TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto Nos 1-3; GRIEG: Piano Concerto - Jablonski, Maag, Dutoit, Philharmonia (2 CDs)

Tchaikovsky’s three piano concertos (including the third in Taneyev’s completion) are here collected for release in superbly colourful performances by Peter Jablonski with the Philharmonia. Peter Maag, for some time a conductor much associated with Decca (as witness his marvellous Mozart recordings, now on Decca Eloquence, as well as some glorious Mendelssohn) was meant to conduct all the recordings but his death, shortly after recording the first and the Grieg, meant that task had to be passed on to another Decca stalwart, Charles Dutoit. For all their virtuosic impact, it’s Jablonski’s poetry that is so refreshing and Maag’s direction of the Philharmonia in Tchaikovsky 1 and Grieg are simply sublime – glorious singing tone from the strings and wonderful interplay with the soloist.

CD 1
PYTOR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23

EDVARD GRIEG
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16

CD 2
PYTOR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 44
Piano Concerto No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 75/79

Peter Jablonski, piano
Philharmonia Orchestra
Peter Maag [CD 1]
Charles Dutoit [CD 2]