I need more concerti

[Skeptopotamus]

I sorely need more concerto repertoire; right now I'm doing the chopin 1 and after this I want to devote my time to learning a few more.  I don't really want to learn anything TOO mainstream like rach or liszt or brahms, but I dont want anything that will be completely useless to know.  Something semi-obscure like the Barber or something like that.  Right now I'm thinking about the Corigliano, Nyman, Massenet or either of the Ginastera.  What do you guys think of those?

[pianomann1984]

The Ginastera's cool!  Why not the Barber - its fab!  Also i recently got into the Richard Rodney-Bennett Concerto, and discovered some fantastic Martinu concerti.  The Delius is quite nice, or de Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain?  Also, the two Alan Rawsthorne concerti are coming into fashion lately.  Heck there's a tonne of stuff!  Wander over to ur local library and browse - ur bound to find something! 

[happyface94]

Rach 2 and 3 are mainstream, 1 and 4 arent.

[pianomann1984]

Rach 2 and 3 are mainstream, 1 and 4 arent.

True...I'm learning Rach 1 myself at the moment...isnt it great!  Would love to get stuck into 4, but its relative obscurity and ensemble difficulty worries me a little when it comes to getting performances/attracting orchestras.

[thalbergmad]

Being stuck in the Romantic movement as usual, i would suggest the Henselt & Bortkiewicz

[happyface94]

I'm learning the Rach 1 too. Some parts are just so great, others are are a bit shadowy for me, I really cant tell which emotion to show.

[steinwayguy]

The Ginastera's cool! Why not the Barber - its fab! Also i recently got into the Richard Rodney-Bennett Concerto, and discovered some fantastic Martinu concerti. The Delius is quite nice, or de Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain? Also, the two Alan Rawsthorne concerti are coming into fashion lately. Heck there's a tonne of stuff! Wander over to ur local library and browse - ur bound to find something!

He's already done Barber.

[pianomann1984]

Apologies...I misunderstod "Something semi-obscure like the Barber or something like that".  I assumed that he had not yet studied it.  But besides that, there are still a myriad of things to be discovered.

[vaiva]

Something semi-obscure like the Barber or something like that.  Right now I'm thinking about the Corigliano, Nyman, Massenet or either of the Ginastera.  What do you guys think of those?

hm..........actually i don't know any of those...........
but i can suggest  Bela Bartok. He wrote (if I'm not wrong)  5 concertos for piano and orchestra

[vaiva]

 or Shostakovich.........

[pooguy77]

MacDowell Concerto No. 1 in A minor is a solid choice. Also,

- Bach Concerto in f , g, or d minor.
- Villa-Lobos Piano Concerto No. 1 OR Bachinas Brasileras No. 3 (BEAUTIFUL)!!!!!!!
- Delius Piano Concerto
- Poulenc Piano Concerto
- Kabalevsky Piano Concertina
- Gottshalk Tarantella for piano and orchestra
- Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 1 or No. 5, or No. 6
- Joaquin Rodrigo Piano Concerto

All strong, not overly played and rare concerto choices. If you by chance happen to fall upon the Bachinas Brasileras no. 3 score PLZ tell me, I'm still on a quest in trying get one.

[dbrainiak914]

Prokofiev wrote a sixth?

[Skeptopotamus]

Prokofiev wrote 5 and Bartok wrote 3 =)


Anyways, yeah Barber is already done.  The idea of Villa-lobos scares me; I'm not familar with it but after seeing the sheets to Rudepoema and being treated to a live performance I'm a bit hesitant, though if you have the sheets or a recording I'd love to give them a look anyways.  Right now I'm leaning towards one or two of these:


Bartok Piano Concerto No. 3***
Corigliano Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
Gershwin Piano Concerto in G***
Ginastera Piano Concerto No. 2
Ligeti Concerto for Piano
Massenet Piano Concerto***
Nyman "The Piano Concerto"
Pann Piano Concerto
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 4


The ones with the asterisks are the easier ones and I don't think I want to tackle two really nasty concerti so I'm probably gonna choose one of the easier ones and one of the harder ones.  Also, is anyone here familiar with the Massenet?  It is like the most beautiful concerto ever!

[jehangircama]

Not to sound dull, but have you done the Tchiakowsky and Saint Saens concerti?

[BoliverAllmon]

go tchaik No. 2

some early mozart

any bach concertoes.

those are underplayed.

[BoliverAllmon]

better yet go with tchaik's third PC

[viking]

I would never in a million years go for any mozart, bach, or worse yet, the last 2 Tchaik piano concertos.  My reasoning is as follows:
You already know a Mozart.
Bach is horrible, although underplayed, quite under your level.
Tchaik 2 and 3 are HORRIBLE TO COMPETE WITH!!! They are absolutely not memorable, and dont show a pianists true talent.  Although they are "good" concertos, and quite underplayed, they are absolutely a NO to compete with. 
My recommendations are Ginastera, and Massenet.  (You probably read my response in your other thread)  Ligeti would be sweet to learn, but sadly its not that great without an orchestra. 
SAM

[BoliverAllmon]

I don't think he is looking at competing, just performing and expanding repertoire.

[happyface94]

Anyone know the Dvorak? Its very unpopular and most people dislike it. I certainly find the 1rst mouvement to be lovely.

[Jacey1973]

True...I'm learning Rach 1 myself at the moment...isnt it great!  Would love to get stuck into 4, but its relative obscurity and ensemble difficulty worries me a little when it comes to getting performances/attracting orchestras.

Ohh i've fallen in love with the Rach 1 this week, never really gave it a proper listen before.

