FRANCIS EDWARD BACHE (1833-1858): Piano Concerto in E, Op. 18, WILLIAM STERNDALE BENNETT (1816-1875): Piano Concerto No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 19, Caprice in E for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 22.

Description: The Romantic Piano Concerto - 43 Previously recorded back in 1992 by the defunct Unicorn-Kanchana label, Sterndale Bennett's Fourth (1839) is welcome back along with the Caprice which just appeared recently on Lyrita. However, it's Bache's concerto from 1856 which is the reason to buy this disc: for all that he stated his influence as Bennett, his teacher, in the frontispiece to the publication of the concerto, it is Mendelssohn (not surprisingly given that he was Bennett's model) and Schumann (more surprising since Bache told a friend in a letter that same year that he more and more disliked Schumann) which make this vigorous, melodically and rhythmically memorable concerto so appealing. BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; Howard Shelley (piano).