Editor's choice Grieg Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 16a. Lyric Pieces. Ronan O'Hora (pi'); aRoyal Philharmonic Orchestra / James Judd. Tring_International Royal Philharmonic Collection(140 TRP024 (58 minutes: DDD).

Book 1, Op. 12 - No. 1, Arietta; No. 4, Elves dance; No. 5, Folksong. Book 3, Op. 43 No. 1, Butterfly; No. 4, Little bird; No. 6, To the Spring. Book 5, Op. 54 - No. 4, Nocturne. Book 6, Op. 57- No. 2, Gade. Book 7, Op. 62 -No. I. Sylph; No. 3, French serenade. Book 8, Op. 65- No. 4, Salon. Book 10, Op. 71 - No. 2, Summer evening.

The disarming simplicity of the Grieg Piano Concerto is an artistic trap for all but the most perceptive performers. It demands imagination and great delicacy of feeling, as well as bravura without barnstorming, if its eternal freshness is to be caught on a record. The young Manchesterbased pianist, Ronan O'Hora, in complete symbiosis with the RPO under James Judd, uncannily invests this very beautiful recording with all these virtues, and more besides, for their performance sounds totally spontaneous even on second and third hearings.

The arrestingly brilliant opening is immediately commanding, with a spirited start to the Allegro, yet the main theme is graceful in the hands of the pianist, and the running passages light and skittish. Throughout, the orchestral response has real urgency while matching the warm, lyrical feeling of the pianist. The cadenza is superb. The orchestral strings introduce the Adagio in a mood of gentle reverie which is very touching; and after the melancholy horn echo, the musing delicacy of the piano entry (1'58") is exquisite. The finale opens brightly, with a glittering answering roulade from O'Hora; then Judd takes up the music: he gets the tempo exactly right. The final peroration is glorious and the end effect wonderfully satisfying (no wonder Liszt so admired this movement).

With recording which is wholly natural, the piano admirably real and the orchestra full-bodied yet well detailed, this is a treasurable record for the mid 1990s to set alongside interpretations by Kovacevich and Solomon. And what a good idea to till up the disc with 12 of the most delectable of Grieg's Lyric Pieces, opening with the engaging "Arietta" (which Ronan O'Hora plays with perfect simplicity) and including a neatly tripping "Elves dance", the impulsive 'Butterfly", a fluttering "Little bird" (so cleanly articulated), the charmingly vocal "To the Spring" and the haunting "Nocturne". The disc ends with the repose of a mellow "Summer evening".

Ronan O'Hora is completely at home in this repertoire and invites comparison with Gilels (DG, 10/87). This remarkable record is very inexpensive indeed and I urge you to buy it (even if you have the main work already), for the concerto is very special and will certainly be a candidate for my "Critics' choice" in December. IM