PLEASE help me choose a pianoconcerto!

[franz_]

Ok, I'm sick of it. This is for months that I can't choose which pianoconcerto I will learn. First of all, and important, I don't want anny Bach, Mozart, Haydn or Beethoven. This because my pianoconcerto that I will learn, I really would like to be very motivated and I know I will work much harder and with more pleasure if it is a more romantic piano concerto. I read some concerto's like 2nd of shostakovich (beautifull but I belive not my type of playing, single notes unisono all the time) also Liszt 1, Rach 2, Tchaikovsky,...
So...
Please help me choose, it may be Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Balakirev, Liszt, Chopin, Brahms, Scriabin, even Bartok or Gershwin.

Which one is a good one to learn, not the most difficult techniqually, and the one I REALLY can learn, and very important: the WHOLE piece.

Thank you very much!

[kitty on the keys]

Franz----What is it you really want to accomplish learning a concerto? You are passing up some excellent concerti with beethoven and mozart.
  If you are looking for flash and crash then do the Saint-saens g minor. the gershwin concerto in F is good. how about Rhapsody in blue? Best of luck choosing a concerto.

Kitty

[pianistimo]

can you please learn the leroy anderson pc (it is much like gershwin - but different and better, imo, since it isn't played that much).  then, kindly post it, ok.

[dnephi]

tchaik is devilish, but i like ss #2. mendelssohn is badmotivation :p.

[pianote]

saint saens no.2 in g minor, op.22

[pianistimo]

rimsky-korsakov's might be interesting rhythms.  now, which one was only 20 minutes long?  was that his?  i can't remember.

[quasimodo]

Rachmaninov's 4th. If you have the stamina.

[xavierm]

saint saens no.2 in g minor, op.22

Seconded

[viking]

I can tell you that learning the Liszt 2nd concerto and the Khachaturian have tought me so much and inspired me quite a bit.  Not to say that Saint-Saens wouldnt do that, but check those 2 concerti out.  I would also suggest checking out Saint-Saens 5th concerto (the egyptian one).  I wouldnt be so worried about a concerto though.  Just start learning one, and if it doesnt work, switch it and do so until you find one that you like.  There is so much music out there to choose from!

Sam

[jre58591]

saint-saëns no. 3 in e flat major. its much better than no 2. also a bit funner, more conventional, more lyrical, and more virtuosic.

[franz_]

Thanks a lot for all the comments allready!
I know a lot of concerto's but unfortunaly, I don't know any concerto of saint saens. Could anyone please post the music, and if it is possible may be the sheet music?
From that selection, which one is the less difficult techniqually:

Saint saens No.2
Saint saens No.3
Chopin 1
Chopin 2
Liszt 1
Liszt 2
Khatchaturian
Rachmaninoff 4
Rachmaninoff theme Paganini

Thanks a lot!

[lung7793]

I can only speak for the Liszt 1, but i doubt that it's easier than the SS or Katchaturian....i could be wrong!

[sissco]

If you want to make me happy, play Chopin 1 

[letters]

Shosta 2 isnt all notes in unison! its great fun im learning it at the moment and there are actually some technical bits especially in the third movement.

[nicco]

Shosta 2 isnt all notes in unison! its great fun im learning it at the moment and there are actually some technical bits especially in the third movement.

please...its hanon with accompaniement

[franz_]

May be I have to add my currently repertoire so you can see what my level is.
I'm currently studieing Chopin ballade No.3, Haydn Sonata Hob XVI 50, Bach PF Nr. 6 wtc I, Scriabin etude Op. 8 Nr. 1. I also played Chopin Scherzo No. 1, and prelude op 23/5 from rach.

With that level, which concerto's can I play?

[avetma]

Liszt's first.

[franz_]

Liszt's first.

Do you really think so?
And what about Grieg or Chopin?

[nicco]

My first was liszt 1 followed by rach 2. I cant recommend that enough. Liszt 1 is full of technical stuff and finesse wich you can take with you into the rach, at least thats how i feel it. The rach concerto fits very well to the hand, and is very pianistically written.

