Why we care: The Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski brings elegant style and daunting technique to Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto Nos. 1 and 4 plus the swoony Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. His partners are Russian conductor Vasily Petrenko and England's Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
Why we like it: Because these are not the most frequently played Rachmaninoff piano concertos - those would be Nos. 2 and 3 - it is appealing to hear the first and fourth in Trpceski's nimble fingers. Petrenko takes a slam-bam approach with the orchestra.
Reminds us of: The Trpceski-Petrenko-Liverpool Phil best-selling recording for Avie of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto Nos. 2 and 3
Download this: Piano Concerto No. 4, Variation 18 of the Paganini Rhapsody
Grade: B+