Gerstein and Oramo are impressive in their focus throughout the work’s opening movement, and the whirl forwards towards its close has a tremendous power to it…As [the slow movement] progresses, Oramo reveals subtleties in Busoni’s scoring that I’d never heard before…The moment where the men’s voices creep in…has the sense of arrival, coupled with sublime beauty that is crucial…Anyone who loves the Busoni Concerto will want to add this to their shelves.

The sprawling score gets a virtuosic and gripping account from Gerstein, Oramo and the Bostonians. Gerstein manifestly has the measure of the solo part and his partnership with Oramo and the orchestra is palpable throughout. In a superbly clear recording, Oramo and the engineers bring out all the subtle touches and nuances of Busoni’s excellent orchestration. Conductor and soloist shape the transitions and structure perfectly.

He rides the work’s sometimes preposterous waves with subtlety and unflagging stamina, strongly accompanied by an electrically charged Boston Symphony Orchestra...the genuine spark of a live recording is here. So is enthusiastic applause from an audience clearly happy to bask in Busoni’s endearing monster, exquisitely poised between the ridiculous and the sublime.

Gerstein’s new live version is pretty exceptional, largely because he's so well partnered with Sakari Oramo's responsive Boston Symphony players. Trombones and tuba have plenty of impact, and the softer, slower moments are impressive...Documentation is exemplary: an outstanding recording of an entertaining, mind-bending work.