Gaps in the Recorded Concerto Repertoire of the twentieth century

[Dundonnell]

I am going to attempt a similar exercise to one I caried out last month for symphonies

As before I am listing those works which have not-to my knowledge- been recorded to cd. And-once again-I am selectively including composers with whose work I am familiar and for which I have some degree of sympathy.

Probably rashly, I have tried to include all concertante works and not just those called 'concertos'.

Part 1: Great Britain:

Richard Arnell:                        Harpsichord(1947),  'Sections' for Piano and Orchestra(1967)
Sir Malcolm Arnold:                  Cello(1988), Recorder(1988)
Sir Richard Rodney Bennett:      Viola(1973), 'Actaeon(Metamorphosis I)' for Horn and orchestra(1977), Double Bass(1978),
                                               'Sonnets to Orpheus' for Cello and orchestra(1979), Harpsichord(1980), 'Memento' for Flute and
                                               strings(1983), Clarinet(1987), Marimba(1988), Saxophone(1988), Percussion(1990), Trumpet and
                                               wind orchestra(1993), Bassoon(1994), Suite Francaise for Flute and orchestra(2002)
Sir Lennox Berkeley:                Introduction and Allegro for Two Pianos and orchestra(1938), Cello(1939), Flute(1952), Piano and
                                               double string orchestra(1958), Five Pieces for Violin and orchestra(1961), Dialogue for Cello and
                                               chamber orchestra(1970)
Havergal Brian:                       Cello(1964)
Alan Bush:                             Piano, with baritone and male voice choir(1937), Concert Suite for Cello and orchestra(1952),
                                               Variations, Nocturne and Finale on an English Sea Song for Piano and orchestra(1962), 'Africa'-
                                               Symphonic Movement for Piano and orchestra(1972)
Arthur Butterworth:                 Organ, strings and percussion(1973), Violin(1978), Trumpet(1992), Cello(1997), Guitar(2000)
Arnold Cooke:                         Piano(1940), Oboe and strings(1953-54), Treble Recorder and strings(1957), Violin(1958),
                                                Cello(1972-73), Clarinet Concerto No.2(1981-82)
John Foulds:                           Lento and Scherzetto for Cello and orchestra(c1906), Apotheosis for Violin and orchestra(1908-09), Cello(1908-09)
Peter Racine Fricker:                Concertante No.1 for Cor Anglais and strings(1950), Violin Concerto No.2 'Rapsodie Concertante'
                                                (1953-54), Viola(1951-53), Piano and small orchestra(1952-54), Toccata for Piano and orchestra
                                                (1958-59), 'Laudi Concertante' for Organ and orchestra(1979)
John Gardner:                          Trumpet and strings(1962), Bassoon and strings(2004)
Iain Hamilton:                          Clarinet(1950), Jazz Trumpet(1958), Piano Concerto No.1(1960-67), Organ(1964), 'Circus' for Two
                                               Trumpets and orchestra(1969), 'Voyage' for Horn and chamber orchestra(1970), Violin Concerto
                                                No.2 'Amphion'(1971), Piano Concerto No.2(1987),Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and chamber
                                                orchestra, 'London Kaleidoscope' for Piano and orchestra, Harp and small orchestra(1992)
Alun Hoddinott:                       Nocturne and Dance for Harp and orchestra(1959), Violin(1961), Aubade and Scherzo for Horn and
                                                 strings(1965), Piano Concerto No.3(1966), Organ(1967), Oboe and strings(1971), Concertino for
                                                 Trumpet, Horn and orchestra(1971), Ritornelli for Trombone, wind and percussion(1974),
                                                 'Scenes and Interludes' for Trumpet and orchestra(1975), Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and
                                                 Piano, 'Divisions' for Horn and orchestra, 'Mistral'-Concerto for Violin and orchestra(1995),
                                                 'Shining Pyramid' for Trumpet and orchestra(1995), Percussion and brass(2000), Euphonium(2001),
                                                 Trombone(2004)
Gordon Jacob:                        Viola Concerto No.1(1925), Piano and strings(1927), Oboe Concerto No.1(1935), Violin and strings
                                                (1953), Cello(1955), Concertino for Violin, Cello and strings(1962), Double Bass and strings(1972),
                                                Organ and strings(also version for Chromatic Accordian(1975), Viola Concerto No.2 for strings
                                                (1979), Flute Concerto No.2 for strings(1981), Timpani and wind band(1984)
Daniel Jones:                          Violin(1966), Oboe(1982), Cello(1986)
Kenneth Leighton:                    Piano Concerto No.1(1951), Violin(1952), Viola, harp, timpani and strings(1952), Two Pianos, timpani and
                                                  strings(1954), Piano Concerto No.2(1960), Piano Concerto No.3 'Estivo'(1969), Harpsichord
William Mathias:                      Piano Concerto No.1, Piano Concerto No.2(1961), Harpsichord, strings and percussion(1971), Organ
                                                (1984), Violin(1992), Flute and strings(1992)
John McCabe:                         Violin Concerto No.1 'Sinfonia Concertante'(1959), Chamber Concerto for Viola, Cello and orchestra
                                                 (1965), 'Metamorphosen' for Harpsichord and orchestra(1968), Concertino for Piano Duet and
                                                 orchestra(1968), Oboe d'Amore(1972), Piano Concerto No.3 'Dialogues'(1976-77), Violin Concerto
                                                 No.2(1980), 'Rainforest II' for Trumpet and strings(1987), Double Concerto for Oboe, Clarinet and
                                                 orchestra(1987-88), Oboe(1994), 'Les Martinets Noirs' for Two Violins and strings(2003)
Anthony Milner:                       Oboe(1994)
Cyril Scott:                             Cello(1902), 'Melodist and the Nightingales' for Cello and orchestra(1929), Harpsichord(1937), Oboe and
                                                 strings(1947), Bassoon, Flute and strings(1951)
Humphrey Searle:                    Piano Concerto No.1(1944), Piano Concerto No.2(1955)
Robert Simpson:                      Violin(1959; withdrawn), Flute(1989), Cello(1991)
Robert Still:                            Violin(1969), Piano(1970)
William Wordsworth:                 Piano(1946), Violin(1955), Cello(1962)

