because then he would be awake straight away.