concerti repertoire

[Mattay]

hi,
I'm looking for advice on a concerto to play for college. I'm pretty much open to anything except OVERplayed concerti.(Grieg, ect.) I'll entertain anything for baroque to modern.... it has to be, of course, at least moderatley difficult. I was thinking of a Dvorak concerto, or something.
It can't be too obscure, though. We all know this is a fine line to walk, so I'd appreciate some help. thanks,
T.Mattay

[bethie]

My all-time favorite concerto is J.S. Bach's
Harpsichord Concerto No. 4 in A major (or for oboe d'amore) BWV 1055.  I think it is allegro moderato or something like that. I haven't been able to find the sheet music for it, but there is a great recording by Hae-Wong Chang. The "Bach: Piano Concertos, Vol.2" CD, in case you want to hear it.

Good luck on your concerto performance!

[pskim]

You can always try Beethoven's 1st, which is not too difficult.  Or Saint-Saens Concerto in C minor, which is also a great concerto or Mozart's concerto #17 in G which is very easy to play.  

[Chris]

hallo,
I also like much more the lesser known concertos, so I would try to give you some suggestions:

- Weber, Concerto No.1 Op.11 C Major or  

              Concertpiece in f minor, Op.79
 
- Mendelssohn: Concerto No.2 Op.40 d minor (beautyful)

-Scriabin: Concerto Op.20 f sharp minor or if you like something impressionistic there exists an interesting Fantasy of Debussy for Piano and Orchestra. About your intensions to play Dvorak I advise you to keep your fingers away;it's much more difficult than it sounds, it's not easier than the first of Brahms.But I'm sure you will find the right one for you. Good luck  Chris

[dinosaurtales]

I vote with pskim - if you can handle the Saint Saens concertos - all of which are wonderful.  I like your approach, avoiding obviously overplayed pieces - the Beethoven and SaintSaens concertos will appeal to college professors - I think many people assume that digging up something really obscure will make them appear more "intellectual" and aware, which I don't believe is true.  My guess is that the professors will be more interested in demonstrating a basic skill level and proper interpretation of a familiar piece.  Just a hunch.  Let us know what you decide to play!  Any of them would be tough for me - I've never gotten to play a concerto with an orchestra.  Should be fun!

[mozartean]

My recommendation to you would be:

Saint-Saen: Piano Concerto #2 in G minor
Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto #1 in G minor
Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor

They are wonderful concertos to play - technically manageable for the majority of pianists and have immense artistic value.

[Frannymeow]

Although...can't one say that the Schumann is another "oveprlayed" one?

[dinosaurtales]

I think it is, but maybe it's because I don't care for it that much.

[Hector_the_Crow]

Some suggestions from me:

You were looking for repetoire that is obscure but not TOO obscure, right?

Have you considered -
Gershwin's?
Khachaturian's?
Samuel Barber's?
Howard Hanson's?
Tchaikovsky's 3rd?
Any of Medtner's 3 concerti?

[Martijn]

Dear Mathay,

I've got the one's you're looking for!!

Emil von Sauer: Concerto pour piano et orchestra no. 1
Marx: Romantisches Klavierkonzert

I can mail them

Martijn

[martin_s]

I think you should take a look at Wilhelm Stenhammar's Concerto no.2, D Minor. Stenhammar used to be one of the most important persons in Swedish music during the first three decades of the twentieth century and is probably most well known for his superb string quartetts. He was an outstanding pianist himself and composed some really great piano music - his main influence being Brahms. His first Concerto - in Bb Minor - he performed many times in the Nordic countries and elsewhere with great success. At one point he played it with the Berlin Philharmonie conducted by a certain R. Strauss!
While his first Concerto, written when he was just a little more than 20 years old, is a great piece (the orchestral score was lost, by the way and has only recently been rediscovered) it tends to be a little too long and a little bit of a fierce creature, as it were. The second Concerto though, shows a mature composer with a personal language and superb mastery of both the piano and the orchestra as well as form and structure without lacking any of the youthful joy and pianistic/virtuoso/audience-friendly approach. As far as the 'obscurity' buissness is concerned, you need only consider that the piece is regularly performed (as far as I know at least in Europe) with great success by several pianists, Cristina Ortiz is one. Mme Ortiz has also recorded the piece (BIS records?? can't remember) with Neeme Jarvi and the Gothenburg Symphony, and she has told me she wishes to record more Stenhammar piano music in the future when she gets the chance since she considers it to be great music that deserves to be more played than it is...

