Your ten favourite 20th Century piano concertos.

[vandermolen]

Note that I wrote 'favourite' and not greatest, so as to avoid arguments. I have just included the ones that give me the most pleasure and which I listen to most often:

Walton: Sinfonia Concertante

Lennox Berkeley: Concerto for Two a Pianos

Cyril Scott: PC No. 1

Rawsthorne: PC No. 2

Vaughan Williams: Concerto for Two Pianos

Bliss: Piano Concerto

Hanson: Piano Concerto

Delius:Piano Concerto

Bridge: Phantasm

Prokofiev: PC No. 2

[Ken B]

Aside from some obvious choices, the two by Rawsthorn, masterpieces both.

And I like this disc a lot.
[asin]B0007ACVHS[/asin]
Not saying they make my top 10, but they are little known and deserve better. Lou Harrison ditto.

As for the normal choices. Hard to top Stravinsky, Bartok 2, Ravel, Shosty both.

[Mirror Image]

These were my choices on the other thread Jeffrey created:

Ravel: Piano Concerto for left-hand
Bartok: Piano Concerto No. 2
Britten: Diversions
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2
Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 2
Martinu: Piano Concerto No. 5
Schnittke: Concerto for Piano and Strings
Szymanowski: Symphony No. 4 'Symphonie Concertante' (a PC in all but a name)
Tippett: Piano Concerto
Villa-Lobos: Choros No. 11
Sculthorpe: Piano Concerto

But, now, I have some new additions and some subtractions:

Delius: Piano Concerto
Bartok: Piano Concerto No. 3
RVW: Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra
Ravel: Piano Concerto for left-hand
Poulenc: Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2
Sculthorpe: Piano Concerto
Britten: Diversions
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3
Tippett: Piano Concerto

[amw]

Since no one else is likely to mention them:
Helmut Lachenmann's Ausklang
James Dillon's Andromeda
John Cage's Concert for Piano and Orchestra & even more so Concerto for prepared piano and chamber orchestra
Luciano Berio's Concerto for two pianos and orchestra
Nikos Skalkottas's Piano Concerto No. 3

[Dancing Divertimentian]

PCs 2 thru 5 of Prokofiev.

PCs 1 and 2 of Bartok.

Britten's two (including Diversions for left hand).

Ravel's two.

Shostakovich's first.

(Okay, eleven)

[EigenUser]

In approximate order (subject to change without notice):
1. Bartok 2
2. Bartok 1
3. Ligeti
4. Ravel LH
5. Gershwin
6. Ohana
7. Ravel G major
8. Bartok 3
9. Messiaen Oiseaux Exotiques
10. Feldman

The first five are pretty much set (with the first three being more or less tied).

PCs 1 and 2 of Bartok.

Great! Glad to see 1 on someone else's list, too! A thrilling concerto!

[Jo498]

Bartok 2
Ravel Left Hand
Prokofieff 2
Bartok 3
Bartok 1
Rachmaninoff: Paganini Rhapsody
Shostakovich with piano and trumpet
Ravel G major

[springrite]

Ravel: Piano Concerto for left-hand
Ravel: In G
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 1 and 3
Bridge: Fantasm
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 & 3
Barber: PC
Bartok: 1
Carter: PC

[Mirror Image]

In approximate order (subject to change without notice):
1. Bartok 2
2. Bartok 1
3. Ligeti
4. Ravel LH
5. Gershwin
6. Ohana
7. Ravel G major
8. Bartok 3
9. Messiaen Oiseaux Exotiques
10. Feldman

I'd like to see a list that doesn't duplicate composers from you, Nate. In other words, one concerto per composer.

[chadfeldheimer]

Since no one else is likely to mention them:
Helmut Lachenmann's Ausklang
James Dillon's Andromeda
John Cage's Concert for Piano and Orchestra & even more so Concerto for prepared piano and chamber orchestra
Luciano Berio's Concerto for two pianos and orchestra
Nikos Skalkottas's Piano Concerto No. 3

Good idea to mention some PCs from the second half of the 20th century. I'd like to add:
Ligeti - Piano Concerto
Spahlinger - Intermezzo for Piaon and Orchestra
Carter - Double Concerto for Harpsichord and Piano with two Chamber Orchestras
B.A. Zimmermann - Dialoge for two Pianos and Orchestra

[jochanaan]

It's been a while since I've listened extensively to piano concertos of the most recent century, so I can't necessarily do 10, but some of my favorites include:

Bartok #1.  Yes, all three of his piano concertos are great; am I unique in thinking #1 the greatest of them all?
Britten.  Very fun, and not at all "depressing" as his music has been accused (with some justification in the case of the Violin Concerto).
Howard Hanson, Fantasy Variations on a Theme of Youth.  Not perhaps a great work but an extraordinarily lovely one.
Prokofieff #3.  That one I've played in orchestra.  Lots of fun!
Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.  We tend to forget that this was actually written in 1934!  It was such an instant classic that it seems to have been around forever.
Shostakovich #1.  Amazing piece!
Robert Suderburg, Concerto "within the mirror of time".  This one made a bit of a splash in the 1970s but seems to have sunk without trace, yet it's a big, neo-Romantic piece that should be raised up again.

[Ken B]

Robert Suderburg, Concerto "within the mirror of time".  This one made a bit of a splash in the 1970s but seems to have sunk without trace, yet it's a big, neo-Romantic piece that should be raised up again.

