it’s a glittering account of [the concerto], not only from the soloist, but also the orchestra, who could be a lit tle more forward in the balance, especially the strings in the tuttis. Thibaudet doesn’t neglect the romantic aspects of the music...and Thibaudet ’s own versions of the Adagio f rom Spartacus and the Masquerade Suite fit him like a glove.

Thibaudet’s mastery of the work’s hectoring grandiosity is happily countered by the exotic Armenian inflections to which he brings an almost French impressionistic finesse.

Written in 1936 but little-known now, the concerto is a giant, Technicolor work that’s a great fit both for Thibaudet’s flamboyant yet precise playing style and for the LA Philharmonic and their conductor Gustavo Dudamel.