Best Piano Concertos

[retrouvailles]

I've always had a taste for the Shoenberg Concerto.

Well, it would be nice to spell his name correctly.

[bobotox]

Yes. It is the best Russian Concerto I heard. Better than Beethoven and Brahms also. There is  something about Rubinstein's 4th that i find really special that makes it so perfect to listen too. I used to think Brahms 2nd was the best but after listening to Rubinstein's 4th. There is no contest. Truly a masterpiece. 

[imbetter]

Well, it would be nice to spell his name correctly.

It was a typo the "c" on my keyboard is requires a little extra force. I am aware that it is "Schoenberg".

Yes. It is the best Russian Concerto I heard. Better than Beethoven and Brahms also. There is  something about Rubinstein's 4th that i find really special that makes it so perfect to listen too. I used to think Brahms 2nd was the best but after listening to Rubinstein's 4th. There is no contest. Truly a masterpiece.  

I agree that it is a masterpiece but I totally fail to understand your opinion that it is better than all these concerti you have named.

[teccomin]

Objectively:
Schumann
Beethoven 4 & 5
Mozart 20 & 21
Brahms 2
Rach 2

Subjectively:
Prok 2
Chopin 1 & 2
Bach 1

[zondervan]

Interested parties should also listen to the two great piano concertos by Joseph Marx and the single offering by Joseph Jongen (only one recording I know of).

I always find myself returning to the youthful Prokofiev 1, the Henselt, the two chamber concerti by Alkan and also those by Medtner.

There are many others, but they're the ones coming into my head at the present moment.

[birba]

Objectively:
Schumann
Beethoven 4 & 5
Mozart 20 & 21
Brahms 2
Rach 2

Subjectively:
Prok 2
Chopin 1 & 2
Bach 1

I'm curious as to how you define objective and subjective.  For example, I can't stand the Schumann.  But you said "objectively" speaking.

[pocho]

Goetz 2
Jadassohn 2
D'Albert 2
Thuille
Moszkowski
Bortkiewicz 1
Delius

[orangesodaking]

My all-time favorite piano concerto is Busoni's Piano Concerto in C Major Op. 39.

I am currently doing Ravel's Concerto in G, and it is absolutely incredible! I just love concerti in general: there are so many I like! I used to have a problem with them, because I thought there weren't that many in comparison to solo repertoire, but I've looked a little deeper and found many, many gems that I wasn't aware of!

Some others I especially enjoy (both popular and not as played) are:
-Saint-Saëns 4th
-Brahms 1st
-Rachmaninoff 1st
-Ginastera 1st
-Alkan 1st (NOT Concerto for Solo Piano... He did actually write an actual piano concerto early in his life)
-Prokofiev 2nd
-Shostakovich 1st and 2nd
-Any Beethoven and Mozart

[gyzzzmo]

I'm curious as to how you define objective and subjective.  For example, I can't stand the Schumann.  But you said "objectively" speaking.

Because (i think) pieces like the chopin concerto's are technically not really good, but that doesnt mean people cant enjoy listening them

[thalbergmad]

Goetz 2
Jadassohn 2
D'Albert 2
Thuille
Moszkowski
Bortkiewicz 1
Delius

I take it you like your romantics then.

Nice list.

Thal

[lisztrachmaninovfan]

All of Selim Palmgren's Piano Concertos are fantastic, especially for someone who like Finnish-style music.

I also like:
All of Rachmaninoff's concertos (Nos.1-4)
Schumann - Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
All of Prokofiev's concertos (Nos.1-5)
Saint-Saens - Piano Concerto No.5 in F major, Op. 103 ("The Egyptian")
All of Liszt's concertos (Nos.1-3, I haven't forgotten No.3 )

All are superb.

[lisztrachmaninovfan]

I have come to the conclusion that all the best concertos are Polish.

Thal

Hey, I say the same, except for the Finnish. 

[opus10no2]

I've discovered a lot of rarely played concerti on youtube.
Perhaps you lot could link to some too...

This work shows great promise, but unfortunately Mielck died at age 21.

