This concert completes Nikolai Demidenko’s 2016 performance of all five Beethoven piano concertos with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and conductor Vassilis Christopoulos. I had the pleasure of reviewing the first part of the cycle in May, so I was looking forward to seeing this concluding performance. This concert is structured identically – both involve the piano concerti of Beethoven and a selection of overtures. On the previous occasion, the music was paired with beer courtesy of a local brewery. I’m slightly saddened that there isn’t an accompanying beverage this time.

^{Nikolai Demidenko with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Photo courtesy of QSO}

The concert begins with the Egmont Overture. This started life as essentially background music for a production of Goethe’s Egmont, for which Beethoven provided an overture, as well as various bits of music to accompany the dramatic action. Given that this is Beethoven we’re talking about, there’s drama a-plenty, and QSO is in fine form throughout the performance.

In several of the Maestro series performances, QSO has been including short pieces by Australian composers as a sort of bonus. Oddly, this wasn’t announced until later in the concert; perhaps someone forgot...