Chamber Concertos

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Sounds like you listened to Geoffrey Douglas Madge's performance! He doesn't play the piece at its designated tempi due to what seems to be a lack of technical skill (according to the metronome marks: http://issuu.com/scoresondemand/docs/concerto_no3_piano_and_winds_33223). Just for the pianism I think I would recommend the other recording, by Danae Kara, who is somewhat better on the tempo front and also plays more of the notes. >.> (Approximate timings should be closer to 19' / 20' / I'm not sure but probably about 15', the triplet semiquavers feel like they "should" be about as fast as possible. 54 minutes is still pretty long, of course.)

Ohhh okay and yes it was that recording I found on Spotify to check out. I'll see if I can find the one by Danae Kara, thanks for the recommendation.

[amw]

It's out of print I think—I can send you a link if you'd like.

Her timings are 20' / 16' / 17', meaning the slow movement is a bit fast and the fast movements are a bit slow. (I suppose it's worth having both, though I'm still waiting for a top-flight recording... maybe someday...)

[(poco) Sforzando]

Sounds like you listened to Geoffrey Douglas Madge's performance! He doesn't play the piece at its designated tempi due to what seems to be a lack of technical skill (according to the metronome marks: http://issuu.com/scoresondemand/docs/concerto_no3_piano_and_winds_33223). Just for the pianism I think I would recommend the other recording, by Danae Kara, who is somewhat better on the tempo front and also plays more of the notes. >.> (Approximate timings should be closer to 19' / 20' / I'm not sure but probably about 15', the triplet semiquavers feel like they "should" be about as fast as possible. 54 minutes is still pretty long, of course.)

I only have the 1st concerto with Madge, and Skalkottas hasn't interested me sufficiently to pursue more. However, you could always edit the audio file to increase the speeds 5% without affecting the pitches, and then your tempo problem is solved. (During my last job I spent a lot of my time recording and editing voiceover work, and whenever there was any bellyaching that the speaker was "too fast," I just slowed him/her down 10%, inserted longer pauses between sentences, and everyone was happy. Except for those who were never happy.)

[The new erato]

Some personal favorites:

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[Wanderer]

What comes readily to mind: Skalkottas' Concerto for Two Violins (unorchestrated at composer's death, scored for two violins and two pianos), Respighi's Concerto a cinque (for piano, oboe, trumpet, violin & double-bass), Alkan's 2 Concerti da camera (there's a third one that survived as a solo piano piece), Poulenc's Aubade (concerto chorégraphique pour piano et dix huit instruments). And if chamber symphonies count, as I glimpsed someone mentioning them previously, then also Schreker's Kammersymphonie.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I have never heard of that Britten work before....is it not very well known in general?

[Wanderer]

I have never heard of that Britten work before....is it not very well known in general?

Oops, I meant Poulenc, of course. Much better known... and in existence! 

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Oops, I meant Poulenc, of course. Much better known... and in existence! 

Oh that's probably it
Now I recognise the title in relation to the composer actually!

[ritter]

Some additional French contenders:

Albert Roussel: Concert pour petit orchestre, op. 34 (1927)
https://www.youtube.com/v/TSQybmT0DNw

Reynaldo Hahn: Concerto provençal (1945)
https://www.youtube.com/v/qscoXSVLFdc

Pierre Boulez: Éclat/Multiples (1965 - 1970)
https://www.youtube.com/v/FTstGUUniy4
I suppose Dérive I and Dérive II could also qualify...

And from Spain:

Fabián Panisello: Concierto de cámara (2005)
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Cristóbal Halffter: Pourquoi (1974-75)
[asin]B000GAL4TA[/asin]

And then there's Peter Eötvös's delightful and playfuily improvisatory Steine, deicated to Pierre Boulez (Steine = stones = pierres,  get it? ). Unfortunaltely, no YouTube available AFAIK.
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[Monsieur Croche]

Doh (slaps own forehead...)

Darius Milhaud:
Concertino de printemps for violin and chamber orchestra, Op. 135 (1934)
Concertino d'été for viola and chamber orchestra, Op. 311 (1951)
Concertino d'automne for 2 pianos and 8 instruments, Op. 309 (1951)
Concertino d'hiver for trombone and string orchestra, Op. 327 (1953)

Concert de chambre for piano and chamber orchestra (wind quintet and string quintet), Op. 389 (1961)

Music for Boston for violin and chamber orchestra, Op. 414 (1965)

[amw]

And if chamber symphonies count, as I glimpsed someone mentioning them previously, then also Schreker's Kammersymphonie.

Also notable chamber symphonies by Zemlinsky, Popov, Enescu, Roslavets, Holmboe, Leibowitz & others, which vary in approach (eg Enescu being almost anti-symphonic in character, Schreker and Zemlinsky seeking new freer forms for a new genre, Popov developing material in a traditionally symphonic manner). And, imo, much less notable chamber symphonies by John Adams.

There's a good deal of fuzziness here—Schoenberg's Zweite Kammersymphonie is actually written for an orchestra the size of a Beethoven symphony, and uses a form bearing some resemblance to sonata structure if you squint, whereas some of the symphonies of Galina Ustvolskaya use small ensembles (I think one is 5 instruments) and all use unconventional forms but she was insistent that they were symphonies and never chamber music of any kind.

[pjme]

Arthur Honegger Concerto da camera for flute, cor anglais and strings

https://www.youtube.com/v/zUpTxGBX-KI

Très beau!

P.

[Jo498]

The mention of the Respighi (I only dimly remember it but I think it was one of the few pieces of his I liked, I can't stand the uccelli, Pines or Rome etc. movie music) reminds me of the De Falla for harpsichord and a bunch of winds. There is a recording by Igor Kipnis and Boulez.
Another interesting piece is the "Petite Symphonie Concertante" by Frank Martin for strings, harpsichord and harp. I am afraid I do not know a readily available recording in modern sound (there are probably some but I only have the mono Fricsay and Ansermet). I think Martin has a few other pieces that could be considered chamber scale concertos or symphonies but I'd have to check the details.