Paisiello: Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 3 & 5

With more than eighty operas to his credit, Paisiello rivaled Mozart for success in this competitive field, though his eight keyboard concertos fell short of Mozart’s output in numerical terms. They are, however, unfailingly delightful works whose charm and deftly balanced interplay between the solo instrument and orchestra are characteristic of Paisiello’s appealing style. Although the First Concerto was conceived for harpsichord and the Third and Fifth for fortepiano, each retains its transparent beauty when performed, as here, on a modern piano. The Second and Fourth Concertos are available on Naxos 8557031