[avetma]

Do you really think so?
And what about Grieg or Chopin?

Yes, I do.

In my opinion, Grieg is technicaly easier than Liszt, so if you have time - learn Grieg and then Liszt. But after Liszt you should be able to give a shot to Rach's second.

But if I were you, I would go straight to Liszt's first.

[franz_]

Yes, I do.

In my opinion, Grieg is technicaly easier than Liszt, so if you have time - learn Grieg and then Liszt. But after Liszt you should be able to give a shot to Rach's second.

But if I were you, I would go straight to Liszt's first.

This sounds great. I adore Liszt 1, but it seems so far away. Do you really think I can tackle it? Liszt 1 and then Rach 2, that sounds wonderfull   

[avetma]

This sounds great. I adore Liszt 1, but it seems so far away. Do you really think I can tackle it? Liszt 1 and then Rach 2, that sounds wonderfull   

If you tackle it hard, I think you could handle it. It is not as difficult as it sounds (if you have no problems with octaves ).

[franz_]

If you tackle it hard, I think you could handle it. It is not as difficult as it sounds (if you have no problems with octaves ).

No, not at all. I'm not scared of the octaves but of the scales, and all the little notes in the last mouvement.

[avetma]

That's a good sign. You will tackle that little bastards in last movement, I am sure. You just need to study it hard

[viking]

Whatever you do, dont play rach 2.  Far too many people play this in competition and the judges (in my experience) give them the lowest marks.  Unless your absolutely amazing and can play this piece at recording quality, dont compete with it.
Sam

[jre58591]

Whatever you do, dont play rach 2.  Far too many people play this in competition and the judges (in my experience) give them the lowest marks.  Unless your absolutely amazing and can play this piece at recording quality, dont compete with it.

the same goes for all of those other really popular concertos, like the grieg, schumann, mozart 20, beethoven 5, tchaikovsky 1, etc. do a piano concerto that is not as popular as those, but still relatively heard-of. my vote for saint-saëns 3 still stands. sont do no 2, thats very overplayed also.

[apion]

I think the key is: "which piano concerto will so command my respect and appreciation as to motivate me to master it to the fullest?"

With that in mind, I suggest the following:

Schumann A Minor
Grieg A Minor
Saint-Saens no. 2
Liszt 1 or 2
Prokofiev 3 (v. tough)
Mendelssohn #1 (easy)

If you can handle the challenge, Brahms 1 and 2 are the two greatest piano concerti, but they are treacherously difficult.

Avoid Tchaikovsky and Dvorak.

[xavierm]

I think the key is: "which piano concerto will so command my respect and appreciation as to motivate me to master it to the fullest?"

With that in mind, I suggest the following:

Schumann A Minor
Grieg A Minor
Saint-Saens no. 2
Liszt 1 or 2
Prokofiev 3 (v. tough)
Mendelssohn #1 (easy)

If you can handle the challenge, Brahms 1 and 2 are the two greatest piano concerti, but they are treacherously difficult.

Avoid Tchaikovsky and Dvorak.

Dvorak didn't write a piano concerto. He wrote a piece for piano and orchestra  :

[jre58591]

Dvorak didn't write a piano concerto. He wrote a piece for piano and orchestra  :

he did actually write a piano concerto. its in g minor. the title of my score says piano concerto. if you dont agree, ill post a screenshot.

[apion]

I think what Xavierm means is that, although Dvorak labelled this a "piano concerto," it is more like an orchestral piece with accompanying piano.  Such a conclusion derives from the unpianistic and uninspired piano writing.

[jre58591]

I think what Xavierm means is that, although Dvorak labelled this a "piano concerto," it is more like an orchestral piece with accompanying piano.  Such a conclusion derives from the unpianistic and uninspired piano writing.

oh i see what he means, i think.

[melengi]

play rach 1, it's well underrated.

[franz_]

play rach 1, it's well underrated.

But to difficult for me. 

[jre58591]

play rach 1, it's well underrated.

i play this now (the 1891 version). it definitely is underrated and still makes a good concerto. also, still consider saint-saëns's 3rd. that, too, is well underrated. saint-saëns 2nd is very overrated.

