British Piano Concertos

"Nimbus has pulled a sweet rabbit out of its hat in this collection of 13 items for piano and orchestra by British composers, gathered together from its Lyrita collection. It includes seven piano concertos proper as well as shorter items of great interest as well as a longer Dynamic Triptych by John Foulds. It ranges from Sir Charles Villiers Standford (born 1852) to Malcolm Williamson (born 1931) with other composers - Gerald Finzi, Frank Bridge, Ralph Vaughan-Williams, Alan Rawsthorne, Cyril Scott, John Ireland,William Busch, Ernest J. Moeran, Lennox Berkeley and Alan Hoddinot. A distinguished group of soloists includes Malcolm Binns (twice), Peter Katin, Howard Shelley (twice), Peter Wallfisch, John Ogden, Piers Lane, John McCabe, David Wilde, Philip Fowke and Malcolm Williamson. And recordings, all of a very high standard, range from 1968 to 2007. This collection of four discs for the bargain price of only just over £19 and brought together from some really excellent Lyrita discs which originally would have cost many times that figure, offers a valuable selection of some standard works for piano and orchestra and of talented performers of the period and should sit very comfortably in any extended collection. For this sum all lovers of British music will do very well to order this collection with speed. Packing and presentation are excellent." -  Arthur Francis