Ludwig van Beethoven: The Five Piano Concertos - Steven Lubin / The Academy of Ancient Music / Christopher Hogwood
At present this is the only available set of Beethoven's piano concertos  on period instruments, although others are in progress. The lean sound of the  small ensemble enables you to clearly hear countless details that are obscured  on even the best modern orchestra recordings. Steven Lubin's performances, and  the different instruments he uses, are carefully attuned to the qualities of  each individual concerto. His performances are triumphs of insight and  expressiveness, and Hogwood makes sure the orchestra stays with him in every  detail. My only major complaint about this set is that the wasted space on the  third disc, which contains only theEmperorConcerto, should have been  used for more Beethoven.--Leslie Gerber