[phil13]

i play this now (the 1891 version). it definitely is overrated and still makes a good concerto. also, still consider saint-saëns's 3rd. that, too, is well underrated. saint-saëns 2nd is very overrated.

I imagine you meant underrated.


How about either of Mendelssohn's concerti?

Phil

[jre58591]

I imagine you meant underrated.


How about either of Mendelssohn's concerti?

Phil

right i did. i fixed it.

the 1st mendelssohn concerto is well overrated. the 2nd isnt as much. the otehr piano/orchestra works are very underrated. actually, theyre probably more unheard of. theyre not too difficult and not long. perhaps these would be good additions to your repertoire.

[franz_]

right i did. i fixed it.

the 1st mendelssohn concerto is well overrated. the 2nd isnt as much. the otehr piano/orchestra works are very underrated. actually, theyre probably more unheard of. theyre not too difficult and not long. perhaps these would be good additions to your repertoire.

I heard the first Meldelssohn concerto just once in my life, during a live performance. I remember it as a concerto with a lot of scales, scales, scales and arpegio's.

[nitrocan]

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto no2 and no3 (the finale especially) and Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1 , extremely hard and extremely nice to listen to (both)

[phil13]

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto no2 and no3 (the finale especially) and Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1 , extremely hard and extremely nice to listen to (both)

I'm going to resist the temptation to laugh out loud now...

These are not ideal for a first concerto, especially a pianist such as franz_, who might be a little closer to Rach 2 but still a ways from Tchaik and even further from Rach 3.

I heard the first Meldelssohn concerto just once in my life, during a live performance. I remember it as a concerto with a lot of scales, scales, scales and arpegio's.

I suppose that No.2 wouldn't be much better. I personally lke it more for its melodies and the fact that it's less often performed, but it uses basically the same techniques as No.1- a few more quickly repeated chords, though.

How difficult are Bortkiewicz's Bb concerto and Sauer's Em concerto? (Lawrence?) Those would be great choices.

Phil

[jre58591]

How difficult are Bortkiewicz's Bb concerto and Sauer's Em concerto? (Lawrence?) Those would be great choices.

um the bortkiewicz piano concerto isnt too bad of a piano concerto technically, but it probably would not make a first concerto, mainly because it is never, and i mean never, played. the sauer concerto does have quite a few technical difficulties. id say its between rach 2 and rach 3 difficulty-wise. you can check out the score to it in the sheetmusic board. however, that concerto is never played. you might want to wait a while before doing these, unless you have performed piano concertos in the past. besides their neglectedness, these are awesome concertos that should be noticed.

[immanueljoseph]

Dear Franz,

Truly speaking, Mozart's Piano Concertos are among my favourite Piano Concertos. However, if you don't like, but still want to play few other piano concertos which have similar characteristics as Mozart's (in terms of lightness & cheerfulness), why don't you try 20th century's Piano Concertos? For example:

1. Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major
2. Francis Poulenc's Piano Concerto (It starts at #c minor)
3. Kabalevsky's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Major "Youth", Op. 50

Or even you can try:

1. Cesar Franck's Symphonic Variations
2. Scriabin's Piano Concerto in #f minor, Op. 20
3. Anton Rubinstein's Piano Concerto No. 4 in d minor, Op. 70

Three more composer's Piano Concertos which require great demanding techniques:

1. Carl Maria von Weber's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major (Mozartian)
                                         Piano Concerto No. 2 in E-flat Major (Beethovenian)

2. Johann Nepomuk Hummel's Piano Concerto in a minor, Op. 85
                                                Piano Concerto in b minor, Op. 104

3. John Field's Piano Concertos No. 2, 3, 5 and 6 
 

[viking]

The poulenc (single) piano concerto is gorgeous.  I am promising myself to learn this piece in the next couple of years...

[tompilk]

tchaik 2!?!?! at least consider it if you are considering tchaik 1!
The henselt and carl vine are fantastic concertos. If you can play anything, go for the busoni... basically just one set of technical hurdles after the next...
tom