[thalbergmad]

Stupendous piece of music. Mielck had an enviable gift for melody and one can only lament his early demise and picture what he would have been capable of.

I used to play the opening to this, whilst pretending to be a pianist.

Check it out.

[pradeep200417]

Rubinstein 1 and 4.
Chopin 1 and 2 (The first movement in Chopin 1 is extremely passionate )
Schumann 1
Medtner 1,2 and 3. (God I love Medtner)
Paderewski 1
Rachmaninov 1-4
Moszkowski
Bowen 3 and 4
Tchaikovsky 1
Thalberg

[cometear]

I love these:

Mendelssohn No. 1 Gm
Beethoven 1, 3, 5
Chopin 1
Mozart 20, 24 (I love the minors)
Bach 1, 2, 5
Grieg

Theres some others but mainly these I listen to a lot.

[johab]

Mendelssohn No. 1 and 2
Mozart No. 20, 24, 27

[ale_ius]

From the depths of The underworld I commandeth thee, rise !  Rise!!  RISE!!!

Mosonyi.  Yes, very nice, this will do.

It was too longs without a good concerto on the repertoires forums. 

-Alee Marie.

[rv]

Scriabin, because it's among the best and hasn't been mentioned...

[ahinton]

Chopin: E minor
Liszt: 2
Brahms: both
Tchaikovsky: 2
Rachmaninov: all
Medtner: all
Bartók: 2
Prokofiev: 1, 2 & 5
Scriabin
Reger
Martucci: both
Bowen: 3 & 4
Bloch
Bush
Britten (original version)
Tippett
Lutosławski
Sorabji: 5 (that's the only one performed to date)
Ogdon
Dillon: Andromeda

...that's just 30 off the top of my head...

and, above all others - BUSONI.

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

Chopin: E minor - wishy washy & best for women
Liszt: 2 - agreed
Brahms: both - 2nd too long
Tchaikovsky: 2 - agreed
Rachmaninov: all - agreed again
Medtner: all - as long as they are not played by GDM
Bartók: 2 - crap
Prokofiev: 1, 2 & 5 - not as bad as Bartok
Scriabin - unconvinced
Reger - efficient but boring German crap
Martucci: both - you astound me.
Bowen: 3 & 4 - 4th yes, not sure about 3rd
Bloch - assuming that you refer to the concerto symphonique and not the concerto grosso
Bush - utter shite
Britten (original version) - no comment
Tippett - not as bad as some of his output
Lutosławski - yuck
Sorabji: 5 (that's the only one performed to date) - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Ogdon - superb
Dillon: Andromeda - pointless random plinkism

and, above all others - BUSONI. - too long

Luv

Thal

[rv]

^ your opinion - crap

Greetz

rv

[ahinton]

Chopin: E minor - wishy washy & best for women
Liszt: 2 - agreed
Brahms: both - 2nd too long
Tchaikovsky: 2 - agreed
Rachmaninov: all - agreed again
Medtner: all - as long as they are not played by GDM
Bartók: 2 - crap
Prokofiev: 1, 2 & 5 - not as bad as Bartok
Scriabin - unconvinced
Reger - efficient but boring German crap
Martucci: both - you astound me.
Bowen: 3 & 4 - 4th yes, not sure about 3rd
Bloch - assuming that you refer to the concerto symphonique and not the concerto grosso
Bush - utter shite
Britten (original version) - no comment
Tippett - not as bad as some of his output
Lutosławski - yuck
Sorabji: 5 (that's the only one performed to date) - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Ogdon - superb
Dillon: Andromeda - pointless random plinkism

and, above all others - BUSONI. - too long

Well, many thanks for your response and for going to the trouble to prepare it. OK - so...
"Chopin: E minor - wishy washy & best for women"
...for what purpose? - to do what? - play? - listen? The critiques of the first performance were all over its dissonance and jarring harmonies...

"Brahms: both - 2nd too long"
...for what? the ideas that it contains? If so, can you explain why you see that as being so when you appear not to have the same problem with Brahms's first conceto?

