The Second Concerto goes even better. Leif Ove Andsnes attacks the outer movements with exceptional gusto. The Chicago Symphony's virtuosity in the First Concerto may have been expected, but the response of the Berliners is no less remarkable, especially in the finale, where they really pull out all the stops. Excellent balances between soloist and orchestra ensure a characterful interplay of melodies and textures, especially in the haunted second movement (here taken quite slowly, comparatively speaking). Hélčne Grimaud's contribution to the Third Concerto may be the most controversial: she's quite free and Romantic in her phrasing, and in the central Adagio religioso her more overt sentimentality could be seen as working against the grain of the music (at least when compared to the simpler, more inward approach of Kocsis). Nor is the playing of the LSO quite on a par with that of Chicago, and especially Berlin--but then the Third Concerto really does inhabit a different world from the first two, and some listeners surely will find Grimaud's approach convincing. She certainly plays extremely well.

Given the different recording venues, the sonics are surprisingly well equalized from one performance to the next, and while my reference edition remains Kocsis on Philips, this disc does full justice to the music and provides an excellent showcase for three of today's most interesting and exciting pianists. It's a keeper, for sure.