Stunning piano concerto openings

[JimL]

If you're talking Field, don't forget the 4th PC.  That one is my particular favorite.  True, the opening of the first movement isn't particularly stunning, but that buildup to the 1st movement reprise is exactly what you're talking about, Steve.  The siciliana slow movement and the almost children's nursery rhyme-like tune of the final rondo are the quintessence of Field.

[Steven Eldredge]

FBerwald mentioned the Reynaldo Hahn Concerto. Isn't that a delightful piece? Not particularly flashy, but so witty and urbane, just a fresh and entertaining piece of music.

I was thinking recently of the fate of so many concerted pieces for piano and orchestra, those which are not concertos, and how infrequently they get programmed these days, everything from Mendelssohn's Capriccio Brillante to Franck's Symphonic Variations, to Chopin's La ci darem Variations, to Faure's Ballade, to Paderewski Polish Fantasy, etc, etc, etc. It's a great pity.

Perhaps members would like to list some of their favorites?

[JimL]

Well, among the sung composers you have the rest of Chopin's short concertante works, including the Krakowiak Concert Rondo, the Fantasy on Polish Airs and the Andante spianato and Grand Polonaise in its concert garb (there's also a solo version), the two Schumann Konzertstucke (Introduction and Allegro appassionato and the Concert Allegro), of course, and all those Mendelssohn shorts (Capriccio Brillante, Rondo Brillante, etc.)  There are a host of unsung works.  All those Konzertstucke, Fantasies and Concert Variations by the likes of Moscheles, Ries, Hummel, Dreyschock, and a heavenly host of others.  The problem seems to be that concert formats are different nowadays than they were when these works were composed.  You have to play them as encore pieces for a longer work, because nobody wants to pay a soloist to come out and play with an entire orchestra for 10 minutes.  Maybe it's something else, but the only way you get to hear works like the Saint-Saens Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso for violin is if you hear the Chausson Poeme or the Ravel Tzigane or a smattering of Sarasate works on the same program.  Myself, I'm crazy about the Dreyschock Konzertstuck.  That one is due for a re-recording.

[FBerwald]

A few more concerted pieces for piano and orchestra that deserve mentioning -
Robin Milford - Fishing by Moonlight for piano and strings
Jean Françaix - Concertino
Gerald Finzi - Eclogue in F major for piano and string orchestra
Busoni - Indian Fantasy
Raff - 'Ode au Printemps' for piano and orchestra
Rubinstein - Fantaisie Op.84, Concertstück Op.113(marvelous), Caprice Russe
Goedicke - Concertstück
Arensky - Fantasia on Russian folksongs
Saint-Saëns -  Wedding Cake
Vianna da Motta - Fantasia Dramática
Lyapunov - Rhapsody on Ukrainian Themes(words can't describe the beauty of this GEM!)
Sterndale Bennett - Caprice in E major(you won't stop smiling)
Ignaz Brüll - Andante and Allegro Op 88
Ernst Mielck - Concert Piece For Piano & Orchestra
....and so on!!!

Its curious that Nobody has mentioned the almost pastoral Piano Concerto in E flat by Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev. Its long, incomplete(only 2 movements), almost monothematic and utterly charming!

[Steven Eldredge]

Another beautiful concerted piece for piano and orchestra is the Eclogue by Gerald Finzi.  Utterly lovely, and very English pastoral. Of course the problem is exactly how concerts are programed these days;the overture, the obligitory piano concerto, interval and the Big Orchestra Piece.

Others that spring to mind are of course Fallas Nights in the Gardens of Spain and d'Indy' Symphony on a French Mountain Air , both of which I am very fond. Thank goodness we can listen to them on recordings.

[JimL]

Love that Lyapunov Ukranian Fantasy!  The two concertos are also favorites of mine, too.

[Syrelius]

FBerwald, the Piano Concerto by your namesake is indeed strange; again, lots of mellifluous mad passagework, and crazy melodies, which twist and turn in all odd, unpredictable directions; joy flows through it. Ponti is the best: it bowls along with elan, and though there are mistakes and the orchestra is not brilliant, the sheer joy is compelling(compare Greta Erikkson's dull rendition). Nothing else by Berwald has really affected me. Anything else that is this zany, FB?

Steve

Steve,

have you listened to the Sinfonie Singuliere? I would say it also turns in unpredictible directions. If I would only be able to bring along one single piece of music to a desert island it would be that symphony.

I don´t know whether this is just a legend or not, but from what I've heard, Ludvig Norman, the great champion of Berwald's music of the late 19th century, didn't want to conduct the Singuliere, because he feared that it would damage Berwald's reputation as a composer - the audiences might think that he was "nutty". True or not, for some reason Norman never did conduct the Singuliere.

[Syrelius]

A few more concerted pieces for piano and orchestra that deserve mentioning -
Robin Milford - Fishing by Moonlight for piano and strings

The Milford disc on Hyperion is a gem. I wish Hyperion would record his symphony as well. Any plans there, Gareth?

FBerwald, I agree with you on the Taneyev concerto. A very charming piece, indeed. Has anyone mentioned the Pierne PC, by the way? Also very charming.

[TerraEpon]

The Hyperion disc of Pierne is top notch -- very lovely unsung French composer all around (there's a couple discs of his music on Timpani worth getting toom including the ballet Cydalise et Le Chevre-Pied).


The PC is also on the VOX French Piano Concerti mentioned on another thread....I think it's there anyway.

[FBerwald]

Speaking of Robin Milford He did compose a Violin concerto .... hope that's recorded some day... even Renaldo Hahn Composed a Violin concerto..Haven't heard it though!

[JimL]

The PC is also on the VOX French Piano Concerti mentioned on another thread....I think it's there anyway.

It's there, alright.  The original LP, with IIRC, Marylene Dosse as soloist, and Pierre Cao conducting the Orchestre de Radio Luxembourg coupled the Pierne with the Lalo PC.  The Pierne is an absolute riot!

Speaking of Robin Milford He did compose a Violin concerto .... hope that's recorded some day... even Renaldo Hahn Composed a Violin concerto..Haven't heard it though!

The Hahn VC should be towards the top of Hyperion's list of their Romantic Violin Concerto Series prospects.  Should be, but probably isn't.  I don't think that whoever is in charge of that series is same guy as the one who is doing the Piano Concerto Series.  Gareth would know, I think.

[Alan Howe]

Hahn's VC - hmmm. Probably interesting. But my choices would be Gernsheim (x2), R. Becker (x2) and Brüll first. Especially Gernsheim. Everything I have heard by him suggests an unsung great, or at least near-great. And he wrote a Piano Concerto...

[JimL]

Maybe, Alan, you could prevail upon Hyperion to put you in charge of that series!  Just don't forget the Hahn after you've recorded all of the above!

[Alan Howe]

How kind, Jim. Now that would be a challenge - and a pleasure!

[JimL]

Getting back to stunning PC openings, I just played the Kiel PC again.  Marvellous opening flourish!