Concerto Para Piano E Orquestra N.º 5 / Concerto Para Piano E Orquestra E Três Peças Para Piano

This release, cataloged as CID 30088, represents a mid-century effort by the Portuguese label CID to bring established European classical recordings to local audiences. The record pairs Sergei Prokofiev’s Fifth Piano Concerto, performed by Alfred Brendel with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under Jonathan Sternberg, with Francis Poulenc’s Piano Concerto and Three Pieces for Piano, featuring Monique Haas and the Pasdeloup Orchestra conducted by Pierre Dervaux. These recordings were originally licensed from various international catalogs to provide listeners in Portugal with access to modern twentieth-century repertoire.

The design of such releases during this period typically prioritized functional aesthetics, often utilizing repurposed international cover art or minimalist layouts that highlighted the performers. The curation reflects a specific intent to bridge the gap between the established romantic canon and the more adventurous, rhythmic textures of Prokofiev and Poulenc. While the labels of the era functioned primarily as distributors for an evolving classical market, these compilations were instrumental in cultivating an appreciation for mid-century modern orchestral music within the Lusophone sphere.