Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra / Leif Ove Andsnes

Britten was a brilliant pianist, and he wrote his piano concerto, which later sank into oblivion, for his own use in 1938. He described the concerto as »simple and direct in form« after he had subjected it to a thorough reworking in 1945. It is now seen as a bravura piece, and has gained increasing international recognition in the last few years.

The Britten is framed by Wagner’s dramatic overture to his opera »The Flying Dutchman« and by Sibelius’s Second Symphony, whose popularity rests largely on the brilliant final movement.