Unlike many budget compilations that offer only selected movements or brief excerpts, Decca's Ultimate Piano Concertos: The Essential Masterpieces presents 10 masterworks in their entirety on five CDs, giving concerto fans a satisfying listening experience. Granted, these reissues are not audiophile recordings, nor are the performers familiar in every case; but for analog recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s, and digital recordings from the 1980s, the sound is quite good, and the performers are never less than fine, though in many instances, they are indeed exceptional. These concertos are at the top of most virtuoso pianists' lists, and though fashions change, all of these concertos have staying power and are regularly played in competitions around the world. Arguably the two most popular concertos are presented on the first disc, with
Viktoria Postnikova performing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor and
Cristina Ortiz playing
Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor; both recordings are digital and offer great presence and clarity of details, as will be found on disc 2 in
Jorge Bolet's dynamic renditions of Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor and Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor. Disc 3 features the oldest recordings with the murkiest sound, but
Clifford Curzon's performances of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major and the Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, "Emperor," are still enjoyable for their great musicality and technical brilliance.
Stephen Kovacevich's crystal-clear performances of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, "Elvira Madigan," and the Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major make disc 4 a delight, while
Claudio Arrau's recordings on disc 5 of
Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor and the Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor are moving classics that fully deserve inclusion and have excellent sound for their age. This box set is a treasure trove that many will find enriching, and despite its few flaws, it will pay dividends far beyond its cost-cutter price.