This French pianist, born in 1975, has been making the sort of steady progress through the ranks that underlines how very difficult it is to get noticed in a crowded market place - and how tenacious a young artist must be in the pursuit of career recognition. After sixth, third, second and several runner-up prizes in various competitions in the 1990s, Tiberghien finally triumphed in the 1998 Long-Thibaud in Paris. A long seven years later, at the age of 30, he was named as one of the BBC New Generation Artists.

This disc is my first encounter with his playing which proves to be, frankly, no better or worse than his biography would lead one to expect. He is, as the great Martha Argerich said of another, “a very good pianist but only does what is possible”. Competitions do seem to encourage a Highway Code mentality. That said, it is an interesting idea of Tiberghien's to place all four of Brahms's Ballades between the second and third of Chopin's. The sudden change of texture and pace contrasts to telling effect their different voices and concepts of the ballade form. Tiberghien's Chopin is not short of poetic sensibility, opting for the emotional reserve and narrow dynamic range that the composer himself adopted. There's little call on the resonant bass end of the piano or the high drama that we are told Liszt brought to his Chopin playing.

The Brahms is thoroughly convincing, the murderous tale depicted in No 1 (“Edward”) chillingly recreated, No 3 (Intermezzo) beautifully voiced with genuinely produced, hardly audible responses to Brahms's ppp markings. Closely recorded. Excellent booklet.