Six favourite lesser known Piano concertos.

[vandermolen]

Because we are such an unpredictable and untrendy lot!

When I first joined a classical music library in the LP era (the excellent Kensington and Chelsea music library, where I made so many great discoveries - all those Melodiya LPs for starters) you could only take out three LPs at a time so I forced my dad to join which gave me six choices. So, since then I have always thought in terms of sixes. 
Please feel free to choose ten however. 

[pjme]

I like some (hot) pepper and salt (combined with some tears and a prayer) in music. Often xxth century concertos deliver all those goods ...

André Jolivet - very exotico frenetico
Teruyuki Noda - miniature Messiaen
Peter Mennin - nobel, muscular, grand, with a soft heart.
Charles Wuorinen - concerto nr 3 explosive, complicated and exalted as live itself...
Albert Roussel: a little gem that nobody seems to like or play....
Bohuslav Martinu: concerto nr 5 Fantasia concertante ( the fantastic nr 4 'Incantace" isn't exactly regular fare either..)
Hilding Rosenberg: concerto 1 exiting, serious, virtuoso: a fast and a slow movement... ( a projected third movement was never realised)

And also: the two concerti by Frank Martin, Hindemith.... and many more.

[vandermolen]

Also a fine work:
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Also a beautiful, engaging work, rather in the style of Francaix:
[asin]B00M2D7MY0[/asin]

[vandermolen]

The poetic one by Jean Cras (1879-1932) now definitely joins my list.

[Brian]

Charles Wuorinen - concerto nr 3 explosive, complicated and exalted as live itself...

Mighty peculiar comments on the YouTube video of this, even by YouTube's standards. One stands out: the music "makes me wanna get in my truck."

[Ken B]

Douse Eisenga, Piano Concerto (only one so far)

Is Rawsthorne little known? His two.

Lou Harrison.

[Mirror Image]

Lou Harrison.

I really like the first, third, and fourth movements of the Harrison's Piano Concerto, but felt the second movement Stampede could have been reduced down to a few minutes instead of nine minutes which, given the musical material, makes it rather tedious and overlong. I almost always skip this movement.

[vandermolen]

Douse Eisenga, Piano Concerto (only one so far)

Is Rawsthorne little known? His two.

Lou Harrison.

I especially like the Rawsthorne No.2
The CD below also features his masterpiece the 'Symphonic Studies' in its best version on CD. There are fine Naxos recordings of the piano concertos too:
[asin]B000N8UVS0[/asin]

[vandermolen]

I really like the first, third, and fourth movements of the Harrison's Piano Concerto, but felt the second movement Stampede could have been reduced down to a few minutes instead of nine minutes which, given the musical material, makes it rather tedious and overlong. I almost always skip this movement.

+1

[Rons_talking]

Ned Rorem No.2 (I know nobody likes him around here, but this is one of his best works).
Martinu; 1st concerto...A delightful early work that is more effusive than most of his later works.
John Cage; Concerto for Prepared Piano a strong semi-early work.
Vince Persichetti; Concerto.. Long and lyrical.

[Sergeant Rock]

Kats-Chernin Piano Concerto No.2

Korngold Piano Concerto for left hand C minor op.17

Lloyd Piano Concerto No.3

Schmidt Piano Concerto for left Hand E major

Clara Schumann Piano Concerto A minor

Valen Piano Concerto op.42

[Holden]

[vandermolen]

Kats-Chernin Piano Concerto No.2

Korngold Piano Concerto for left hand C minor op.17

Lloyd Piano Concerto No.3

Schmidt Piano Concerto for left Hand E major

Clara Schumann Piano Concerto A minor

Valen Piano Concerto op.42

The Lloyd is very fine - an epic work which reminds me of Khachaturian. I like the Korngold too but don't know the others. What's the Kats-Chernin like Sarge? I see that she has composed a lot of film scores.

[Sergeant Rock]

What's the Kats-Chernin like Sarge? I see that she has composed a lot of film scores.

Easier to post this than describe it.

https://www.youtube.com/v/bUQyVuon9yo

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

http://www.youtube.com/v/vC3qQpyp4rI

"The Bostonians just couldn't accept ...."

[vandermolen]

Easier to post this than describe it.

https://www.youtube.com/v/bUQyVuon9yo

Sarge

Lovely work. Thanks for posting Sarge.
Is it on CD?

[Sergeant Rock]

Lovely work. Thanks for posting Sarge.
Is it on CD?

It is, coupled with the very attractive ballet suite Wild Swans:




Sarge

[springrite]

Ned Rorem No.2 (I know nobody likes him around here, but this is one of his best works).
Martinu; 1st concerto...A delightful early work that is more effusive than most of his later works.
John Cage; Concerto for Prepared Piano a strong semi-early work.
Vince Persichetti; Concerto.. Long and lyrical.

I like the Rorem.

Listened to the Persichetti three times last night. Good work!

[SymphonicAddict]

I don't know how obscure my choices are, but anyway here it goes:

Pfitzner - Piano concerto in E flat major
Paderewski - Piano concerto in A minor
Elmas - Piano concerto No. 3
Sgambati - Piano concerto in G minor
Kilar - Piano concerto
Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Piano concerto No. 2 in F major

Bonus choice:
Feinberg - Piano concerto No. 3 in C minor

[kyjo]

I don't know how obscure my choices are, but anyway here it goes:

Pfitzner - Piano concerto in E flat major
Paderewski - Piano concerto in A minor
Elmas - Piano concerto No. 3
Sgambati - Piano concerto in G minor
Kilar - Piano concerto
Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Piano concerto No. 2 in F major

Bonus choice:
Feinberg - Piano concerto No. 3 in C minor

I'd say those are obscure enough!  I know the Paderewski and Castelnuovo-Tedesco concerti which I enjoy greatly, as well as the Sgambati which I don't think as highly of.