Rank these concertos in terms of difficulty

[tabris]

Beethoven No. 5
Rachmaninov No. 1
Prokofiev No. 1
Saint-Saens No. 5

Thanks

[steinwayguy]

I'd say the Beethoven, Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff are all about the same, and I don't know about Saint-Saens

[apion]

Prokofiev 1 / Rach 1 are perhaps the most technically demanding; Beethoven 5 is probably the most difficult overall.  I've never studied the score of Saint-Saens 5 ........

[aajjmb]

how many saint seans concewrtos are there?? Im learning number 2..i thoughjt it was the last one

[apion]

how many saint seans concewrtos are there?? Im learning number 2..i thoughjt it was the last one

Saint-Saens wrote 5 concerti, I believe.

[mlsmithz]

Saint-Saens did indeed write five piano concerti: No.1 in D, No.2 in G minor, No.3 in E-flat, No.4 in C minor, and No.5 in F, the 'Egyptian' (my personal favourite).  Nos.2 and 4 are perhaps more well-known than the other three, with No.5 running third. (I have a soft spot for No.3 but would have to acknowledge it is of lesser quality than 2, 4, and 5.)

As for the four listed, well, as my teacher used to say regarding the Rachmaninov 3 vs. Brahms 2 debate, they're all challenging in different ways, and which is more difficult depends on what gives you more difficulty.  While I've studied the Beethoven, I haven't studied the other three (although I have listened to them numerous times), so I can't say much about their relative difficulties.  The Beethoven is difficult if you have small hands or struggle with extended scale passages, but I do think its overall difficulty is sometimes overstated.

[tabris]

Thanks for the replies.  I'm currently working on Prokofiev 1.  I was just curious about the others.  Do you think the Saint-Saens concertos are good competition pieces.  I want to play no. 5 at some point in the next 2-3 years or so but I'm wondering if it's a good piece to take to competition?

[Goldberg]

Probably not. 4 would probably be the best-suited for competitions in the lot, and 1 would be worth considering, though depending on the competition no. 3 may be a solid choice. 3 is also my favourite, but like mismithz I admit it is not exactly the highest quality (no's 4 and 5 are the best imo).

Also check out the Wedding Cake Caprice (for piano and orchestra, but also written as a solo piece later on) and the "African" Fantasy, one of Saint-Saens' most imaginative works and a ton of fun, sort of in the same category as Totentanz but less demonic. The Wedding Cake Caprice, however, would certainly not work in a competition and I could only see it fitting in as an arranged "encore" to a full, light-hearted concerto performance (the WCC is very short, probably not more than 5 minutes).

[orlandopiano]

Beethoven No. 5
Rachmaninov No. 1
Prokofiev No. 1
Saint-Saens No. 5

Thanks

For me the ranking of difficulty would be:

4. Saint-Seans  no.5
3. Beethoven no.5
2. Prokofiev no.1
1. Rachmaninoff no.1

[pianomann1984]

I'm tempted to go

Rachmaninov 1
Beethoven 5
Prokofiev 1
Saint saens 5

[shasta]

Woo-hoo!  I'm doing the Saint-Saens #5 right now!

[shasta]

My interpretations of all five S-S (I've done 2, 4, and 5):

The #5 is golden and sparkling.  When I perform this I feel gold and the warmth of the sun and boats and spices and grasses and sands.  I feel Saint-Saens traveling to Eqypt and seeing the silk traders sailing down the Nile at sunset while the children play in the water. 

**In terms of the soloist-orchestra relationship, the S-S #5 treats the pianist very much as an equal to the orchestra - - - you are often playing "background" and letting the other instruments solo and shine.  To me this is wonderful and important.  The person playing second piano for you in #5 will therefore be your "duo", not your "accompanist".  They must be top-notch and have an understanding of the piece and where you BOTH will be taking it musically.  Rehearsing this is key.

The S-S #2 and #4 "feature" the pianist a little more and have more in-your-face melodies that are much more memorable and leave the audience humming along.  These two are most commonly performed. 

The #2 is dark and passionate and feels more ancient to me, paying tribute to Bach.  It is a piece that reverses in age and time.  The opening is so serious and dark, like an old man but as the piece moves forward, age moves backwards, and it becomes more young and bright and energetic like a teenager.  New life.  Time-reversal.

The #4 is regal and proud and full of irish and scottish flavors.  I feel great halls made of cold stone and filled with important people of royal courts.  I imagine oak tables and mutton and tapestry and Kings sitting down for mead and whiskeys.  To me, #4 is the easiest for the audience to grasp. 

The S-S #1 is a sunrise full of promise and crisp mornings with deer and bunnies jumping through the dew.  You can feel the hunters and their warmbloods galloping across meadows in polished leather saddles.  <-- You rarely hear people perform this one.

The S-S #3 is more wistful, full of hope and secrets.  It is subtle and patient but hidden with wonderful melodies.  To me it is the hardest to understand and interpret for the audience.  It was despised when it premiered - - - supposedly a fight broke out in the audience!  <-- You rarely hear this one, too.