Your ten favourite 20th Century piano concertos.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Indeed! A great concerto and an excellent disc in general.

P.

I also dig that weird psychedelic portrait of the composer, with the exploding hair. More album covers should look like that.

[DaveF]

9. Messiaen Oiseaux Exotiques

Aha - what a piece!  A few years ago I put together a compilation on a couple of CDs of pieces composed in 1955 for a friend whose year of birth that was - I don't know if it was a particularly good year or whether they were all like that then, but it included the Canticum sacrum, Le marteau sans maître, Barraqué's Séquence, Carter's Variations for orchestra - and Oiseaux Exotiques, which I eventually decided was the best of the lot.  Do you know the Loriod/Rickenbacher recording?  But is it a piano concerto...?

For what it's worth, my own rather uninteresting list - but only one per composer, and all works actually called "Concerto".  I shall also be juggling a selection of fresh fruit with my toes while typing:

Bartok 1 (fave piano concerto from any century)
Ravel left-hand
Prokofiev 4
Berg Chamber
Stravinsky (the concerto, although Movements is perhaps my favourite)
Schnittke piano & strings
Shostakovich 1
Britten
Tippett
No obvious no.10 - Schoenberg?

[EigenUser]

Aha - what a piece!  A few years ago I put together a compilation on a couple of CDs of pieces composed in 1955 for a friend whose year of birth that was - I don't know if it was a particularly good year or whether they were all like that then, but it included the Canticum sacrum, Le marteau sans maître, Barraqué's Séquence, Carter's Variations for orchestra - and Oiseaux Exotiques, which I eventually decided was the best of the lot.  Do you know the Loriod/Rickenbacher recording?  But is it a piano concerto...?

I don't think I've heard that recording. I assume Loriod made a few recordings of it. I'll see if I can find it on YT or Spotify. I actually saw it performed live this past October in NYC by a group at Juilliard. It is LOUD! I never realized how loud it is (for the relatively small ensemble it calls for) until I saw it in person. I tend to think of it as a micro-piano-concerto, although it is clearly arguable.

I'm also happily surprised to see all of the love for Bartok 1.

EDIT: Failed at quoting and replied in the quote box.

[Mirror Image]

Yes, that too. But I still consider you to be a traitor for not mentioning the Barber. 

[amw]

Stravinsky (the concerto, although Movements is perhaps my favourite)

Movements is so good. Sogood. It's pretty much the best thing. Stravinsky was offered a sainthood when the pope heard it, but had to decline for religious reasons. True story.

[Mirror Image]

Fully agreed, John.  During my first travels through Europe, early 1980s, I trod through the El Generalife Gardens in Granada (Southern Spain) with this music in my head. Unforgettable experience.

Yes, that must have been some more experience. You're very fortunate to have walked in these gardens.

[vandermolen]

Aha - what a piece!  A few years ago I put together a compilation on a couple of CDs of pieces composed in 1955 for a friend whose year of birth that was - I don't know if it was a particularly good year or whether they were all like that then, but it included the Canticum sacrum, Le marteau sans maître, Barraqué's Séquence, Carter's Variations for orchestra - and Oiseaux Exotiques, which I eventually decided was the best of the lot.  Do you know the Loriod/Rickenbacher recording?  But is it a piano concerto...?

For what it's worth, my own rather uninteresting list - but only one per composer, and all works actually called "Concerto".  I shall also be juggling a selection of fresh fruit with my toes while typing:

Bartok 1 (fave piano concerto from any century)
Ravel left-hand
Prokofiev 4
Berg Chamber
Stravinsky (the concerto, although Movements is perhaps my favourite)
Schnittke piano & strings
Shostakovich 1
Britten
Tippett
No obvious no.10 - Schoenberg?

Not an uninteresting list at all and I take your 'concerto' point which I should have clarified in my original post. I should have included the Ravel and must investigate the Schoenberg and Schnittke as I like his Piano Quintet very much.

[Lisztianwagner]

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.3
Ravel: Piano Concerto for the left hand
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major
Schnittke: Concerto for piano and strings
Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No.2
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No.3
Szymanowski: Symphonie Concertante
Bartók: Piano Concerto No.2
Martinu: Piano Concerto No.4

[DaveF]

Huge apology to John Ireland, whose concerto should have been on my list round about 6 or 7, and who shuts Schoenberg off into outer darkness.

Movements is so good. Sogood. It's pretty much the best thing. Stravinsky was offered a sainthood when the pope heard it, but had to decline for religious reasons. True story.

Very good one, whether true or not.

[vandermolen]

Huge apology to John Ireland, whose concerto should have been on my list round about 6 or 7, and who shuts Schoenberg off into outer darkness.

Very good one, whether true or not.

Also an admirer of John Ireland but I think that I am over familiar with his fine PC.

[Madiel]

Um...

Both of Ravel's, especially the Left Hand.

Rach 4. People don't seem to mention Rach 4. I like my Rachmaninov late.  Hence the Paganini Rhapsody as well.

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue has to count, surely.

Bridge's Phantasm.

Holmboe of course.

Bartok's, although I'm not sure which I like the best. Possibly no.1 once I got a handle on it?... will have to go listen again as it's still not fully familiar.

And I'm going to throw in Faure's Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra because, dammit, people need to remember he's a 20th century composer and was writing stuff after Debussy was gone.

[vandermolen]

Um...

Both of Ravel's, especially the Left Hand.

Rach 4. People don't seem to mention Rach 4. I like my Rachmaninov late.  Hence the Paganini Rhapsody as well.

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue has to count, surely.

Bridge's Phantasm.

Holmboe of course.

Bartok's, although I'm not sure which I like the best. Possibly no.1 once I got a handle on it?... will have to go listen again as it's still not fully familiar.

And I'm going to throw in Faure's Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra because, dammit, people need to remember he's a 20th century composer and was writing stuff after Debussy was gone.

I think I mentioned the Rach 4 - my favourite of them.

[Madiel]

I think I mentioned the Rach 4 - my favourite of them.

Can't see that you have in this thread, but it's late here and maybe I've missed it.

[vandermolen]

Can't see that you have in this thread, but it's late here and maybe I've missed it.

Page 2 third message down, but not important.

[springrite]

Page 2 third message down, but not important.

That's right. The important one is 8th on page one. 

[vandermolen]

That's right. The important one is 8th on page one. 

Definitely. That one is worth the GMG Forum Pulitzer Prize.   

[EigenUser]

Revised 3/17:
1. Bartok 2
2. Bartok 1
3. Ligeti
4. Ravel LH
5. Tippett
6. Gershwin
7. Ohana
8. Ravel G major
9. Messiaen Oiseaux Exotiques
10. Feldman

The Tippett is amazing. Whenever James and MI both speak highly of something I really should check it out myself. I've listened to it like six times over the past few days.

[Ken B]

No love for the HVL Choros John?

[RebLem]

The three by Bartok, Barber, Chavez, Copland, Gershwin's Rhapsody in blue, Prokofiev 1 & 3, and Ravel's in G Major.

[Brian]

In the order I thought of them:

Ravel - G major
Ravel - Left hand
Shostakovich - No. 2
Prokofiev - No. 1
Prokofiev - No. 3
Szymanowski - Symphony No. 4
Gershwin
Francaix - for two pianos
Poulenc - for two pianos
Rachmaninov - No. 3