Some help picking a concerto?

[mahavishnu]

Hello again  

I am working towards a national competition for next June.  I have been working on the Gaspard de la nuit and the Saint-Saens 2nd piano concerto.  I was wondering is this an appropriate combination?  

What would you recomment for a 'very' challenging concerto besides the Rach 3 that would be a nice complement to the Gaspard that is of a contrasting time period?  Any recommendations are appreciated!

Pat

[sary2106]

Dear Pat,
Hi! How's it going? Here is a suggestion for a piano concerto... how about the Prokofiev 3rd Concerto? Now, I know, I read your "I hate Prokofiev" posts - it sounds like you're giving him a second chance!!- but the 3rd concerto is really one of my favorite concertos... plus, it's modern. Nice complement to Rachmaninoff and Ravel.

As a side note to the Saint-Saens... my piano teacher says that he is rather "going out of style." Unfortunately. I like his concertos... but if you look at what the winners of the big competitions play, it's rarely if ever Saint-Saens... just a thought. Perhaps it would be refreshing to play him - or maybe it would look weird.

Another great concerto would be the Beethoven 5th. Challenging but beautiful.... although you might have a hard time figuring out if it's a classical or romantic concerto. (?)

If you want to listen to the Prokofiev 3rd, go to www.mp3.com and search for "prokofiev concerto 3" or something like that. There's a recording by Dmitri Sgouras I think. I adore the orchestral introduction...

Anyway... just a few thoughts on concertos...

Sarah

[martin_s]

Try Brahms no. 1 in D Minor!! That is definately very challenging in many ways.

[mahavishnu]

Would the Brahms be appropriate?  I worship Brahms in every conceivable form but would they (adjudicators) judge me on attempting when only 17?  Just a thought...I would use any excuse to learn the Brahms Concertos...ahh...

Thanks for the Beethoven and Prokofiev suggestion Sarah!

Pat

[Diabolos]

I don't know about that Prokofieff' concerto..his music is really difficult, and besides this Ravel and Prokofieff - both quite modern muisic, don't you think? you might try to give your performance a lil epochal variety.
Yep, I know, they're not quite the same time nor the same country, but it's the element of style that's important.

I think Brahms one'd be great; that concerto is challenging but really doable. And it has got it's moments, that's for sure.

You already have a piece by Ravel, otherwise I'd have recommended his piano concerto for the left hand..a tricky piece, but rarely performed recently.

Sary's right, Beethoven's Emperor is a great piece - but performed way too often, don't you think? What about his 2+3+4? Ok, the 3rd is performed quite often, too, but there aren't too many people playing Nr.4 for stage performance this season..

But, whatever choice you make, you'll be fine, I guess.

Regards

[ilpianist]

hi,
If you already go for saint sans, try his fifth piano concerto, in my opinion the most beautiful than all of his other concertos.

[martin_s]

NO, for god's sake, please don't play any of All Saints-Saens' 'Oompaah Oompaah'-Concerti!!!
And how dare anyone say that Ravel or Prokofiev are modern??!! They are the same age as my great-grand parents!!

('scuse me being a little upset today... )

[RhiAnne]

 How about the Tchaikowsky concerto in b-flat minor.  I am learning this one this year.

 I do agree with the suggestion of Beethoven's 5th.  It is a great one.

 So have you picked a concerto yet?  Or are you still looking?  Let us know, I am curious to which one you will pick.

[frederic]

Hey

You can consider Greig's Concerto
Chopin Concertos (my favourites)
Why not Rach 3? Do give it a try.
The Prokofiev 2nd is brilliant (You will have fun with the cadenza)

[Martijn1]

The most challiging work of the nineteenth century, the concerto by Adolph von Henselt, might be a good choice.
Or maybe the beautifull fourth Scharwenka, fourth Beethoven or fourth Rubinstein?
Joseph Marx wrote a marvellous concerto too, if you want to play a post-nineteenth-century work

[rachfan]

I'm going to suggest an entirely different approach to what has been put forward here.  First, I believe you should not have your virtuoso solo piece and concerto both be French music, even though one is impressionistic and the other romantic.  I would balance Gaspard with a Russian concerto, but not Prokofiev.  Rather, I'd suggest a more offbeat path than the the standard war horses--the Scriabin in f#.  It's not played much today, yet has much to commend it and its many demands on the pianist--a haunting lyricism, flashy passagework, cyclical themes, romantic surges, and a big ending.  Any audience (and judges) would love it and appreciate the departure from the hot chestnuts.  

