piano concertos for beginers

[zheer]

Please help, am looking to learn a number of piano concertos in the near future, where can i start since i lack the experience. Something that would not take to long to learn, Rachmaninoff would be a bad place to start i gess. I will be very greatfull if you could help.

[abell88]

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,8513.0.html

[alzado]

I don't mean to be rude, but let me say this.

If you have not tackled your first one, it may be a bit much to state that you will be learning a number of them.

Also, I imagine the sheet music would be quite expensive (if you bought it) because it is going to be scored for an orchestra.  Long passages of the score will not even include the piano, because that's true of most concertos -- there ARE such passages.  Take the first five minutes of the Emperor Concerto, for one example.  Long passages of orchestra, more or less preparing for the piano to come in.  Do you want to pay for all this?   And I am not sure how valuable any version would be that omits the orchestra, if you could even find such a score.

Third, there will be some passages that can be played as a solo, but most of the concerto will be written to combine piano and orchestra.   How this will sound with the piano alone is uncertain.

Fourth, concertos are showcases for pianistic talent, and most are gosh-darned difficult.

Could you possibly mean "sonatas" rather than "concertos"?

[zheer]

Its actually not that expensive, i have bought Bachs piano concerto in f minor the urtext version for 2 pianos, i thoght i should start with bach then mozart then beethoven then chopin then rachmaninoff, i have playd the piano for 14 years but not many piano concertos, i might try Mozart i gess. Thanks for your reply.

[tompilk]

I got Rach 2 and Grieg Concertos (Grieg is nice to start with for a concerto) from American Amazon(.com), even though I live in england. I got them with CDs of the Orchestra so you can play along. They're really good and called Music Minus One. I think they were £40 for both (about $70?). They are £35 each in England, so if you live in England, get them from the USA!!! Anyway...
Grieg in A minor is a good place to start... not too difficult.
Tom

[zheer]

Yes thanks tompilk am looking at the Grieg piano Konzert at the moment the first movement is not too difficult but the third movement is, anyway its not a great place to start, am tempted to start with some mozart, Allthe best.

[pseudopianist]

Bachs D minor or E major? Not sure of the difficulty tho... they are just so lovely

[chopiabin]

Also, I imagine the sheet music would be quite expensive (if you bought it) because it is going to be scored for an orchestra.  Long passages of the score will not even include the piano, because that's true of most concertos -- there ARE such passages.  Take the first five minutes of the Emperor Concerto, for one example.  Long passages of orchestra, more or less preparing for the piano to come in.  Do you want to pay for all this?   And I am not sure how valuable any version would be that omits the orchestra, if you could even find such a score.

Do you really decide whether to learn a piece of music based on the price of the score? I mean, the way you're talking makes music sound like some sort of material good. I mean, do you get annoyed by rests because you're not getting what you paid for?

[sarahlein]

I imagine the sheet music would be quite expensive (if you bought it) because it is going to be scored for an orchestra.

Actually the sheet music comes with the orchestral accompaniments arranged for a second piano so you don't buy the score in the form that,for example, the conductor has in front of him.

Could you possibly mean "sonatas" rather than "concertos"?

Er.. a concerto is a sonata 

concertos are showcases for pianistic talent

true, although any showing off usually is reserved for the cadenzas.

My first concerto was Mozart no. 24 in C minor. I quess I picked that one because it's so non-Mozart

[arensky]

Its actually not that expensive, i have bought Bachs piano concerto in f minor the urtext version for 2 pianos, i thoght i should start with bach then mozart then beethoven then chopin then rachmaninoff, i have playd the piano for 14 years but not many piano concertos, i might try Mozart i gess. Thanks for your reply.

This is a good plan zheer. There is a good logical progression in difficulty levels here, and a a good chronological progression too...

[fuel925]

I don't mean to be rude, but let me say this.

If you have not tackled your first one, it may be a bit much to state that you will be learning a number of them.

