The works themselves are charming and highly rich of feeling, constructed admirably, and inextricably tied both to the rustic dance rhythms of the composer's homeland and to various musical influences from the broader musical spectrum, most notably to the style of Tchaikovsky.

The First Concerto, composed in Vienna in 1892-4, was badly reviewed when performed in Britain, the critic for The Musical Times noting that it had "no exceptional value", but was "quite worth hearing once". The opening Maestoso brims with Romantic themes, one clearly recalling that of the opening movement of Tchaikovsky's Pathétique Symphony. The piano part is sturdy and robust, yet also invested with much lyricism and purity, and Plowright peers deeply into the score in his intelligent interpretation.

The following Andantino is harmonically rich, its sound world seemingly crepuscular and highly poignant, yet pianist Plowright is careful to provide a firm, rhythmically clear reading of the solo part, so that firm contours are maintained in the movement's potentially saggy luxury. The opening theme of the finale (Vivo ma non troppo e poi molto accelerando!) seems rather contrived, but the nimble dance tunes and rhythms have a hypnotic effect, the brisk virtuosity of the piano part becoming increasingly thrilling and the accelerating tempo drawing one helplessly into the work's self-born momentum. Plowright again plays firmly, and with a twinkling nimbleness that never allows the music to seem heavy-handed.

The Second Concerto, first performed in 1898, is a more ambitious work. Immediately we feel a greater intimacy, the Allegro moderato opening sparely, with an ambiguous theme for the piano, next taken up by the woodwind: something of Chopin is to be heard here in the subtly sparkling keyboard writing. If the first movement carries a sense of foreboding (the cadenza struggling and surging at the height of the drama), the culminating Allegro con fuoco boasts a splendidly carefree, ebullient first theme, yet one that gains an air of menace when taken up by the brass. This spirited music reminded me greatly of the catchy accompaniment to a Charlie Chaplin film, and that's no bad thing at all. No, the problem with this concerto seems to be the centre movement, the Andante non troppo lento, which lacks the flowering beauty of its equivalent in the First Concerto, and tends to meander in its second half, for all the expressive depth of Plowright's solo playing.

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, under Christoph König, accompany expertly throughout, providing a delicate and brilliant balance between soloist and orchestra. These may not be masterpieces of Romanticism, but they provide much pleasure, even on repeated listenings, and Hyperion should be commended for once again releasing such rarely performed works.

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