Yuja Wang has recorded three of the works featured here before: the Second Concerto and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with Abbado and The Third Concerto with this conductor. 

The flashy exuberance of the First Concerto and its quicksilver changes of mood suit both her and the slick reactions of Dudamel and his whip-smart Los Angeles Orchestra down to the ground. The opening fanfare on horns and woodwind is violently interrupted by the pianist’s cascade of chords. The emphatic importance of the soloist is established immediately and non-negotiably from the outset: the orchestra may announce important themes, but it is always the pianist’s commentary and elaboration which commands the listener’s attention.

The tempo of the first movement of the Second Concerto is perfectly timed, Wang and Dudamel creating voluminous sound and an undeniable presence. I’ve never noticed how the eight opening chords alter their harmonies while their outer edges remain the same. Here they sound quite portentous, giving the concerto the feeling that it portends a lofty tragedy. In the passages which call for agile finger work, Wang largely eschews the pedal,...