Nevertheless, as Rimsky-Korsakov wrote, "It must be said that it sounded beautiful and proved entirely satisfactory in the sense of piano technique and style; this greatly astonished Balakirev, who found my concerto to his liking.

Like Liszt's concertos, particularly the second, it is in one movement, with sections that contrast yet flow into one another without strict boundaries.

He puts this song through thematic metamorphosis, again in a Lisztian manner, changing its character and style as the piece progresses.

[6] The concerto's lyricism, bravura passages and inventive use of folk song placed it firmly in the Russian nationalist camp.

[4] The work is seldom heard in the West, however, due largely to its brevity (an average performance lasts approximately 15 minutes).