The Art of the Rondo

Even the unflappable Berlin Philharmonic seemed a bit star-struck. When pianist Radu Lupu walked onto the stage to perform Beethoven’s transcendent Fourth Piano Concerto he was greeted not only by applause from the audience, but also with the respectful tapping of bows from the string section. If the orchestra are impressed enough to applaud before the soloist has played even a single note, the chances are fairly high that one is in the presence of greatness. Yet it is to the credit of Iván Fischer, the evening’s guest conductor, that the chance to hear a legendary pianist perform a great concerto was only one of the highlights in the evening’s programme.

Although the comparatively sedate opening piece – a Sinfonia for double orchestra by Johann Christian Bach – offered little hint of the excitement to follow, it was nonetheless given an…