Nicholas Angelich (piano), Frankfurt Radio SO/Paavo Järvi Virgin Classics 266 3492 ****

American pianist Nicholas Angelich is a burly Brahmsian. He likes a sound that is heavy, textures that are rich, and a manner that is earnest – sometimes even austere. In the Second Piano Concerto, arguably the most daunting of standard romantic piano concertos, he is unflappable in technique and resolute in musical vision. He brings to the work a kind of bear-hug strength, so that his often dark-hued tone (with fabulous low-end sonorities) and carefully controlled energy always seem spot on. Paavo Järvi and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra provide a partnership that matches him every step of the way. The Op 76 piano pieces, by comparison, sound hard-worked, as if Angelich has mulled over them too much, and is trying to cram them with point-making.

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