Could there be too many recordings of major works? Not so long as they all have something illuminating to say. Vahan Mardirossian is a sincere musician with a comprehensive technique. But he isn’t illuminating because he doesn’t say anything about these pieces that hasn’t been said before. And said much better, too, as in the case of the D664 Sonata. It has been dubbed the ‘little’ A major, a silly tag because interpretations from, say, András Schiff and Mitsuko Uchida have shown that this isn’t small-scale Schubert. Mardirossian’s view of its architecture isn’t small-scale, but he cannot match Elisabeth Leonskaja for emotional involvement. She creates the moods inherent in contrasting themes by timing and inflecting every phrase to speak with a gravity that transcends all received wisdom about the work.

It is a similar story with the Impromptus, and though Mardirossian tries to bring some individuality of thought to No 1, he descends into facile note-spinning in Nos 2 and 3. The Wanderer Fantasy comes off best, largely because he avoids the temptation of empty virtuosity. This is a lucid, considerate but sober interpretation; and the enemy of its goodness is Sviatoslav Richter who supplies the mercurial impetuousness that the music’s title implies. Mardirossian underplays this aspect. He stands back, as he does most times.

The recording is tonally inconsistent, spoilt by changes in level and balance. Leonskaja’s and Richter’s discs have technical flaws, too, but their performances are on a very different plane.