If Scriabin doesn't appeal to you, think about Rachmaninoff's 4th.  Don't be put off by critics and naysayers who say "fragmentation this and fragmentation that".  Just listen to Rachmaninoff's own recording and you'll see there are no fragments, just one seamless fabric in the hands of the master giving us all a lesson in how to perform the piece.  Expertly and artisically played, it could make a positive impression.    

[dinosaurtales]

Well, I am not an expert in concerto literature, but I would definitely recommend against the Brahms.  Being as how you are 17, it might be a bit much.  My piano teacher has many horror stories of college students that flunk trying to pull off a Brahms sonata for their senior recital.  It jsut requires more maturity than it seems.  and I think she's right.  Aim for something that can display your technical abilities, and musical sense that you have acquired at this point.  I'll let the other recommend the specifics - the Beethoven would be a great choice for one of them.

Oh, and I don't care if Saint Saens is out of style, I still like his concertos.  But I know what they are saying - he sortof got "rediscovered" several years ago, and got overplayed.  Too bad.

[Nemo]

Try either the Rach 3(go for the first movement only, dont wanna get too tired while playing ) or Beethoven's Emperor(No. 5). They're both great pieces, but i like the rach 3 much more(no offense uncle B. ) and if you could get an orchestra to back you up, the rach 3 would be definetively the best choice

[willster]

Prokovieff's 2nd is demonically tough but some good alternatives to the frequently played romantic heavy weight concertos are Anton Rubinsteins 4th and Medtners 3rd. These are so rarely played and are gems of the concerto repertoire-especially the Rubinstein which was so influential to the great russian romantics. Both are tough but immensely fun to play!

Willster

[frederic]

I've just heard the two concertos by MacDowell and i think they are awsome!

[BuyBuy]

I don't know why everybody is always talking about Prokoviev 3rd. No one has ever heard Prokoviev 5th ?

OK, rarely performed, and very difficult, but what a piece. It is a very dynamic work, with a good part of humor. An original balance for your program.

A superlative performance by Richter is available on Grammophone, by the way.

[ayahav]

I can think of a couple of concerti that no one has mentioned yet. Being 17 I wouldn't try to pull off a Brahms. Balakirev has a beautiful concerto (amazingly difficult), which would balance Gaspard de la Nuit out because it is Russian Romantic.
I know this will sound weird, but even though it isn't as challenging as all the others, the Mozart Concerto No. 20 in D minor is an amazing work. He wrote is soon after his mother passed away, and it is filled with anger and grief.
Another option is the Gershwin concerto, which is a contrasting style to the Sain-Saens, being jazz. "Rhapsody in Blue" with orchestra backup is all an emotional performance.
There are two Liszt concerti that I know of which are also very nice.
Schumann's concerto is very interesting to listen too, but I find it boring to play with all those bleeding arpeggios.
Let me know which one you pick....
By the way, may I ask which competition you're entering?

Amit - with all my best wishes and regards.

[luda888]

Rach 3!!!  

[liszmaninopin]

Ligeti's concerto!

[Tash]

people take a look at the date these threads were started- over a year ago- does that person care about what you think now? i highly doubt it

so don't revive stupid threads that don't matter to the person anymore!

[Nightscape]

Wow... I didn't even realize that this thread is over a year old until you just pointed it out.

Stop clogging the forum with old threads!  If you want to have a concerto discussion, start a new thread!  That way, you can evualate how everyone's opinions have changed over the past year.  

[aki]

Ligeti's concerto!

Ligeti?? Aren't his stuff literally impossible to play?

[Spatula]

Hey

You can consider Greig's Concerto
Chopin Concertos (my favourites)
Why not Rach 3? Do give it a try.
The Prokofiev 2nd is brilliant (You will have fun with the cadenza)

OH MY GOOODNESS I LOVE THAT CHOPIN PC NR 1...IT'S SO 'FETCH'

(sorry..still have that mean girls movie in my head)

...I don't know what the rave is with the Bartok nr 3...just sounds like more...bartok to me.

He should have been a drummer, not a pianist.

[Spatula]

OH MY GOOODNESS I LOVE THAT CHOPIN PC NR 1...IT'S SO 'FETCH'

(sorry..still have that mean girls movie in my head)

...I don't know what the rave is with the Bartok nr 3...just sounds like more...bartok to me.

He should have been a drummer, not a pianist.

even though who ever said that was on Dec 5...2002...

soooooo loooooooonnnngg aaaaaaaaaagggggggooooooo