The Rach 1 is being performed by Stephen Hough TONIGHT (Wed 20th July) at the Proms in London 7.30pm, you could go and get tickets/standing up tickets for £4! Or just switch on BBC 4 at 7.30 if you have sky! I will enjoy watching it, seen Hough do Rach 2 and 3 live so this will be interesting to compare. (I'm listening to the Rach 1 1st mov't at the mo - what a strange coincidence i should come across this post )

[Jacey1973]

Oh i just thought of something else to ask!

For pianists here who learn concerti - do you learn a particular concerto because...

1) you have a performance with an orchestra lined up (if so how do you go about getting these? I'm thinking amateur performances obviously!)

2) you are learning a concerto just incase you ever get the chance to do one?

3) you are learning a concerto just to improve you piano playing, but probably won't ever get to perform it in the near future....(therefore is there much point in doing this?) Plus how would you find the time? Wouldn't time be better spent on solo piano stuff you actually stand a chance of performing?


I've always wondered this as i would love to learn a concerto but don't think i'd find the time to do it alongside solo stuff i'm preparing.

Also, if i was to learn a concerto what do you think i could begin with?

In the last couple of months i have performed Mozart's Sonata in D K576 and Ravel's Alborada del gracioso, and am currently learning Beethoven's Les Adieux sonana and 2 of Rach's Etudes tableaux op 39 (8 and 9), and Chopin ballade no 3. Finding i can cope fairly well with these latter 3, not too challenging but still keeping me interested! So any concerti ideas?

Thanks 

[Skeptopotamus]

Oh i just thought of something else to ask!

For pianists here who learn concerti - do you learn a particular concerto because...

1) you have a performance with an orchestra lined up (if so how do you go about getting these? I'm thinking amateur performances obviously!)

2) you are learning a concerto just incase you ever get the chance to do one?

3) you are learning a concerto just to improve you piano playing, but probably won't ever get to perform it in the near future....(therefore is there much point in doing this?) Plus how would you find the time? Wouldn't time be better spent on solo piano stuff you actually stand a chance of performing?


I've always wondered this as i would love to learn a concerto but don't think i'd find the time to do it alongside solo stuff i'm preparing.

Also, if i was to learn a concerto what do you think i could begin with?

In the last couple of months i have performed Mozart's Sonata in D K576 and Ravel's Alborada del gracioso, and am currently learning Beethoven's Les Adieux sonana and 2 of Rach's Etudes tableaux op 39 (8 and 9), and Chopin ballade no 3. Finding i can cope fairly well with these latter 3, not too challenging but still keeping me interested! So any concerti ideas?

Thanks 

well hun, since you're so enamored with the Rach 1 I don't see why you shouldn't go with that one =)

[prometheus]

Whats the point in learning a concerto if you can't play it because you don't have access to a orchestra?

[happyface94]

I just want to point out that most big competitions will have an orchestra ready to play a certain concerto from their list. I don't frankly remember much but the last time I saw one of those list, I do remember that the Mozart 23rd and the Schumann were on it.

As your question, I play a concerto because I need to play one each year if I want to have my diploma.

[Skeptopotamus]

concerti that you can get played at most major competitions:

bartok 1,2,3
barber (probably only american competitions)
beethoven 1,2,3,4,5
brahms 1,2
chopin 1,2
gershwin
grieg
liszt 1,2
Mozart 20,23,24,27
prokofiev 1,2,3,4,5
Rach 1,2,3,4
ravel g, left
schumann
tchaikovsky 1,2,3


im sure i left out a few

[happyface94]

Probably the mendelssohn, the st saens 2.

[Skeptopotamus]

oh yeah, and the ss 4.

[burstroman]

Hi, Bartok's First is a gem.

[apion]

Let us know when you're bored with these:

Busoni C Major
Bartok no. 2
Brahms no. 2

[burstroman]

The Concerto by Carlos Chavez would be just a bit out of the mainstream, but be daring!

[hodi]

what about the Rimsky Korsakov Piano Concerto in C# Minor?

[mikey6]

Anyone know the Dvorak? Its very unpopular and most people dislike it. I certainly find the 1rst mouvement to be lovely.

yeh, it's nice-ish, Richter mkes it sound much easeir than it is - Dvorak was not the greatest write for piano.  you apparently need 2 left hands to play it - there are some extremeley awkward passages.
R.Strauss wrote 3 - the burleske (considered his first masterpiece - i've played it and like it very much) and 2 for the left hand, one is ultra boring, but the other had more promise (sorry, haven't listened to it all the way - don't remember which one's which either ).
Vaughan Williams wrote one, Moskowski wrote one. Reger wrote one.  Britten is played occasionally.
Hummel wrote 3 i think, possibly more.
What about Constant(ce - not sure) Lambert - get a choir organised and do the Rio Grande! or I think there's a concerto as well.
By the way, Gerswhin's piano concerto is in F (someone said G)

[sergei r]

I'd suggest the Mendelssohn 1st Concerto, sounds impressive (especially the first movement) but isn't exactly as mainstream as concerti like Rachmaninov/Liszt/Tchaikovksy/etc. Maybe this is just because I'm obsessed with the Mendelssohn 1st at the moment, but consider it.

[maxy]

How about Strauss Burleske? not really a concerto, but an interesting piano-orchestra piece.

[apion]

Anyone know the Dvorak? Its very unpopular and most people dislike it. I certainly find the 1rst mouvement to be lovely.

I've tried and tried to find even a slight trace of redeeming value to this concerto ............ but so far: nada.  But that's just me!

[apion]

How about Strauss Burleske? not really a concerto, but an interesting piano-orchestra piece.

Strauss' Burleske is awesome.  A virtuosic tour de force -- and just the right length.