The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol. 81 - Rubbra & Bliss: Piano Concertos - Piers Lane, The Orchestra Now, Leon Botstein

Piano Concerto in G Op 85[29'53] - Edmund Rubbra (1901-1986)
1 Corymbus: Adagio, calmo e quasi improvisatore[10'35]
2 Dialogue: Lento e solenne[10'18]
3 Danza alla rondo: Allegretto gioioso[9'00]
4 Morning Song 'Maytime in Sussex'[7'38]Sir Arnold Bax (1883-1953)

Piano Concerto in B flat major[39'53]Sir Arthur Bliss (1891-1975)
5 Allegro con brio[16'51]
6 Adagietto[11'25]
7 Andante maestoso – Molto vivo[11'37]

Two very different takes on the romantic piano concerto, both equally successful. The Bliss—written in 1939 for the World’s Fair in New York—is extrovert, exuberant and virtuosic, the Rubbra a profound reflection on, and continuation of, the English pastoral tradition.