Grieg: Piano Concerto, Peer Gynt – Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

   in Piano International (Mar, 2018)
This is Chandos’ fourth recording of Grieg’s concerto – an average of one a decade. First came Margaret Fingerhut’s fine account with Vernon Handley, coupled with the two Peer Gynt Suites in 1989; next Amalie Malling’s, coupled with Kuhlau’s Concerto, in 1998; and 10 years on came Howard Shelley – directing from the keyboard with assured virtuosity – along with the Schumann and Saint-Saëns G minor concertos. Now here’s Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and Edward Gardner in Grieg’s home town.

It is a shame that none of these tackled the original 1868 version – so far only set down by Love Derwinger (BIS) – but in the present instance that would have meant …