The score can be obtained from somewhere, can't remember. There are people here in this forum who has got a copy...hint, hint...

[Ckarrlozs]

Mattay:

Dvorak concerto is a great concerto, make sure to get the ORIGINAL version and not the stupid one that has all the octaves and stupid stuff added into it.

About Stenhammar nr 2: it is also a great concerto, I was going to play it myself but had to postpone the project. Meanwhile I go thold of the music sheet through the original publisher who is called Nordiska Musikförlaget in Sweden. The score isn't printed anymore but you can buy photocopies from them.

Nordiska Musikförlaget
Vendevägen 85 B
Box 533, S-18215 Danderyd
Sweden
(46) 8 - 755 12 10 -- phone
(46) 8 - 753 48 88 -- fax

Good luck!

[brsmpianist]

May I suggest the Mozart concerto in CM, k. 503, which is substantial and displays color and technical ability?  Or the Mendelssohn gminor is a good choice as well.

[sharon_f]

Franck - Symphonic Variations

[anda]

Dvorak concerto is a great concerto, make sure to get the ORIGINAL version and not the stupid one that has all the octaves and stupid stuff added into it.

i prefer kurz's version - i think he didn't interfere at all with composer's intentions, but merely made it much more pianistical.

[SteinwayTony]

.

[SteinwayTony]

I'd like to hear someone on this forum study a Medtner concerto.  I haven't the time or the energy to learn one, but they are fantastic to listen to and unfortunately neglected.  My personal favorite is the first, in C minor.

Bortkiewicz's first concerto is B-flat is quite brilliant in a different way.  It reminds me of a Chopin concerto with more prominent orchestral accompaniment.

[Regulus Medtner]

I also highly recommend Medtner's concerti. The first is my favourite , but all 3 are brilliant. The third has one of the most elaborately beautiful piano parts I'm aware of.

Dvorak's concerto (original edition of course) is also a great choice.

Others you might want to consider and aren't already mentioned are Panderecki's and Scharwenka's 1st and 4th. I'd go for Medtner, though.

[rachmaninoff_969]

I would have to suggest Ligeti's concerto for piano and orchestra.  It is not obscure (Ligeti is one of today's greatest composers, well known to all classical musicians - well at least the name).  The work is quite challenging, but trust me, it is SOOOOO rewarding!  Anyway, good luck with whatever you choose!

[SDL]

Shostakovich 2 is a happy little mover - listen to Hamelin with BBC Scottish SO Andrew Litton.  I challenge anyone not to get excited at this and it has a gorgeous 2nd movement to boot!

Its very manageable and not difficult to get together with the orchestra - a consideration you should bear in mind if its your first, and what about the technical standard of the orchestra?  My first was Mozart k414 in Amajor probably not as performed as the others, although Mozart is difficult to pull off musically.

[SteinwayTony]

My recommendation to you would be:

Saint-Saen: Piano Concerto #2 in G minor
Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto #1 in G minor
Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor

They are wonderful concertos to play - technically manageable for the majority of pianists and have immense artistic value.

...and all of them are considered overplayed, which the OP did not want.

[klavierkonzerte]

guys this thread is 3 years old.

[lenny]

hi,
I'm looking for advice on a concerto to play for college. I'm pretty much open to anything except OVERplayed concerti.(Grieg, ect.) I'll entertain anything for baroque to modern.... it has to be, of course, at least moderatley difficult. I was thinking of a Dvorak concerto, or something.
It can't be too obscure, though. We all know this is a fine line to walk, so I'd appreciate some help. thanks,
T.Mattay

HOW ON EARTH DO YOU HAVE ZERO POSTS?!!?

[apion]

My recommendation to you would be:

Saint-Saen: Piano Concerto #2 in G minor
Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto #1 in G minor
Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor

They are wonderful concertos to play - technically manageable for the majority of pianists and have immense artistic value.

I agree with these concerto choices.  I would add Mozart #27 and the Weber Konzertstucke.

[Hamfast]

HOW ON EARTH DO YOU HAVE ZERO POSTS?!!?

[rohansahai]

Tchaikovsky's 2nd => G major

[pianowelsh]

If you tackle the Emil Von Sauer no1 good luck its HARD. Also quirky zany and utterly fantastic is Scriabins Concerto F# 

[apion]

guys this thread is 3 years old.

Yes, but music is T I M E L E S S ! ! ! ! !