The artistic principles raised by this provocative release are as interesting as Kennedy’s occasionally madcap performances. For example, how musically valid is it to insert an ambient New Age-style cadenza into the first movement of Mozart’s Fourth Violin Concerto? There’s an added paradox in that Kennedy’s Mozart is actually “straighter” than his Beethoven, very light and lively, sensitive, too, at times. But come 6'43" into the opening Allegro and the violin slides into a sort of dreamlike haze then rides a hopping accompaniment (with prominent woodwinds), twirling around, arpeggiating and so on. At 9'02" Mozart returns like an angelic slap in the face.

OK, if Friedrich Gulda could push the slow movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 21 jazzily off the beat (as he did under Hans Swarowsky) why can’t Kennedy let us into his daydreams during K218? No reason, not unless you object to it on purely musical grounds. I do and I don’t. The principle would be fine if the outcome really worked but the level of stylistic incongruity is unacceptably high.

The Beethoven Concerto is unusual in a quite different way. The opening bodes well: a firm, swift tempo, alert playing from the Polish Chamber Orchestra and a powerful first tutti. Kennedy’s first entry is unexceptional; but thereafter he tends to “push and pull” (try the lead-in to the central tutti at 7'29"), indulging in affectedly accelerating trills (ie, at 7'30"). Kreisler’s wonderful cadenza is presented in a version “modified” by Kennedy, though I’m not exactly sure what the modification is, and it’s also very well played.

The Larghetto is very slow, too slow to sustain a flowing line, whereas the finale dances nicely, that is until you reach the extended cadenza which starts out rather in the manner of Kreisler before a quiet accompaniment starts stamping away beneath it. Horace Silver’s “hard bop” Creepin’ In comes as no real surprise: but why didn’t Kennedy reverse the process and smuggle in the odd Kreisler reference? Missed a trick there, mate!

An interesting programme for the odd visit, and very bold, I’ll certainly give Kennedy that. But it’s too wilful to warrant anything like a general recommendation, except to Kennedy fans and the curious.