There was a great deal of excitement in piano circles when EMI's world premiere recording of a “lost concerto by Liszt” appeared in 1982. The LP carried an essay by the distinguished musicologist Maurice Hinson which argued convincingly but not conclusively that the Concerto in the Hungarian Style was indeed by the ageing Liszt (a pity that the essay is not reproduced here). While there is little doubt that Tchaikovsky orchestrated the work, it now seems more than likely that the concerto was written by Liszt's brilliant pupil Sophie Menter (1846-1918) with the assistance of Liszt. Whatever the uncertainties of its origins or, indeed, musical importance, there is no doubt about its entertainment value, a showy, exuberant virtuoso crowd pleaser which Katsaris delivers with his customary pyrotechnical panache, accompanied by the sprightly Hungarian-born octogenarian Ormandy.

It's a far more thrilling account - and a whole two minutes faster - than Leslie Howard's on Vol 2 of his useful survey of all Liszt's music for piano and orchestra (Hyperion, 4/99), as are those of the two other works which these discs have in common. Responses are sharper, percussion and brass more vivid, and Katsaris seems, simply, more intent on having a ball. He plays a brightly-voiced Mark Allen piano (the first time this new maker's instrument had appeared on disc), displaying the same kind of initiative that has since inspired him to create his own Piano21 record label. Bearing this and three cracking performances in mind, it seems churlish to complain about the disc's length and the poorly written/translated booklet.