Radu Lupu & Andre Previn/LSO - Schumann & Greig: Piano Concertos

Grieg was essentially a pianist and many of his harmonic characteristics proceed from the keyboard itself. This concerto, his most extended composition, admirably reveals the essence of his style. The melodies are all original, but they have a freshness that seems to come straight from the Norwegian woods and fields.

In many ways Schumann's Piano Concerto is the crowning jewel of his musical output. It is often argued that the orchestral support in this concerto is weak, but in fact, in providing support for the soloist, the orchestra says no more than it must, and it says it perfectly.