Obviously-if a concerto by one of these composers is not listed then it is available on cd. However...my apologies in advance for any errors or omissions.

Oh....and no I can't have anything better to do with my life

[Dundonnell]

Count the Cello Concertos, Guido

[Benji]

Have you heard any of these live at all? I'd be really glad to hear Arnold's Cello Concerto.

Your list just makes me realised it's such a huge loss that two of the great pioneering British conductors are no longer with us. Who will pick up the baton?

[Dundonnell]

Have you heard any of these live at all? I'd be really glad to hear Arnold's Cello Concerto.

Your list just makes me realised it's such a huge loss that two of the great pioneering British conductors are no longer with us. Who will pick up the baton?

The Arnold is a late work and-apparently-rather feeble (Or at least that is what I seem to remember being told that Julian Lloyd Webber, who gave the first(and last?) performance, thought.)

There are unrecorded Cello Concertos in this list by Malcolm Arnold, Havergal Brian, Lennox Berkeley, Arthur Butterworth, Arnold Cooke, Gordon Jacob, Daniel Jones, Cyril Scott and William Wordsworth together with other works for Cello and orchestra by Richard Rodney Bennett and Alan Bush. Enterprising cellists can add to the existing recorded repertoire

[J]

The Arnold is a late work and-apparently-rather feeble (Or at least that is what I seem to remember being told that Julian Lloyd Webber, who gave the first(and last?) performance, thought.)

There are unrecorded Cello Concertos in this list by Malcolm Arnold, Havergal Brian, Lennox Berkeley, Arthur Butterworth, Arnold Cooke, Gordon Jacob, Daniel Jones, Cyril Scott and William Wordsworth together with other works for Cello and orchestra by Richard Rodney Bennett and Alan Bush. Enterprising cellists can add to the existing recorded repertoire

Don't forget the Cello Concerto by John Foulds.

BTW, Cyril Scott's Cello Concerto was issued on a Chandos CD some time ago.

[Dundonnell]

Don't forget the Cello Concerto by John Foulds.

BTW, Cyril Scott's Cello Concerto was issued on a Chandos CD some time ago.

Thanks for the reminder of the John Foulds I shall add it to the list!

Regarding the Cyril Scott, the concerto issued by Chandos was actually Scott's Second Cello Concerto of 1937. There is an earlier one from 1902.

