Six favourite lesser known Piano concertos.

Started by vandermolen, May 01, 2016, 12:23:38 AM

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kyjo

#40
Doesn't look like I've posted yet in this thread. Here goes:


Alwyn - Piano Concerto no. 2 (neo-romantic with a gorgeous slow movement)
Englund - Piano Concertos nos. 1 and 2 (cheated 'cause I couldn't choose between them - exciting and atmospheric works in a Prokofiev/Bartok mould)
Liebermann - Piano Concerto no. 2 (an epic work - one of the best compositions I know by a living composer)
Rodrigo - Concierto heroico (one of Rodrigo's finest works; has a moving slow movement)
Röntgen - Piano Concerto no. 2 (freshly lyrical in a Brahms/Grieg mould; no. 4 is great too)
Sauer - Piano Concerto no. 1 (gorgeous and tuneful - there's no reason it shouldn't be standard repertoire; it's become one of my very favorite works)


I second the Paderewski and Castelnuovo-Tedesco choices by SymphonicAddict. Also, an honorable mention to Merikanto's PC no. 3 for its heavenly slow movement. I suppose the Medtner concerti might qualify as too "well-known"; in case they don't, I'd nominate the gorgeous no. 3 (all 3 are great).
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

SymphonicAddict

Quote from: kyjo on August 16, 2018, 04:04:02 PM
Doesn't look like I've posted yet in this thread. Here goes:


Alwyn - Piano Concerto no. 2 (neo-romantic with a gorgeous slow movement)
Englund - Piano Concertos nos. 1 and 2 (cheated 'cause I couldn't choose between them - exciting and atmospheric works in a Prokofiev/Bartok mould)
Liebermann - Piano Concerto no. 2 (an epic work - one of the best compositions I know by a living composer)
Rodrigo - Concierto heroico (one of Rodrigo's finest works; has a moving slow movement)
Röntgen - Piano Concerto no. 2 (freshly lyrical in a Brahms/Grieg mould; no. 4 is great too)
Sauer - Piano Concerto no. 1 (gorgeous and tuneful - there's no reason it shouldn't be standard repertoire; it's become one of my very favorite works)


I second the Paderewski and Castelnuovo-Tedesco choices by SymphonicAddict. Also, an honorable mention to Merikanto's PC no. 3 for its heavenly slow movement. I suppose the Medtner concerti might qualify as too "well-known"; in case they don't, I'd nominate the gorgeous no. 3 (all 3 are great).

Great choices. I know them all except the Liebermann, which seems interesting. I wasn't surprised by the Merikanto, but was worth listening. The 3 by Medtner are definitely great and slightly obscure.

Biffo

I can't think of six offhand that haven't been mentioned already but can definitely recommend Tveitt's Piano Concerto No 4 'Aurora Borealis'.  On a Naxos disc it comes coupled with the Variations on a Folksong from Hardanger for two pianos and orchestra - Havard Gimse and Gunilla Sussmann (pianos) with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Bjarte Engeset

Cato

How about all 6 concertos from Alexander Tcherepnin ?

We can start with #1 !  8)

YouTube for some reason does not have the complete work, so go to Daily Motion:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4j4ckh
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Karl Henning

Hartmann, Cto for piano, winds & percussion (which, coincidentally, I just revisited a couple of days ago)
Wuorinen, Piano Concerto #4 (heard the première in Symphony Hall, great, great piece)
Copland — for Copland, this is an obscure piece
Bernstein, Age of Anxiety Symphony (a pf cto in all but name)
Stravinsky, Cto for piano & winds — for Igor Fyodorovich, this is an obscure piece
Hindemith, Konzertmusik, Op.49 for pf, brass & two harps (the most brilliant Hindemith work that too few of us know)
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Cato

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on August 17, 2018, 04:16:01 AM
Hartmann, Cto for piano, winds & percussion (which, coincidentally, I just revisited a couple of days ago)
Wuorinen, Piano Concerto #4 (heard the première in Symphony Hall, great, great piece)
Copland — for Copland, this is an obscure piece
Bernstein, Age of Anxiety Symphony (a pf cto in all but name)
Stravinsky, Cto for piano & winds — for Igor Fyodorovich, this is an obscure piece
Hindemith, Konzertmusik, Op.49 for pf, brass & two harps (the most brilliant Hindemith work that too few of us know)

Great choices!  I first heard the Stravinsky in high school and loaned the record to some friends who were big on Stravinsky.   One of my favorites!

I recall watching Aaron Copland play this concerto on television: my grandmother (a fine pianist) found it too avant-garde, but I was enthused!

The broadcast has been preserved:

https://www.youtube.com/v/vC3qQpyp4rI
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

kyjo

Quote from: Biffo on August 17, 2018, 01:14:12 AM
I can't think of six offhand that haven't been mentioned already but can definitely recommend Tveitt's Piano Concerto No 4 'Aurora Borealis'.  On a Naxos disc it comes coupled with the Variations on a Folksong from Hardanger for two pianos and orchestra - Havard Gimse and Gunilla Sussmann (pianos) with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Bjarte Engeset

The Tveitt PC 4 is a great work - magical and atmospheric. I could've included it in my list.
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

Daverz

Quote from: kyjo on August 16, 2018, 04:04:02 PM
Englund - Piano Concertos nos. 1 and 2 (cheated 'cause I couldn't choose between them - exciting and atmospheric works in a Prokofiev/Bartok mould)

Listened to PC 1 last night, Sivelov/Panula/Naxos and Raekallio/Klas/Ondine.  The latter seems greatly superior to me, better sonics and Raekallio's playing is magical.