Also, I imagine the sheet music would be quite expensive (if you bought it) because it is going to be scored for an orchestra.  Long passages of the score will not even include the piano, because that's true of most concertos -- there ARE such passages.  Take the first five minutes of the Emperor Concerto, for one example.  Long passages of orchestra, more or less preparing for the piano to come in.  Do you want to pay for all this?   And I am not sure how valuable any version would be that omits the orchestra, if you could even find such a score.

Third, there will be some passages that can be played as a solo, but most of the concerto will be written to combine piano and orchestra.   How this will sound with the piano alone is uncertain.

Fourth, concertos are showcases for pianistic talent, and most are gosh-darned difficult.

Could you possibly mean "sonatas" rather than "concertos"?

From what you have written there, you make it sound like NO ONE would want to play a concerto, let alone a beginner. Thats nonsense of course... no one got anywhere by holding back. The original poster should be applauded for wanting to expand his repetoire and attempt a different type of piece, instead of just playing fur elise over and over.

[tompilk]

Mozart wrote so many, there is bound to be an easy one somewhere... hehehe 

[jehangircama]

do the mozart C major No.21 its simple and has a lovely second mvt. the emperor also could be done.

[zheer]

Thanks so much guys am taking your advice seriously, i will probably learn that piano concerto in C major by Mozart.

[BoliverAllmon]

mozart, haydn, or bach. I would go with them.

[alzado]

Chopiabin writes:

"Do you really decide whether to learn a piece of music based on the price of the score? I mean, the way you're talking makes music sound like some sort of material good. I mean, do you get annoyed by rests because you're not getting what you paid for?"

How many of us want to pay the equivalent of $150 American for a large item of sheet music that is perhaps no more than 40 percent scored for the piano.  [One post priced the concerto at about 75 British pounds -- the equivalent.]

Why do you even have an interest in concertos?  Do you have an orchestra in your back pocket?

You may be very surprised that some of us actually work for our money.  Some of us would have difficulty finding that sum of money to obtain some piano passages mixed with many pages of useless orchestral parts.  But it is likely your family bankrolls everything you desire, so naturally you would have no reason to care what ANYTHING costs.

Are you even capable of playing passages from a major concerto? 

[chopiabin]

I didn't even say I wanted to play a concerto - I'm working on 3 Chopin etudes and the 3rd ballade. All I'm saying is that, if you are willing to put the hours of work to learn a piece you love, then what is the problem? If you love the piece enough to consider it worth learning, then it must be worth something as petty as a few extra dollars. A concerto that you put months of time into will never leave you - you will have that music and its affect on your playing and musical understanding forever.

I don't know where you're buying you're scores from, but I recently bought a full score copy of Rachmaninov's concertos 1-3 for less than 40 dollars.

And why do you keep assuming that he doesn't possess the technique to learn it? 

[zheer]

Well look some people spend 1oo pounds on a night out, am sure you could purchase a number of piano concertos for that amount. anyway i feel it is important to learn a number of them since it will develop your understanding of otchestral work. To be honest i love Chopins piano concerto in E minor,however i dont want to jump in the deep end, i must statrt with less demanding but equally good compositions, hence the reason why i seek your advice. All the best.

[chopiabin]

I completely agree with you and respect the fact that you are willing to put in so much work to learn some concertos. Eventually, after I do some more solo rep., I want to try a concerto or two. The thing with me is that pretty much all of my repertoire is Chopin, and the few sonatas ( Mozart K331 and the 3rd mvmnt. of Beethoven's 'Moonlight') I've tried, I've given up on because I got too bored. So I feel I need to at least work my way through some sonatas before I move on to concertos.

[Dazzer]

well... there are, of course, sources to obtain these scores online.

 i won't say where of course.

but you'll only pay for the printing of said scores.

[BoliverAllmon]

www.piano.ru has several concertoes and they are how shall we say......FREE!!!!!

[chopiabin]

I mean, aren't there concerto scores at sheetmusicarchive.net ? This doesn't even seem like it should be an issue.

The price of the score isn't even the topic. He's asking for advice on choosing a beginner concerto.

[BoliverAllmon]

I still say that early Mozart and Bach are the best choices.