York Bowen ranks as one of the greatest virtuoso pianists England has seen. His vast output of piano compositions stands comparison with that of Rachmaninov and yet has remained largely neglected: he was a figure who wrote the the sort of music he loved – not the new 'trendy' music his own generation demanded.

"York Bowen is master of every kind of piano writing, which, great artist that he is, he uses not to the ends of trumpery and empty virtuoso affichage, but to the purposes of the powerful brilliant glowing and rich expression of a very individual beautiful and interesting musical thought … York Bowen is, at the present time, the one English composer whose work can justly be said to be that of a great Master of the instrument, as Rachmaninov was or as Medtner is." (Sorabji).