Schumann - Piano Concerto [Kissin/Davis-London Symphony Orchestra] 

Kissin has recorded this work before with Giulini, i haven't heard that performance, this newer one is coupled with Mozart, the Schumann work is quite possibly the best thing he ever composed, it started out as a one movement Fantasy, and was expanded at the request of his Wife, and he composed two more movements to make it into a Piano Concerto, the 'fantasy-ness' of the Concerto still remains, and influenced Grieg to some degree in composing his own Piano Concerto just over 20 years later [both are in A Minor for example], it's good to hear this work again, and i never tire from listening to it.

Evgeny Kissin is Russian, born in 1971, he's now 40, he has recorded extensively for RCA, and now i guess he's at EMI as an Artist, the front cover photography [by Sasha Gusov] is nice and pleasing, showing Kissin in a thoughtful reflective mood, the lettering is nice enough, but his surname is splashed too large across the front, many times the size of the great Composers he represents.

Brahms - Piano Concerto 1 [Ax/Levine-Chicago Symphony Orchestra] 

Well it rained today, i didn't get an insirational walk to Church, instead i took the bus, but i played this on the way, my batteries ran out on my portable near the end of the first movement, and yet this worked out to be a blessing, i put fresh batteries in, and found my place where it closed down, this made me sort of bookmark the place, and made listen to the coda more intensely, a lovely moment, soft thuds on the timpani, what a tremendous Brahms invention is.

Emanuel Ax i guess is Russian originally, but now he has American citizenship, he's now 62, and he made this recording in 1983, the front photograph is a good one [by Nick Sangiamo].

Here's on Emanuel Ax playing the first movement on YouTube, with Bernard Haitink conducting.

Lalo - Cello Concerto [Chang/Pappano-Orchestra Dell Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia] 

A disc that's easy to miss in the plethora of discs on the market, this is another issue that makes its first appearance in my Blog, as well as its first appearance in my disc player, the major problem i find with this disc is, that it's neither a true recital disc, with say 10 concertante pieces, neither is it a Concerto disc, with possibly 3 Cello Concertos, it's a bit of one, and a part of the other, i like recital discs as you can slap them on random, and listen to the next piece that you're not sure what you're going to get next, with a Concerto in the mix, you can't really do that, but that aside, there's some great music to be had here.

Han-Na Chang is South Korean, she will be 30 this year, how quickly she has grown up, a child prodigy, she won the Fifth Rostropovich International Cello Competition when she was 11 years old, she made this live Concerto recording in 2006, the front cover photograph is cute [by Sheila Rock], the main lettering in light pink, while her dress is in dark pink, lovely colours, and just look at those dimples!.

Here's William Molina Cestari playing the first movement on YouTube, with Gustavo Dudamel conducting.

Beethoven - Diabelli Variations [Arrau] 

What a wizard Arrau is, he was 82 when he recorded this disc, yet he's so lively he could be 22!, though not as chimerical as Brendel i would say, there's something mischievous about the Diabelli theme, a jaunty little number [a waltz supposedly], and it fuelled in Beethoven a desire to play around with this parent piece, to create equally naughty children, it's only in the latter half of the work that these children grow up and become much more serious and reflective, it's amazing that Arrau can achieve something at an age that i'm more than 30 years away from, there's always a gem lurking unawares in this work, listen carefully, it can pop up in the most unexpectant places.

Claudio Arrau is from Chile, he passed away 21 years ago, lived a good life to 88, and made many a good recording, he recorded this work in 1985, the front cover picture is excellent [by Christian Steiner], showing Arrau standing next to his piano, notice the cravat, Arrau was always very debonair, the lettering is excellent also, the light blue lettering was a great idea.