[Dundonnell]

Part 2: United States of America:

George Antheil:                         Violin(1946)
John Corigliano:                         Soliloquy for Clarinet and orchestra(1995), 'Conjuror'-Concerto for Percussion and strings(2007)
Paul Creston:                            Marimba Concertino(1940), Piano, Saxophone(1941),Poem for Harp and orchestra(1945), Violin Concerto No.1,
                                                   Accordion, Rapsodie for Alto Saxophone and orchestra, 'Sadhana' for Cello and orchestra(1981)
David Diamond:                         Violin Concerto No.1(1937), Cello(1938), Piano(1950), Violin Concerto No.3(1976), Concertino for Piano and small
                                                   orchestra
Morton Gould:                           'Boogie Woogie Etude' for Piano and orchestra(1943), 'Guajara' for Clarinet and orchestra(1949), 'Inventions' for
                                                    Four Pianos and orchestra(1953), 'Dialogues' for Piano and orchestra(1958), Concerto Concertante for Violin
                                                    and orchestra(1981-82), Flute(1984), 'Diversions' for Tenor Saxophone and orchestra(1990)
John Harbison:                          Piano(1978), Snow Country' for Oboe and strings(1979), Violin(1980), 'Crane Sightings'-Eclogue for Violin and
                                                     strings(2004), Double Bass(2005)
Roy Harris:                               Piano and Clarinet(1926), Piano and band(1942), Concerto for Piano in one movement('Jamboree')(1944), Piano
                                                     Concerto No.1(1945), Theme and Variations for Accordion and orchestra(1946), Elegy and Paean for
                                                     Violin and orchestra(1948), Fantasy for Piano and orchestra(1951), Piano  Concerto No.2(1953), 'Horn of
                                                     Plenty' for Trumpet and orchestra(1964), Concerto for Amplified Piano, brass and percussion(1968)
Benjamin Lees:                         Variations for Piano and orchestra(1976), Oboe(1963), Double Concerto for Piano, Cello and orchestra(1982),
                                                     Percussion(1999), Piano Concerto No.3(2006)
Peter Mennin:                           Concertino for Flute, strings and percussion(1945), Violin(1950), Flute(1983)
Vincent Persichetti:                   Piano Concertino(1941)
Walter Piston:                          Concertino for Piano and chamber orchestra(1937)
Wallingford Riegger:                   Fantasy and Fugue for Organ and orchestra(1936), Duo for Piano and orchestra(1960)
George Rochberg:                     Clarinet(1996)
Ned Rorem:                              'Water Music' for Clarinet, Violin and orchestra(1966), 'Remembering Tommy'-Suite in ten movements for Cello,
                                                    Piano and orchestra(1979), Organ and chamber orchestra(1985), 'Mallet' for Percussion and orchestra(2003)
Christopher Rouse:                    'Seeing' for Piano and orchestra(1998), Oboe(2004)
William Schuman:                      Concerto on Old English Rounds for Viola, women's chorus and orchestra(1973)
Roger Sessions:                        Concerto for Violin, Viola and orchestra(1971)
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich:                  Romance for Violin and chamber orchestra(1983), 'Images' for Two Pianos and orchestra(1986),
                                                 American Concerto for Trumpet and orchestra(1994), 'Peanuts Gallery' for Piano and orchestra(1996),
                                                 Millenium Fantasy for Piano and orchestra(2000), Partita for Violin and strings(2000), Clarinet(2002)

[not edward]

Some great stuff in the list which I'd love to hear.

Not surprisingly, there are some Carter concertos yet to be recorded (the 2007 horn concerto and last year's flute concerto, plus Soundings (2005) and Interventions (2007) for piano and orchestra).

[pjme]

Roy Harris concerto for two pianos is recorded on the Kleos Label.

Rare Works for Two Pianos and Orchestra
Joshua Pierce and Dorothy Jonas, Pianos
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Kirk Trevor, Conductor
World Premier Recordings of three unusual and unjustly overlooked repertoire. This collection of works for two pianos and orchestra by major, if neglected, mid twentieth century composers provide important examples of their work.KL5129 $16.95   

Pierre Max Dubois: Concerto Italien pour deux Pianos et Orchestre (1962)
I. Brilliante 5:44
II. Andante 6:38
III. Rondo 5:56

Roy Harris: Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (1946)
I. Introduction/Toccata 6:36
II. Them and Variations 10:00
III. Moderately Fast 7:44

Arthur Benjamin: North American Square Dance Suite for Two Pianos and Orchestra
1. Introduction and "Miller's Reel" 1:19
2. "The Old Plunk" 0:51
3. "The Bundle of Straw" 1:22
4. "He Piped So Sweet" 2:41
5. "Fill the Bowl" 1:42
6. "Pigeon on the Pier" 0:49
7. "Calder Fair" 1:49
8. "Salamanca" 1:39

Peter

[Dundonnell]

Thank you, Peter

I have amended the list.....and ordered the cd

[Dundonnell]

Having down a further extensive trawl through record company catalogues I have revised the list of American Concertos not available on CD.

