Wilhem Backhaus - Beethoven: Piano Concertos 1-5, Diabelli Variations (1992)

Of how many recordings do you suppose you can say: This sounds just right; I can hardly imagine it being bettered? In a field as competitive as Beethoven's concertos, this might sound like reaching too far?
Yet history, an unimpeachable witness, has already declared in favour of this album.
We won't aim as high as "the truth". Just magisterial command of the metier will do. There are sure to be two or three other artists of whom exactly the same can be said, in relation to this collection. Perhaps Claudio Arrau or Wilhelm Kempff. Nevertheless, the assessment stands.
For this album is not just any recording in a competitive market, but one of the defining hours in the history of the recorded repertoire. Considering its date, 1959, it sounds remarkably good. If your ears on any day are unspoilt by other recordings, it will sound as clear as you might wish. Isserstedt and the Vienna Philharmonic give a superb account of themselves too.
No need to dwell on details. There are no "highlights", no eccentricities, just the right mood, tempo and flawless execution for each concerto.
I would expect to see this recording still on sale in 100 years to an enthusiastic audience of Beethoven fans, who want only the best - and in those stakes, Backhaus/Isserstedt have very little genuine competition.