Busoni: Piano Concerto (Francesco La Vecchia/ Orchestra Sinfonica Di Roma/ Roberto Cappello) (Naxos: 8.572523)

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Busoni's monumental Piano Concerto was completed in 1904 and remains the longest piano concerto to have been heard in public. He thought of the work as his 'Italian Symphony' but this Concerto for piano, orchestra and male chorus is an unclassifiable product, and an extraordinary synthesis of Austro-German and Italian impulses. In its virtuosity and lyricism it is one of the most remarkable works in the repertoire, making use in its final movement of the 'Hymn to Allah', from Adam Oehlenschlager's play Aladdin. Roberto Cappello triumphed at the Premio Busoni competition in 1976 and is a leading international soloist. There have been a few recordings of this vast work. Hamelin on Hyperion recorded his version in 1999; before that Ohlsson on Telarc in 1989, and there have been recordings by Ogdon for EMI on both a single CD and re-released on a mixed 2 CD collection, but his recording is now nearly 45 years old. Mewton-Wood's historic live 1948 recording is on Somm. Our recording is the most up-to-date by far, sonically, and offers expert performances to match any.