Concerto...

[ayahav]

If you could pick, which concerto would you play as your first concerto ever?

I really like the Chopin in E minor, and the Schumann and Grieg in A minor, and I love the Shostakovitch in F major (?) - Shostakovitch's second, that is...

What would you suggest as a beginning?

Amit

[comme_le_vent]

Rach 3, it is very sought after nowadays.

[comme_le_vent]

that was my suggestion to you and the usual piano dudes.

but my first choice would be my favourite - saint saens 2.

[eViLben]

i would start by Beethov 3rd, then chopin's 1st, then saint saens 2nd (i love it too comme_le_vent ;op) and at last Rach 3 or 5

[ayahav]

there only exist 4 Rachs to my knoledge...


What's Rach 5? The paganini rhapsody?

[squinchy]

I think I'm misunderstanding the question, but wouldn't Rach 3 be too difficult for a first concerto?

[zhiliang]

I would probably do the Chopin 1st because of it being easier to combine the orchestral reductions and the piano solo parts in some portions.

Of course my dream is to be able to do the Rach 2nd and 3rd, Brahms 2nd and Beethoven's 4th.

Beethoven No. 1 is good for a first concerto too.

Zhiliang

[comme_le_vent]

if im gonna put in a major effort into learning a concerto, i want to play something that will blow people away - hence my rach 3 suggestion.

i could play it, but then again..im a genius.

[ayahav]

That's very modest of you......

I have to prepare one for a competition, and my three choices are :

-Beethoven 1 in C major (1st movement with a cadenza)

-Mozart in A major (27?) (1st movement)

-Chopin in E minor (1st movement)...

[bernhard]

Have a look in these threads:

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=repo;action=display;num=1077710251

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=repo;action=display;num=1075459639

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=repo;action=display;num=1075459639

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=repo;action=display;num=1065104337

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=repo;action=display;num=1040970855

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=repo;action=display;num=1051541788

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=repo;action=display;num=1049102726

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[ayahav]

Thank you Bernhard, but I'm afraid it still doesn't help me much. I need to know about one of the three I mentioned.

[donjuan]

What I plan to do in the future:

Learn the solo piano version of Liszt's "Totentanz" concerto, and work on the full version afterwards.(which should be easier)

I don't know why these people in the forum are suggesting you play Rach 3 as a first concerto ever.  Unless one is insanly talanted, they will probably try and fail miserably, getting soured on the idea of playing concertos at all.

donjuan

[donjuan]

Oh sorry, I forgot to pick one of the three you mentioned....I would do Grieg's Concerto because Rhythm is loose at parts - lots of rubato.  It should be easier for you to work with an orchestra or second piano.  
donjuan

[Rach3]

Not Grieg, it's very mature and difficult, and very overplayed...  if you like Shost 2 it's a perfect first concerto, it's not hard at all and it's fun too.

[Rach3]

Chopin #1 is also a good idea. But avoid Grieg as if it were an evil insane virtuosic concerto (which it almost is).

[ayahav]

i was actually thinking chopin 1 as well..... what can you people tell me about the beethoven 1 (in C major) and the mozart 23 in A major?

[sharon_f]

In terms of technical difficulty the Mozart is the easiest and the Chopin is the hardest.

The Mozart used to be a staple "first concerto" for many years. It has some of Mozart's loveliest melodies and some wonder polyphonic writing. Use the cadenza Mozart provided. Of course, as in all Mozart, the concerto has to be played perfectly, any mistakes are easily heard.

The Beethoven has a great vitality to it. There are some tricky technical issues: some left hand passages that need to be cleanly articulated including some staccato triplets that require a great deal of control, and, of course, the famous octave glissando that leads into the recapitulation. Beethoven provided three cadenzas, one almost as long as the entire movement itself.

[ayahav]

I've made my choice you guys... After consultation with my teacher, and providing my infamiliarity with the Beethoven and Mozart concerti, and provided my back-to-front knowledge of the Chopin concerto (this is starting to sound like a legal contract  ), and providing I have the Chopin almost memorised from looking at the score, I hereby announce Chopin's E minor Concerto Op.11 My final choice...