Ivan Moravec, Eduardo Mata - Schumann Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 54 / Brahms Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra in D minor, Op. 15 (1993)

Ivan Moravec has made gorgeous studio recordings of both of these concertos. He sounds more adventurous in front of a live audience in the Schumann; taking more chances with rubato and pushing the music toward even more intense expression. It's not ideal playing for this piece, but it works on this occasion and produces a memorable performance, with Edoardo Mata and the orchestra following the soloist's lead very effectively. Conversely, Moravec's studio recording of the Brahms seems even more intense than the live performance, though it, too, is very good. There's a lot of great music (79:38) on this well-recorded disc. --Leslie Gerber