The first movement of K459 is usually marked Allegro. Here it is Allegro vivace; but the chosen tempo is broadly similar to many other performances. Radosław Szulc, however, finds a degree of vivacity in the orchestral exposition which he directs with attention to motion, accentuation and the crucial factor of balance between wind and strings. Enter Hélène Grimaud and the perspective goes awry because she is forwardly placed, debasing the interaction between soloist and orchestra, of vital importance in a Mozart piano concerto. Her playing in these live recordings (with applause retained), is frequently obtrusive, her instrument miked at varying levels and reproducing, at worst, a hard hitting upfront pianism that reduces fast passagework to a wearisome clatter.

Szulc’s direction in K488 is even finer but, again, the artistry of so distinguished a group of musicians tends to be submerged. Grimaud’s playing of the outer movements is no different but she intrepidly chooses Busoni’s cadenza in the first; and equally intrepidly sustains the Adagio at an unusually slow tempo, offering a sensitive and deeply felt response to the music. It’s a pointer to how considerately she plays the obbligato in Ch’io mi scordi di te, a studio recording where the balance between voice and piano is properly gauged, though the band would have benefited from equal consideration too. Mojca Erdmann, however, characterises her role with both tenderness and fervour. This track and the slow movement of K488 are worthy of full attention.