Plowright is used to handling weightier tomes, having recently released the fifth instalment of his ongoing Brahms solo works series (also Hyperion), but he is a master of melodies.

It sounds as if Jonathan Plowright has thoroughly enjoyed his foray into the world of the character piece… If collective titles along the lines of Summer Impressions or Spring might smack of Walter Carroll, let me reassure you now that this is music of great inventiveness, full of flights of imagination and no small degree of virtuosity… Plowright’s affection for this music is palpable at every turn and he’s given a warmly immediate recording

There are memories, some vivid some faded, of Brahms, Schumann and Grieg, though Suk’s prowess as a pianist is very much to the fore. What is incontrovertible is the quality of Plowright’s skill and affection. He makes it impossible to imagine performances of greater warmth and stylistic assurance, crowned by Hyperion’s outstanding sound.

The music is quite lavishly overheated and histrionic, but there is no denying Plowright’s formidable technique and total command of this repertoire.

As is standard for Hyperion, the piano sound is crystal-clear and ambient. Plowright continues to enlighten piano lovers with lesser-known composers; we may count ourselves lucky for his efforts!

The CD opens with the joyful Spring and also includes three Summer impressions (first performed in Berlin by Artur Schnabel, who Suk described as ‘one of the world’s greatest pianists’) as well as the concluding five Moods - impressive pieces that are a delight to listen to yet place considerable demands on the performer. Pianist Jonathan Plowright here makes a persuasive case for a composer whose music is at last emerging from the shadows.