Britten and Shostakovich were friends, and both of these concertos are youthful works cast in brittle, neo-classical forms. To that extent, they go well together. The problem with any new recording of these concertos is that superb recordings exist either played by the composer, led by the composer, his family, friends, or the artists for whom they were written. In the case of the Britten concerto, the work’s dedicatee, Sviatoslav Richter, plays the work with every bit of Andsnes’ virtuosity as well as with a lightness and elegance completely lacking in this new, very much more aggressively driven performance. It’s very impressive all the same: focused, committed, and clearly in tune with the music’s underlying bitterness. The Shostakovich concerto has likewise attracted just about any pianist who matters (starting with the composer himself on EMI), and all of them play it well. The music is practically indestructible, and it’s certainly not destroyed here. Both concerto performances are live recordings, with some annoying audience noise and tiny imperfections of ensemble that tend to undermine the virtuoso high spirits that both soloist and conductor otherwise project so ably. Georges Enescu’s lovely Légende for Trumpet and Piano makes a welcome encore, though I find the trumpet too closely balanced for comfort. In short, if you want this coupling, these versions will satisfy.
