Evgeny Kissin, Kremerata Baltica (EMI)

This is authentic Kissin, if not authentic Mozart as we have come to know him via fleet-footed, period-instrument performances. In his first recording as pianist-conductor, the Russian virtuoso, renowned for his Liszt, Scriabin and Rachmaninoff, reminds us that Mozart can withstand bold, meaty playing, with tempi slower, textures heavier and climaxes more expansive than most pianists now dare. The choice of the rich, dark D minor concerto K466, with cadenzas by Beethoven, and the final B flat K595, suits Kissin's boldness and individuality.

It's not to all tastes, you can bet, but these accounts, with passionate support from the Kremerata Baltica, remind you of a performance tradition that has all but disappeared.

Fiona Maddocks