Solomon’s legendary recording of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto was made in 1929 for the Columbia Company. He was an English pianist with English sensibilities. Not for him was the barn-storming pianism of Rosenthal, Friedman or Horowitz. His task was to serve the music and this he did whether it was Tchaikovsky, Liszt or Chopin. Solomon’s performance of the Tchaikovsky avoids empty vulgarity and presents the work in a clear, lucid fashion, giving himself time to shape phrases, make octave passages sound majestic and convey an overall elegance to what has become an old war-horse.