Themes for a Piano Concerto

[Owen David]

It began with a little melody that begat another and another.  Before I knew it I was starting to think to myself "This sounds like it has the makings of a piano concerto..." This is how it stands today:

https://owendavidmusic.org/2025/11/10/themes-for-a-piano-concerto/

What do you think?

[lunar22]

Chopin's 3rd? have you actually started to orchestrate it?

[Owen David]

Chopin's 3rd? have you actually started to orchestrate it?

Thanks for the like. Much appreciated.

Are you referencing Chopin's 3rd piano sonata or the 3rd piano concerto?  I can hear a connection with the sonata but not the concerto. Maybe I should just call it a sonata and save myself all that orchestration work.

For me, Chopin is in the top three for solo piano compositions but I always feel he lets himself down with his orchestrations.

[lunar22]

Chopin only wrote two completed piano concertos (I'm aware there is a sort of reconstruction of a third) so I meant yours would be the third! I've myself no objections to Chopin's orchestration though there's nothing very groundbreaking. You'll have to decide for yourself if you fancy a go at orchestration -- I know you mainly do solo piano stuff-- but it might be an interesting exercise.

[Owen David]

Chopin only wrote two completed piano concertos (I'm aware there is a sort of reconstruction of a third) so I meant yours would be the third! I've myself no objections to Chopin's orchestration though there's nothing very groundbreaking. You'll have to decide for yourself if you fancy a go at orchestration -- I know you mainly do solo piano stuff-- but it might be an interesting exercise.

Apologies - I wasn't aware the 3rd Concerto was a reconstruction.  I really only have intimate knowledge of Chopin's shorter solo piano pieces which I certainly place at the summit of human achievement.

I've done a couple of scored orchestrations.  Nice though it would be to devote time to orchestrating a concerto,  among my personal New Year's resolutions was that I would make progress with an idea for an opera that I have. So any orchestration effort will probably go into that first.

[Rons_talking]

I can imagine a sonata or a chamber piece. You don't really need to make it a concerto unless you simply want the orchestration experience. It's a nice, well-composed Romantic work as is.