Piano Concerto Recommendations

[hyunju]

Hello,

I started piano lessons when I was in the 1st of 2nd grade and stopped taking lessons in high school. I'd say my skill level is intermediate. I picked up the piano pretty quickly but it has been a while since I've gotten formal instruction or even played an advanced piece. The most advanced piece I've learned before I quit was Franz Liszt's Liebestraum No.3. However, I am confident that I will be to able to learn more advanced pieces because I have a great piano professor, desire to learn, and the basic foundations of piano down. I'd like to learn a romantic piano concerto that would be challenging for me to learn but something that is feasible with hard work. Obviously a piece like the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 is something that I cannot master in a year or two. I love full sounding, almost dark but romantic piano pieces and I'm hoping you all could give me some recommendations. Thank you!

[thelightfromheaven]

You want to learn the whole concerto or just one or two movements?
I recommend Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No. 2, it is not easy, but also not very hard.

[canada100]

Learn a WHOLE CONCERTO! Do not just do a few movements-whoever said that is got to be kidding. Musicians do not leave unfinished repertoire! Also, Saint Saens no. 2 is DEFINITELY NOT a starting concerto! It is a very difficult piece, both technically and musically, particularly the first movement.

Based on your repertoire, I would stay away from the Romantic concerti-Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff are not for beginners. Even Mozart's K466, K467, K488, and K491 are difficult. Additionally, Rachmaninoff is not the hardest-Mozart is. Anyone can play Rachmaninoff.....as long as they have sufficient technique. I hear Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky played all the time in competitions. But I never hear Mozart, because either people are deceived by its "simplicity" or find Mozart too difficult.

Some good beginning concerti include:

Haydn D Major Concerto
Beethoven 1
Kabalevsky 3
Shostakovich 2

The four I just listed are some of the most popular starting concerti-they are very straightforward musically. Beethoven 2 is not easy-I must warn you, because, like Mozart, the simplicity deceives people into thinking it is easy, but it is not. Beethoven 1 is a popular concerto played by youngesters, and is not as hard as no. 2. The Haydn D Major, Kabalevsky 3, and Shostakovich 2 are good options too.