“I am painting a gentle portrait of you,” Brahms wrote to Clara Schumann about the radiant slow movement of his First Piano Concerto. There is little gentle about the Concerto’s epic and earthy opening movement, however, and the rondo finale is a vigorous exercise in compositional craftsmanship and pianistic skill.

Come for:

Stellar French pianist Hélène Grimaud brings her brilliant playing to Brahms’ monumental First Piano Concerto.

And more:

Fast-rising American conductor James Gaffigan leads muscular Romantic music.