Is there a more beautiful unsung piano concerto slow movement than that of Stanford's PC1? I'd quite forgotten how magical is. Try track 5 here for a taster:
http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA66820&vw=dc (http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA66820&vw=dc)
I agree - magical. It's one of my favourite CDs.
Piers Lane, by the way, is the Artistic Director of the Australian Chamber Music Festival (see Wikipedia) held annually here in Townsville since 1990. Sadly, no Stanford on the programme for 2013, but - understandably - plenty of Britten!
Thanks to your post, Alan, I listened again to this by me neglected concerto and I can only fully agree with you.
You've prompted me to listen again too - thanks! - and who *wouldn't* agree? [I like the Parry coupling too, though it's not his strongest work - so a 'must have' disc.] Bizarrely, I find some striking parallels with the Beethoven "Emperor" slow movement (apart from the more turbulent central section), even though the idioms are very different of course. Absolutely loved the listen - and the trouble is, when the collection becomes very large, nothing gets played as often as it deserves. God grant me a good pair of ears until I'm 200 years old at least... So much to hear - so little time...
I have it paired with his Clarinet Concerto in A minor. It's nice to see others take an interest in it.