The strong Russian flavour of the ornate writing is evident, as is the composer's masterly understanding of the piano. Listening to the composer himself in the Second's first molto cantabile atempo, ma expressivo or the Third's dolce cantabile is to be made doubly aware of his haunting and bittersweet lyricism. The streaming figuration in the Second Concerto's Romanza is spun off with deceptive ease, a reminder that while Medtner despised obvious pyrotechnics he was a superb pianist. Two exquisitely played encores are included (the ambiguous poetry of the A minor Arabesque could be by no other composer), and the 1947 recordings have been superbly remastered.