Concerto-Capriccioso / Concerto No 2 / Suite For Piano & String Orchestra

Released in 2013 on the Hyperion label, this recording is part of the 'Romantic Piano Concerto' series, an esteemed collection dedicated to rediscovering neglected works of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The album features pianist Cédric Tiberghien performing Théodore Dubois’s Concerto-Capriccioso, Concerto No. 2, and the Suite for Piano and String Orchestra, accompanied by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Andrew Manze. These works represent the refined, academic style of French late-Romanticism, characterized by Dubois’s polished orchestration and lyrical formal clarity.

Théodore Dubois, who succeeded Gabriel Fauré as director of the Paris Conservatoire, composed these pieces during a period when his traditionalist aesthetic was increasingly challenged by impressionist trends. By focusing on his concertante works, the recording highlights his command of piano writing and his role as a prominent, if historically overshadowed, figure in French musical life. The album was well-received by critics for its sensitive interpretation and the technical finesse Tiberghien brought to pieces that had largely fallen out of the standard concert repertoire.