Britten: Piano Concerto, Op.13

Available for over a year

Live from Sage Gateshead, Erica Jeal joins Andrew McGregor to choose her favourite from among the available recordings of Britten's Piano Concerto, Op 13 for Building a Library. Benjamin Britten, prey to lifelong performance anxiety on stage, famously excelled as pianist in chamber music and as accompanist. So his Piano Concerto, written as a vehicle for himself to play, is unusual in his output. The 24-year-old Britten gave the premiere at the 1938 Proms. In a programme note for the occasion Britten said that the four movements were 'conceived with the idea of exploiting various important characteristics of the pianoforte... it is not by any means a Symphony with pianoforte, but rather a bravura Concerto with orchestral accompaniment', a comment belying the brilliant interplay between piano and orchestra. Recommended Recording: Steven Osborne (piano) BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; Ilan Volkovn (conductor) From Britten: Complete Works for Piano & Orchestra Hyperion CD67625 Other Recommended Recordings: Below are other recordings that Erica also liked, although we can’t guarantee availability. Sviatoslav Richter (piano) English Chamber Orchestra Decca 4173082 Joanna MacGregor (piano) English Chamber Orchestra, Steuart Bedford (conductor) Naxos 8557197 Howard Shelley (piano) BBC Philharmonic; Edward Gardner (conductor) Chandos CHAN10764 Elizabeth Joy Roe (piano) London Symphony Orchestra; Emil Tabakov (conductor) Decca 478 8189