"Bartók: 2 - crap"
On what grounds?

"Martucci: both - you astound me"
Why?

"Bloch - assuming that you refer to the concerto symphonique and not the concerto grosso"
Yes, of course I do; perhaps I should have made that clearer...

"Bush - utter shite"
Again, on what grounds? (other, of course, than the admittedly ghastly piece of "poetry" that he chose to set in its finale; Sorabji consxiered it to be one of the finest piano concertos ever composed by an Englishman, along with Bowen's)...

"Britten (original version) - no comment"
Why's that, then?...

"Lutosławski - yuck"
Shame upon you! It's wonderful!

"Sorabji: 5 (that's the only one performed to date) - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"
What's that supposed to mean? Have you heard it and is your comment a result of your having done so?

"Ogdon - superb"
Great to read your endorsement of this work which ought to be played more often than it is and by more pianists...

"Dillon: Andromeda - pointless random plinkism"
I presume that to mean "Thal doesn't enjoy this piece"...

Lots that we agree on here, then...

Best,

Alistair

[awesom_o]

I think the piano is actually one of the worst instruments for concerto-playing. Of course, there are plenty of great piano concertos out there...

But in general the violin is a much better instrument for playing a concerto on!

[ahinton]

I think the piano is actually one of the worst instruments for concerto-playing. Of course, there are plenty of great piano concertos out there...

...from which it would seem rather difficult to conclude other than that a great raft of composers did/do not agree with you!

But in general the violin is a much better instrument for playing a concerto on!

It's rather obviously a much better instrument on which to play a violin concerto, yes; Szymanowski's violin concertos would not sound very good on piano any more than would Busoni's piano concerto on violin...

Best,

Alistair

[awesom_o]

The piano does what the orchestra does. It provides the full meal.
Most orchestral music can be played on the piano in the form of duets.

The violin can sustain a melody, and therefore soar above the sound of the orchestra!

Of course, the piano can be made to do this as well... as it can be made to do anything.... but in my opinion, it doesn't soar above the sound of the orchestra as naturally as the violin.

The most wonderful quality about the piano is its ability to whisper quietly and mysteriously with great clarity and nuance, to the very back of the hall.

I find the usual adrenaline-rush-banging that I hear in piano concertos to be quite boring. I rarely hear any subtle interaction between the conductor, orchestra, and soloist. Instead it's mostly 'wham, bam, thank you ma'am' type of stuff. 

[thalbergmad]

I find the usual adrenaline-rush-banging that I hear in piano concertos to be quite boring. I rarely hear any subtle interaction between the conductor, orchestra, and soloist. Instead it's mostly 'wham, bam, thank you ma'am' type of stuff. 

With the early romantics, i would agree that this is often the case, but wind the clock forward a few years and there are tons of examples of the happiest of marriages between orchestra and soloist.

Thal

[jlskiles]

Rachmaninoff Paganini Rhapsody
Rachmaninoff 3
Rachmaninoff 2
Rachmaninoff 1
Rachmaninoff 4
Grieg
Chopin 1
Saint Saens 2
Chopin 2
Liszt Totentanz
Saint Saens 5
Tchaikovsky 1
Brahms 2
Mendelssohn 1
Beethoven 5
Schumann

[thalbergmad]

Schumann

 

[ahinton]

That must be the least that I've ever read from you about Schumann!

Best,

Alistair

[thomasshiraza]

Beethoven no 5 ''emperor'' Listen to the 3rd movement and you will know why. Also rach 2, its simply the most beautiful piece i have heard in my life.

[alistaircrane4]

Chopin- Op.11 and Op.21
Rachmaninoff- Op.18
Rubinstein- Op.94
Scriabin- Op.20
Beethoven- Op.37 and Op.73
Liszt- S.124
Medtner- Op.33
Mendelssohn- Op.25
Prokofiev- Op.10 and Op.16

[blackonwhite]

1.Ravel
2.Liszt Totentanz
3.Rachmaninoff's 3rd

[blackonwhite]

Oh and Prokofiev's 2nd of course