Romantic piano concertos. Time to roll up our sleeves for this one. This chunk of repertoire contains some really popular, widely beloved music. A Romantic concerto can get people in the door for an orchestra concert, especially if it’s Rachmaninoff or Tchaikovsky. People want to hear the swooning melodies and clamorous climaxes live. Some of... Continue Reading →
OK, to clarify what I mean by this title, I'm referring to concertos composed in a post-romantic style, which leaves out composers like Rachmaninoff, Medtner, and Korngold. They'll be ranked in the Romantic category (still to come). Even this chunk of the twentieth century was a huge mountain of repertoire to climb, and notable for... Continue Reading →
Annnd we're back with Part II. The five pieces listed here show a pretty amazing spectrum of what's possible in the piano concerto genre, and they're full of incredible moments. Savor these pieces. Think about them. At the end of the list I've got a few Honorable Mentions. Witold Lutoslawski – Piano Concerto (1987) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXQ1fgmUIPY... Continue Reading →
As I was scrounging around for a new big blog topic, I thought, “Why not rank piano concertos?” I had already done sonatas, it seemed obvious, and there are some really great pieces out there. I especially wanted an excuse to discover new modern work. But even just trying to get a reasonable sampling from... Continue Reading →
Not every piano concerto has a significant cadenza, but we tend to remember the ones that do. They are spotlights for the performer to show their skills without any orchestral accompaniment in the way, and often composers save both their most challenging material and some important thematic development for these sections. In the Classical period... Continue Reading →
Hal Leonard Classical Piano Blog 