In reply to:

I'll have to hear another version of the piano concerto to know if it was the music, or the playing that I did not enjoy.


My recommendation on the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 is:

Argerich/Abbado/Berlin Phil. (DDD 1994) Deutche Grammophon #449 816-2.

This is one of the highly acclaimed recordings of the Tchaikovski. Argerich presents it very drammatically. Bravo!