I cannot find this on Spotify or Youtube.   

[EigenUser]

I'd like to see a list that doesn't duplicate composers from you, Nate. In other words, one concerto per composer.

If I must, I'll do away with Bartok 3 and replace it with Schoenberg (!). That's as far as I'm willing to go. 0:)

I like the Tippett, Rach, and Delius, too, but they wouldn't make my top list. I don't know them well enough, either.

Bartok 2 and 1 are almost equal (depending on the day).

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Great! Glad to see [Bartok's] 1 on someone else's list, too! A thrilling concerto!

Yes, it's long been a fave.

Anyone have any thoughts on Lutoslawski's PC? I had forgotten about it until tonight. Not for lack of quality, though. I might just need to give it a bump.

[springrite]

The Lutosloawski is certainly a wonderful concerto and could easily be on my list as well.

I am surprised that I am the only one to have mentioned Barber.

[Jo498]

It took me a little longer to appreciate Bartok's first piano concerto but nowadays whichever of the three I listen to is my favorite. Except for Ravel's left hand concerto (which I prefer to the G major by a huge margin) and the Prokofieff 2 (which I prefer similarly strongly to the rest of his entertaining as they may be) they are my favorite 20th century concertos and among my favorite Bartok pieces as well. I should definitely listen (not even sure whether I have them) to Lutoslawski's and Ligeti's. I probably have heard Britten's as well (or at least the left hand piece) but do not really remember much about it.

[AdamFromWashington]

Rachmaninoff's 2

Prokofiev's 2nd -- especially with Gutierrez and Järvi.

Bartók's 2nd or 1st... Never warmed to the 3rd for some reason.

Janáček's Capriccio --  a delightful piece that doesn't get enough attention.

Stravinsky's Capriccio -- ditto.

Shostakovich's 2nd 

Schnittke's twenty minute well of despair and pianistic fun.

Ravel's G Major Concerto -- My favorite performance is by Samson François and André Cluytens. I never really enjoyed the piece until I heard that recording.

Poulenc's Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra 

And maybe Schoenberg's or Ligeti's, though I haven't listened to them recently enough to comfortably call them "favorites." I'll remedy that tomorrow, I think.

I also remember enjoying works by Geirr Tveitt and Lou Harrison.

[EigenUser]

Bartók's 2nd or 1st... Never warmed to the 3rd for some reason.

It took me awhile to warm to the 3rd as well. I still strongly prefer the first two.

I've seen the 2nd performed twice (in less than a year!). Once with Bronfman/Philadelphia and another time with Barto/NSO. Both were great performances, for the most part. When I saw it in Philly I was so distracted by the poor brass playing (I think that they were just having a bad night in the 1st movement -- wrong entrances, late entrances, no entrances) that I don't really remember particulars of Bronfman's playing (other than it being outstanding). I couldn't find a recording of his 2nd PC on YT, either (I tried a few days ago). Barto was awesome with it, though! When he walked onstage my friend was like "woah, is he a linebacker or something?" Turns out he's also a bodybuilder, which was amusing. Fit the piece perfectly.

It took me a little longer to appreciate Bartok's first piano concerto but nowadays whichever of the three I listen to is my favorite. Except for Ravel's left hand concerto (which I prefer to the G major by a huge margin) and the Prokofieff 2 (which I prefer similarly strongly to the rest of his entertaining as they may be) they are my favorite 20th century concertos and among my favorite Bartok pieces as well. I should definitely listen (not even sure whether I have them) to Lutoslawski's and Ligeti's. I probably have heard Britten's as well (or at least the left hand piece) but do not really remember much about it.

I like Luto's PC as well. I heard it a few times last year, but I should hear it again sometime.

And do listen to the Ligeti PC. It is great fun. Prepare to be bewildered. It's like an M.C. Escher painting in musical reincarnation.

[pjme]

Most of the ( great, popular) classics have been mentioned: Ravel, Bartok, Prokofiev ... Szymanowski (Symphonia), Britten, Lutoslawski etc.

I like to add:

Martinu nr 4 "Incantation" - wonderfully mysterious.
Peter Mennin: virtuoso, muscular, gripping... with a deeply felt, intimate slow movement.
André Jolivet: caused a scandal in 1951. I like the exuberance, the percussion-laden drive, the explosive character.
Paul Hindemith : concerto 1945 - Markus Groh gives an excellent performance on YT: https://youtu.be/SEPX8boLAXg
the 'Tre fontane" variations are exhilarating!
Frank Martin: two concerti + a Ballade and a wonderful Danse de la mort for two piano's and orchestra.

For those who like the roaring twenties/thirties:

Jaroslav Jezek: https://youtu.be/SEPX8boLAXg

Pavel Borkovec: https://youtu.be/fg02XTvVg4w

Not a concerto: Ballade by Charles Koechlin - an early work , very darkly-romantic!!
https://youtu.be/vw5_KvmQ1HE


P.

[vandermolen]

Aside from some obvious choices, the two by Rawsthorn, masterpieces both.

And I like this disc a lot.
[asin]B0007ACVHS[/asin]
Not saying they make my top 10, but they are little known and deserve better. Lou Harrison ditto.

As for the normal choices. Hard to top Stravinsky, Bartok 2, Ravel, Shosty both.

Thanks for this. I agree about the Rawsthorne and must track down the Howard Ferguson.