20 CD + CD Rom For many of the works in this collection, these recordings were the world premieres. In the 1960s and 70s the Vox Candide and Turnabout labels did much to enrich the collector’s knowledge and appreciation of the bywaters of the repertoire. Many of the composers who were recorded by Vox have since fared well as result of these recordings, and many labels have continued in the pioneering spirit of Vox. In the 1960s the thought of all the Reinecke, Moscheles and Reis concertos being available would be a pipe dream. Happily, the collector now has more choice than ever before. These Vox recordings were in the vanguard of the movement to reassess unusual and neglected works and bring them to a wider public Any survey of the genre cannot hope to embrace every work, and the collector won’t find Beethoven, Brahms, Grieg Mozart or Saint-Saens here. They will find however an extraordinary collection of concertos by some of the big names, and also by composers who played significant roles in the development of the piano and piano playing, and who influenced greater composers. From the charming work, brilliant and effective in the Mozartian mould, of Cramer and Czerny, to the barnstorming virtuosity of Scharwenka, little here is revolutionary, but all of it is bursting with attractive melody and spectacular piano playing. Volkmann’s Konzertstuck is a wonderfully crafted work of great skill, and typical of many produced by composers of huge talent that operated at just below the level of genius, and who have therefore been overshadowed by the big names. Adolf von Henselt was one of the major rivals to Liszt – in fact he was the rival Liszt shied away from competing with, as his technique was truly amazing. If ever there was an example of the 19th century romantic virtuoso concerto the F minor by Henselt is it. It is a work of eye watering difficulty to play, and is also great fun to listen to – a real high point of this collection. As this collection shows, around the big mountains are some very interesting foothills that are rewarding to explore for the curious listeners eager to widen their knowledge of the repertoire. Comprehensive booklet notes on each work included on a bonus CD-ROM.