The following can be obtained:

Corgliano's Violin Concerto(Sony), Troubadours for Guitar(EMI), Voyage for Flute and strings(number of recordings)
Creston's Fantasy for Piano and orchestra(Albany), Concerto for Two Pianos and orchestra(Kleos)
Gould's Dance Variations for Two Pianos and orchestra(Helicon)
Harbison's Concerto for Oboe, Clarinet and strings(Bridge)
Lees' Piano Concerto No.1(Pierian)
Piston's Prelude and Allegro for Organ and strings(Cedille), Variations for Cello and orchestra(Albany), Clarinet Concerto(Boston
    Recordings and Crs Artists)
Rorem's Piano Concerto No.3 in six movements(First Edition Music), Piano Concerto No.4 for the left-hand(New World Records)
Thomson's Flute Concerto(Cedille)

[Cato]

Years ago there used to be an LP of Alexander Tcherepnin's..



(drum roll)...




Concerto...




for (drum roll)...



Harmonica!!!   

It has not yet appeared on a CD.  And it was not a bad work!

[Maciek]

Thanks for the thread, Colin. And I await, with bated breath, for the rest of your list.

[Christo]

Thanks for the thread, Colin. And I await, with bated breath, for the rest of your list.

Strongly seconded! 

Arnold Cooke:     Piano(1940), Oboe and strings(1953-54), Treble Recorder and strings(1957), Violin(1958), Cello(1972-73), Clarinet Concerto No.2 (1981-82)

I own a Titanic Records cd called `Something Old, Something New' with John Tyson, recorder, performing recorder concertos by Vivaldi, Boismoitier, Arnold Cooke, Alan Hovhaness and Jonathan Lovenstein. I bought it solely for the sake of the Cooke and it was, for many years, my only cd with a piece by him (inspired by the Third Symphony that I knew in the old days of the Lyrita LP). The `orchestra' is an ensemble of "Collaborating Artists" (very nice of them that they are willing to collaborate  )

It contains Arnold Cooke's Concerto for Recorder and Strings Orchestra (1957) in four movements and a neoclassist concerto that reminds me a bit of Vagn Holmboe's Recorder Concerto from the 1970s.

                               

[Dundonnell]

Thanks for the info' about the Cooke Recorder Concerto, Johan! I shall try to search it out

Regarding the rest of the list...it may have to wait until I get back from my trip to London this weekend Nor can I guarantee that it will be as detailed. The British and American concertos are a bit easier to research than those written by Europeans

[canninator]

A small amendment but the Bennett Guitar Concerto was recorded by Julian Bream. It's a wonderful recording but is sadly, like most of Bream's RCA series, OOP.

[Dundonnell]

Part 3(Scandinavia):

(Note: In most cases I have only been able to include works which are actually entitled as 'concertos')

Denmark:

Niels Viggo Bentzon:            Piano Concerto No.1, op.49, Piano Concerto No.2, op.69, Oboe, op.74(1951), Piano Concerto No.3, op.87
                                           (1952), Cello, op.106(1956), Accordion, op.146, Flute, op.147(1963), Piano Concerto No.5, op.149
                                           (1963), Piano Concerto No.6, op.195, Piano Concerto No.7, op.243, Clarinet, op.269, Cello Concerto
                                           No.2, op.311(1974), Clarinet, op.375(1975), Flute and strings, op.386(1976), Flute, op.388(1976),
                                           Cello Concerto No.3, op.444, Horn, op.445(1981), Piano Concerto No.8, op.450, Two Pianos, op.482
                                           (1985), Concerto for Dizzy(Trumpet), op.547(1990)
Peder Gram:                       Violin Concerto
Vagn Holmboe:                    Violin Concerto (1938), Concertino No.1 for Violin, Viola and strings(1940), Concertino No.2 for Violin and
                                               strings(1940), Violin Concerto, op.127(1976), Violin Concerto No.2, op.139(1979), Viola, op.189,
                                               Concerto for Two Violins, Viola and Cello, op.195
Herman D. Koppel:                Bassoon Concerto, Concerto for Violin, Viola and Cello and orchestra

