Piano concerto with Wind Ensemble (wind band)

[Alde]

Can anyone recommend a piece for Piano and Wind Ensemble?

I am familiar with the Stravinsky Piano Concerto (for Wind Ensemble) and know that there is an arrangement of the Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue for piano and Wind Band.

I do own Hinson's Repertoire for Piano and Orchestra but the problem is that I do not have access to these scores and most of these works are not posted on Youtube.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[stevebob]

spam

[Alde]

Thanks Stevebob for the suggestion.

[retrouvailles]

There are actually quite a bit of them. Two that come to mind immediately are Leo Smit's Concerto for Piano and Winds (it actually has small parts for cello and bass, though), which is very much like Milhaud's neoclassicism. Also, there is Kevin Volans' Concerto for Piano and Winds (there is also a percussion part), which has influences from minimalism and African music (like much of Volans' music). On a more recent note, there is a very nice concerto by Dutch composer Theo Verbey which, again, has a part for percussion. It is very nice, though, and has some neoromantic elements. I'll see if I can think of any more.

[richard black]

There's a concerto for piano and winds by Edward Gregson, premiered only 2 or 3 years ago. Google it and you'll find a link to the composer's website. As I recall it's not staggeringly groundbreaking or anything, but pleasant enough.

[thalbergmad]

If i remember one of my Saturday morning listening sessions correctly, the Alun Hoddinott Concerto I is pretty effective, but that does have percussion.

Looks horrifically difficult thought as does the McPhee concerto for piano with win octet, which is another possibility.

Thal

[retrouvailles]

Looks horrifically difficult thought as does the McPhee concerto for piano with win octet, which is another possibility.

You aren't kidding about the difficulty, for it has some awkward reaches and jumps in it and it moves like a bullet.

I'll have to check out those Hoddinott concertos, for I have been meaning to buy those for a while.

[thalbergmad]

I think you will like them old chap, but i have only heard the 1st myself.

Still trying to cope with the idea that i love something written in the last 60 years.

Thal

[gep]

You might try Serge lancen's "Parade Concerto", for Piano and Symphonic Wind Band. here's some info from the publisher Sheetmusicplus.com

About Parade Concerto
(Piano Solo And Concert Band). By Serge Lancen. For Concert Band. Solo Concerts / Various Solo. Solo and Band Series. Grade 5. Score. Published by Molenaar Edition (ML.011268120-S).

PARADE CONCERTO was Lancen's first concerto for symphonic band. He had fallen in love with the marvellous sonorities of a symphonic band and wanted to join the wind players in a concert, so he wrote this concerto and gave it a parade character. PARADE CONCERTO was premiered in 1972 by Pierre NIMAX in Esch-sur-Alzette (Luxemburg), G. WAGNER conducting. That same year the composer performed it for the first time, in Spain with the Banda Primitiva from Lliria, Jan MOLENAAR conducting. He has performed it since in many countries, including France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Luxemburg, Norway and the USA.
I have a recording of it (with Roger Muraro on the piano), and it is a very effective and attractive work (Thal, if you do not know it, you might want to try and get it!).

If you want something big and difficult, try Skalkottas No. 3 for piano and 10 winds. There is a BIS recording of it, all 65 minutes of it!

All best,
gep

[gep]

Still trying to cope with the idea that i love something written in the last 60 years.

Thal

Then I dare you to listen to Emil Tabakov's Piano Concerto (première 2003!), unless you fear you may like simething written this century!
It has even themes you can recognise! 1st Mvt: active; 2nd Mvt very still "deep space"-ish; 3rd Mvt. Toccata-ish with quiet middle section. It isn't a very "deep" or "profound" music (whatever that may mean), and it sounds a bit filmic, but quite enjoyable. It's out on Naxos, conducted by Tabakov hisself, Jean-Phillipe Collard, Piano and the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra.

All best,
gep

[thalbergmad]

Then I dare you to listen to Emil Tabakov's Piano Concerto (première 2003!)

I have switched back into romantic mode for April as I have found a couple of stunners that i cannot stop listening to and this has given me appetite for more.

May will be a 21st century month (yuk)

Thal

[retrouvailles]

It should be noted out, as some people have already alluded to, that many of these concertos are not just winds. It is considered standard to include percussion and/or a double bass (solo) in a wind ensemble, plus some winds that aren't in the normal wind orchestra section, such as saxophone(s). That is really what the definition of "wind ensemble" is. If you want a concerto piano and only wind instruments, it might be harder to find one.

[retrouvailles]

Also, here is one that most people probably forget: Bartók Piano Concerto No. 2, but only the first movement. This is the one movement of the piece that has no strings, so I'm sure you could use this one if you wanted to.

[furtwaengler]

Also, here is one that most people probably forget: Bartók Piano Concerto No. 1, but only the first movement. This is the one movement of the piece that has no strings, so I'm sure you could use this one if you wanted to.

I believe that's actually the 2nd concerto you're thinking of, one of my all time favorite concerti (actually all of Bartok's are in my favorite favorites.).

[retrouvailles]

I believe that's actually the 2nd concerto you're thinking of, one of my all time favorite concerti (actually all of Bartok's are in my favorite favorites.).

Yeah, sorry, thanks for pointing that out. I've fixed it, heh. Although, the 1st does have some interesting scoring as well, with the 2nd movt entirely for percussion, woodwinds (no brass), and piano , so you could add that to the list as well.