The Five Browns are talented, photogenic pianists who all studied at the Juilliard, seem to get along together and, judging from the booklet photographs, share the same dentist. In the States the Browns are a huge crossover success with programmes, like their recordings, that mix works for all 50 fingers, six hands, duets and solos. Such a sibling quintet may be unique in musical history, their marketing appeal to the teen market and blue rinse brigade obvious, but does it cut the mustard musically?

Ironically, it is the arrangements for five pianos that come off worse: I should not like anyone to hear Rhapsody in Blue for the first time as played here with its cut text, muddled voices and bass-heavy balance, while the amalgamation of Simple Gifts and Going Home is the paltry fare of cruise liners. There is more to admire in the solos and duets, though one does not need to be reminded quite so often that the piano is a percussive instrument: Gregory offers nifty fingerwork in Novacek’s Full Stride Ahead as does Melody in two of Liebermann’s Gargoyles; Ryan gives a seductive account of Ginastera’s Danzas argentinas. It is good to hear sensitive performances of Rachmaninov’s early Valse and Romance for six hands, the opening bars of the latter now familiar as the introduction to the theme of the Second Piano Concerto’s slow movement.

There are no notes on any of the music, its composers or indeed the Five Browns from which we must assume either that their audience cannot read or will not be interested. “No Boundaries”? Well, within limits.