Finland:

Kalevi Aho:                            Piano Concerto No.1(1988-89), Piano Concerto No.2(2001-02), Two Cellos(2003), Viola(2006), Double
                                                 Bass(2006), Oboe(2007)
Uuno Klami:                           Piano Concerto No.1 "Une nuit a Montmartre"(1925)
Aare Merikanto:                     Piano Concerto No.1(1913), Violin Concerto No.1(1915), Cello Concerto No.1(1919), Cello Concerto No.2
                                                 (1941)
Ernest Pingoud:                      Piano Concerto No.1(1917), Piano Concerto No.2, Piano Concerto No.3
Aulis Sallinen:                        Chamber Concerto for Violin, Piano and chamber orchestra(2005), Clarinet and Viola(2007)

Norway:

Klaus Egge:                           Piano Concerto No.1, Violin(1953), Piano Concerto No.3(1973-74)
Johan Halvorsen:                    Violin(1909)
Ragnar Soderlind:                   Piano "Colosso"(1997-97), Trumpet "Die Signale des Todes und des Lebens"(2001-02), Viola " Nostalgia
                                                delle radici"(2003)
Christian Sinding:                   Violin Concerto No.2(1901), Violin Concerto No.3(1917)

Sweden:

Kurt Atterberg:                      Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and strings(1959-60)
Karl-Birger Blomdahl:               Viola(1941), Violin and strings(1946)
Gosta Nystroem:                    Violin(1954-57), Piano('Concerto ricertante')(1969)
Hilding Rosenberg:                  Violin Concerto No.1(1924), Trumpet(1928), Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola, Oboe, Bassoon and
                                                 orchestra(1935), Cello Concerto No.1(1939), Viola(1942-64), Cello Concerto No.2(1953)

After trying to make sense of Niels Viggo Bentzon's concerto output I need to lie down

[J]

Regarding Gosta Nystroem's violin concerto, a commercial CD of the piece (coupled with Nielsen's VC)
was issued long ago as one volume of the "Tibor Varga Collection".  It's a wonderful concerto and fine performance and recording.  I can dig up the CD if anyone wants more details. 

[The new erato]

There's a new Andsnes release featuring the Dalbavie Piano concerto!

[Dundonnell]

Part 4:

Australia:

Malcolm Williamson:               Piano Concerto No.1(1958), Piano Concerto No.2 with string orchestra(1960), Harp and strings "Au
                                                tombeau du martyr juif inconnu"(1976), Lament in Memory of Lord Mountbatten of Burma for Violin
                                                and strings(1980), Saxophone and winds(Concertino for Charles)(1987), Piano Concerto No.4(1994)

France:

Jean Francaix:                     Violin Concerto No.1(1954), Harpsichord, Flute and strings(1959), Double Piano Concerto(1965), Flute(1967), Clarinet
                                                (1968), Violin Concerto No.2(1970), Double Bass(1984), Flute, Clarinet and orchestra(1991), Accordion(1993)
Marcel Landowski:                Piano Concerto No.1 "Poeme"(1949-40), Cello(1944-45), Bassoon(1957), Flute(No.1) and strings(1968),
                                                Concertino for Trombone and strings(1990), Symphonie Concertante for Organ and orchestra(1993),
                                                Violin(1995), 'Un chant' for Cello and orchestra(1996), Flute Concerto No.2(1998)
Darius Milhaud:                    Clarinet(1941), Cello Concerto No.2(1945), Viola Concerto No.2(1954-55), Clarinet and Piano(1956), Oboe
                                                (1957),Violin Concerto No.3 'Concerto Royale'(1958), Harpsichord(1964)
Henri Sauguet:                     Piano Concerto No.1(1933-34), Piano Concerto No.2(1948),  Violin Concerto, 'Garden's Concerto for
                                                Harmonica and chamber orchestra(1968), Piano Concerto No.3

Italy:

Gian Francesco Malipiero:       Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, Piano and orchestra(1938), Violin Concerto No.2(1952), Flute(1968)
Goffredo Petrassi:                  Piano(1936)
Ildebrando Pizzetti:                Violin(1944), Harp(1960). Naxos has recorded the Violin Concerto for future release.

Portugal:

Joly Braga Santos:                Piano(1973)