To say that Paolo Giacometti measures up well to the classic versions listed above is to say a great deal. His playing has all the energy, sparkle, poetry and technical finish you could wish for. His Schumann is as urgent as the composer’s markings suggest it should be, yet without sacrificing natural characterisation for the sake of making that point. And he approaches the Dvorák with an admirable mixture of respect and enjoyment. Nor do the Dutch orchestra and conductor sound in any way out of their depth; on the contrary, they are clearly as engaged as their soloist in warm, lively music-making. The Channel Classics recording is rich and well balanced, and the CD booklet essay is succinct and to the point.

There are no real buts, except that the competition is exceptionally hot. Kleiber gives his Bavarians a little extra space to explore their role in the Dvorák and Richter exudes peerless authority, while Schiff with Dohnányi and the Vienna Philharmonic finds extra touches of local colour that enliven what is frankly one of the composer’s less inspired scores. To the Schumann Stephen Kovacevich brings a sense of wonder that marginally eludes the more up-front Giacometti.

Mind you, it took some very careful comparative listening to convince me that all this was so and not merely the illusion of memory. I want to stress that Giacometti’s is one of the best concerto discs I have heard in a long while, and if the Schumann/Dvorák coupling is just what you’re looking for, there’s really no need to hesitate.