Marc-André Hamelin tackles the ferocious beast that is Adolph von Henselt’s Piano Concerto in F minor, the formidable opening piano entry giving notice of the scale of the writing to come. This is a work few pianists down the years have dared take into their repertoire, and with good reason. Here Marc completes his programme with Henselt’s altogether delightful Op 11 Variations (on a theme from Meyerbeer’s Robert le Diable), plus the two inexplicably neglected concertinos by Charles-Valentin Alkan: ‘You could hardly ask for a more brilliant display of fireworks’ (Classic CD).