Stunning piano concerto openings

[thalbergmad]

If we expand the thread to cover any and all concertante works for piano, the beginning of the Dreyschock Konzertstuck still raises goosebumps on the back of my neck.  Now there's a work that's waaay, waaay overdue for a new recording!

Completely agree with this, but would add it gives me cramped forearms as well.

There is also the Salut a Vienne  - Rondo Brilliant Op.32, which is in a similar mold but perhaps not as effective.

Thal

[Gareth Vaughan]

Well, I have a set of orchestral parts for the Dreyschock Concert Piece and a copy of the full MS score of the Salut a Vienne if anyone wants to record them. Great fun pieces, both.

[FBerwald]

How about the quasi-waltz opening of Anton Rubinstein's Piano concerto no. 3 in G major?

[JimL]

Nice, but hardly what I'd call stunning.

[thalbergmad]

Well, I have a set of orchestral parts for the Dreyschock Concert Piece and a copy of the full MS score of the Salut a Vienne if anyone wants to record them. Great fun pieces, both.

I did suggest these to Mike Spring at Hyperion, but I do not recall he was greatly interested.

Mind you, I did suggest about 50 others as well so i think he is fed up with me

Thal

[Pengelli]

The arresting opening of Bax's underated 'Winter Legends',although not really
a piano concerto. I used to play it over and over again as a teenager.

[Gareth Vaughan]

No, Mike is not impressed with Dreyschock - apart from the PC, of course. You can look forward to the 2 Taubert concertos +Rosenhain in early 2010.

[thalbergmad]

I am looking forward to the Taubert x 2. The existing recording of the Op.189 is unsatisfactory albeit it is more than sufficient to whet the appetite.

I take it the Op.18 is a much earlier work and i do not recall ever hearing a recording.

Thal

[JimL]

No, Mike is not impressed with Dreyschock - apart from the PC, of course. You can look forward to the 2 Taubert concertos +Rosenhain in early 2010.

What about Pixis?

[Gareth Vaughan]

The Pixis concerto is on the schedule to be recorded - just don't know when... but soon.

[JimL]

It's funny that Mike Spring would be more interested in the Dreyschock PC than in the Konzertstuck.  IMHO, melodically speaking, the Konzertstuck is far superior.

[Mark Thomas]

I completely agree, Jim. I found the Piano Concerto to be chock full of dull noodling, whereas the Konzertstuck is a stunner - melodic, exciting ad instantly memorable. What a shame that Genesis haven't reissued their recording on CD.

[Peter1953]

Mark, do you really mean that you think Dreyschock's PC is chock full of dull noodling? Is that fair? Well, compared with Kullak's PC it's just a PC, nothing more. But dull noodling? Piers Lane wrote "...this too is great fun to play." I cannot play the Dreyschock PC, but I think it's great fun to hear. But then, I've never heard the Konzertstück.
I've heard worse Romantic PC's, for example all 3 Hiller's (yes, including #2). I will come back to Hiller in another thread.

[Alan Howe]

I'll go into battle for Hiller PC3: a lovely, expansive work in the Mendelssohnian tradition. Of course, it's not a spectacular piece, but at least it was written by a proper composer...

Oops, my prejudice is showing!

[Mark Thomas]

Sorry Peter, but to me at least the Dreyschock Piano Concerto was probably the biggest disappointment of the Hyperion Piano Concerto series. All due respect to both you and Piers Lane but just because he thinks it's "...great fun to play" doesn't make it great fun to listen to, never mind great music.

As always, this trenchant defence comes with the caveat that it's only my opinion :-)