Unsung Rachmaninoffian Piano Concertos

[Fronder]

Well a lot of compositions has already been mentioned but I would like to add some:

Gabriel Pierne PC (1886) - 1st movement sounds like a sketch to famous Rach's 2nd PC
Evgeniy Svetlanov PC (1976) - very melodic, very russian, sounds a lot like Rachmaninov
Paul Constantinescu  PC (1952) 50% Rachmaninov 50% Vladigerov

There are also two PCs (1927, 1943) composed by Joseph Marx's pupil Richard Flury, PC by Eduard Künneke (1935) and Alain Payette (2000) which are close in style.
And if you don't mind a little bit more lightweighted, kind of cinematic music a la Richard Arnell then you would proabably also like Leroy Anderson's PC (1953) and Gottfried Gasanov two PCs (1948, 1959).

[JimL]

I found the Dobrowen on YouTube, and it's quite lovely, but can ANYBODY get me a tempo indication for the Finale?  There is nothing more irritating than the only CD available calling it just "Finale".  And I don't think the score is available from any source I can find.

The score was published by Universal Edition although the two piano score is handwritten.

The ending of the 2nd movement is marked Presto and the finale is just marked dotted crotchet = 76.

Thal

Interesting...it appears to be a 4 movement work, at least as presented on YouTube.  Are you sure it isn't the 3rd movement that ends in a Presto?

[eschiss1]

Yes, the second movement is Scherzo: Presto, the third movement is Intermezzo: Andante sostenuto (according to a source online (probably taken from liner-notes) that gives "Finale" for the finale)...

[kyjo]

By talking about Shosty and Ravel, I was breaking the rules of a thread I started called "UNSUNG Rachaninoffian Piano Concertos" . And Stenhammar is much closer to Brahms than Medtner; I think Taneyev is much more appropriate to be called  the "Russian Brahms" . Anyway, enough about Stenhammar- he is not Rachy enough . And yes, the Dobrowen is a beautiful and powerful piece. A shame he didn't write more than he did .

[eschiss1]

A look at some of Dobrowen's solo piano works, even including a "Märchen-sonate" (Ballad/folktale-sonata - not March-sonata!- Sibley has this wrong...) etc., does keep reminding me of Medtner if only from those titles, though, true.

[TerraEpon]

Speaking of slow movements where the rest aren't, and though it's not solo -- what about Arnold's Concerto for for Two Pianos?

Oh, and Leroy Anderson's, especially in the 1st movement. I have no doubt he was channeling Rach here.

[Gareth Vaughan]

and Gottfried Gasanov two PCs (1948, 1959)

I've never heard of Gasanov. Where can I hear some of his music, please?

[Alan Howe]

And Stenhammar is much closer to Brahms than Medtner...I think Taneyev is much more appropriate to be called  the "Russian Brahms"

Stenhammar's early music certainly shows some Brahmsian influence (hardly a profound insight when you consider how many composers Brahms influenced), but there are others in the mix too: his 1st Symphony, for example, shows the clear imprint of Bruckner. Yet his mature music is utterly original. As for applying the description "Russian Brahms" to Taneyev, well that's simply miles too glib, mainly because Taneyev is a great composer in his own right.

How about Brahms as the "German Taneyev"? 

[Fronder]

and Gottfried Gasanov two PCs (1948, 1959)

I've never heard of Gasanov. Where can I hear some of his music, please?

Years ago I've heard both concerts live here in Russia.

1st PC is available on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=987dKyqDFdU

[Gareth Vaughan]

Thank you very much.

[kyjo]

Thank you very much, Fronder, for your examples. I had forgotten about the Svetlanov! Too bad it's such a short piece. You said "lightweight, cinematic a la Richard Arnell". Surely you mean Richard ADDINSELL, composer of the Warsaw Concerto ; ARNELL's music is anything but lightweight! I'd like to add a few more examples:
Tyzen Hsiao PC: This Taiwanese composer (there aren't very many of them!) has earned the nickname "The Taiwanese Rachmaninov" because of his lyrical, romantic idiom. It was available on a 2CD set of his orchestral music, but it's now OOP, but you can find his music on an mp3 download of his orchestral music (available on Amazon) and on YouTube.
Villa-Lobos 5 PCs: His PCs combine Brazilian exoticism (not too much, though) with a Rachmaninoffian lyricism. The're not particularly memorable but their neglect (along with his symphonies) is inexcusable, with only one complete set: Christina Ortiz's Double Decca set!
Another Brazilian: Heckel Tavare's PC on Brazilian Forms. It's available on a CD with Albeniz's A minor Concerto. I'd very much like to hear his symphonies.

[TerraEpon]

If you want to get into the Warsaw Concerto (not to mention that Shostakovish piece), there's of course a number of other "movie piano concertos" out there -- I own two separate discs dedicated to them and they aren't all the same:

http://www.amazon.com/Warsaw-Concerto-Richard-Addinsell/dp/B0000060DC/
http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Movie-Concertos/dp/B00004S1KB/

[Alan Howe]

Is the Warsaw Concerto really a concerto - or just a piece of enjoyable kitsch composed for a film? Anything recorded by Richard Clayderman...well, say no more 

[Alan Howe]

I have the general feeling that this thread is now scraping the barrel. Many (most) of the works mentioned have very little to do with Rachmaninov save a general late-Romantic tuneful lushness.

[Mark Thomas]

Richard Clayderman? Scraping the bottom of the barrel? Surely no connection.