This superb two-disc reissue is a timely reminder – if such a reminder was necessary – of Stephen Kovacevich’s stature as one of the great musicians of our time. His Brahms concertos with Colin Davis (recorded in 1979) have always stood the test of time and once more take their place among the finest recordings. In the First Concerto others may burn with an even whiter heat (Kapell) or play with greater breadth and grandeur (Gilels). But Kovacevich’s poise at the close of the Adagio, like some glorious sunset slowly sinking into oblivion, is unforgettable and his blistering pace in the finale is characteristically trenchant and exhilarating.

In the Second Concerto you are made to feel a sense of romantic turbulence beneath its towering spans and arches, and every formidable demand is met with unflagging brio and a fierce musical commitment. The finale, too, in such hands becomes a “glory of tumbling gaiety” (Edward Sackville-West) and both here and in the solo items the playing is as characterful as it is honest, quite without the frills and distortions with which lesser pianists seek to impress their listeners. True, others are gentler and more giving in the more autumnal pages of Op 76 and the Four Ballades but the E flat minor Scherzo benefits immeasurably from a fierce propulsion that reminds you that its inspiration may well have been Chopin’s Third Scherzo. Sound and balance are admirable and I hope Newton Classics will issue many more of Kovacevich’s early discs.