Cato

Quote from: Cato on August 17, 2018, 02:58:03 AM
How about all 6 concertos from Alexander Tcherepnin ?

We can start with #1 !  8)

YouTube for some reason does not have the complete work, so go to Daily Motion:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4j4ckh

The Second Piano Concerto: YouTube offers only a taste of 4 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/v/ofr190nQCwo
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

kyjo

Quote from: Daverz on August 17, 2018, 02:16:06 PM
Listened to PC 1 last night, Sivelov/Panula/Naxos and Raekallio/Klas/Ondine.  The latter seems greatly superior to me, better sonics and Raekallio's playing is magical.

Yes, that Ondine recording of the Englund PCs is great. Raekallio is a really fine pianist.
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

relm1

I like:
1. Rautavaara piano concertos
2. Kevin Puts'
3. George Lloyd's
4. Alwyn's
4. Arnold Bax's
5. Lee Actor's
5. Peter Maxwell Davies
5. Atterberg's
5. Tomas Svoboda's
6. Lowell Liebermann's
6. Carl Vines
6. Shchedrin's


There, those are my six.

vandermolen

Quote from: relm1 on August 18, 2018, 06:04:44 AM
I like:
1. Rautavaara piano concertos
2. Kevin Puts'
3. George Lloyd's
4. Alwyn's
4. Arnold Bax's
5. Lee Actor's
5. Peter Maxwell Davies
5. Atterberg's
5. Tomas Svoboda's
6. Lowell Liebermann's
6. Carl Vines
6. Shchedrin's


There, those are my six.
Haha  :)
I don't know all of them but like those that I do know.
Would add this one to my list now and Rawsthorne's No.2 which is actually reasonably well known but a wonderful score:
[asin]B07F7P2NR3[/asin]
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

bwv 1080

Not sure how lesser known these are:
Henze : Tristan
Manuel Ponce : 2nd PC
Hindemith: The Four Temperaments
Wuorinen : PC 3



amw

JL Dussek - No.7 (?) Op.49 in g minor
CV Alkan - Concerto for piano solo Op.39 nos.8-10
A Ginastera - No.1 (also No.2)
P Hindemith - Kammermusik No.2 Op.36 no.1
F Busoni - Op.36 in C major
KS Sorabji - Concerto per suonare da me solo
I Stravinsky - Movements


schnittkease

Quote from: relm1 on September 15, 2018, 04:20:20 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFCm1m2626Y

Vladigerov's five are all worth hearing -- I call bs on those that say he lost his edge after the third.  Another Bulgarian to keep an eye out for is Veselin Stoyanov, whose 1st PC is... quite a statement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxGcywd-bnk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k_wtoaZF8g


vandermolen

Quote from: schnittkease on September 15, 2018, 06:07:39 PM
Vladigerov's five are all worth hearing -- I call bs on those that say he lost his edge after the third.  Another Bulgarian to keep an eye out for is Veselin Stoyanov, whose 1st PC is... quite a statement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxGcywd-bnk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k_wtoaZF8g

I have one CD of his music featuring PC 3 which I enjoyed.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

pjme

#57
I discovered these concertos on the Internet .

Svetislav Božić - Metohijska pojanja (Chants of Metohija) is warmly lyrical and I find it utterly lovely.

https://www.youtube.com/v/x-2078stCVM

Théo Ysaÿe's 1907 concerto has all the glitter, sentiment and grandeur of those pre- WWI years. Magnifique et raffiné!

https://www.youtube.com/v/m1T3bHXKFDQ

Leo Smit wrote a short fun piece in 1937 for piano and winds. Both Stravinsky and Milhaud (possibly Willem Pijper) smilingly agree....

https://www.youtube.com/v/AD7H8B7AWns

Vasif Adigezalov: surely, a la manière de Katchaturian and Rachmaninov. But those languorous "exotic" melodies are  intoxicating ....

https://www.youtube.com/v/jnb5JZKt9FU

P.

Two more rarities will follow soon...




Draško

Quote from: pjme on October 16, 2018, 01:49:40 AM
I discovered these concertos on the Internet .

Svetislav Božić - Metohijska pojanja (Chants of Metohija) is warmly lyrical and I find it utterly lovely.

Another decent piano concerto by Serbian composer is Stanojlo Rajicic's 3rd. A bit more dramatic than Bozic's.

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

pjme

#59
Yes - that is a very interesting work. the Serbian composers website is full of good discoveries anyway!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIo2x4lsZwUA9O4YXa0uPGQ

I almost forgot Gabriela Montero's Latin concerto - its a riot! She's really an extraordinary musician.

https://www.youtube.com/v/E0s-0rOK6zM

Hector Gonzalez "Fantasia for piano and orchestra - Homenaje a Ginastera"  also swings as hell!

https://www.youtube.com/v/8s-qZ9yPBPs

P.