Piano concertos, Any suggestions please? Options

[kathy]

I wondered if anyone could suggest some impressive piano concertos at around dipABRSM / LRSM level that my daughter could learn. If possible, in the Romantic style which will challenge her after a first diploma exam.
Many thanks!

[ansatz496]

I wondered if anyone could suggest some impressive piano concertos at around dipABRSM / LRSM level that my daughter could learn. If possible, in the Romantic style which will challenge her after a first diploma exam.
Many thanks!

Most romantic concertos will be a stretch at that level, but probably still a worthwhile learning experience. Either Mendelssohn, any of the Saint-Saens (no. 2 is popular first Romantic concerto, but it's worth looking into other two), and Grieg are all on the easier end of Romantic concerto. It might be more prudent to start with Beethoven 1, 2, 3 or any Mozart though. There are plenty of challenges even within classical concerti for someone who has finished a 1st level diploma. You should probably stay away from Beethoven 4 and 5, Chopin, Liszt, and Brahms for now.

[porilo]

I wondered if anyone could suggest some impressive piano concertos at around dipABRSM / LRSM level that my daughter could learn. If possible, in the Romantic style which will challenge her after a first diploma exam.
Many thanks!

Most romantic concertos will be a stretch at that level, but probably still a worthwhile learning experience. Either Mendelssohn, any of the Saint-Saens (no. 2 is popular first Romantic concerto, but it's worth looking into other two), and Grieg are all on the easier end of Romantic concerto. It might be more prudent to start with Beethoven 1, 2, 3 or any Mozart though. There are plenty of challenges even within classical concerti for someone who has finished a 1st level diploma. You should probably stay away from Beethoven 4 and 5, Chopin, Liszt, and Brahms for now.

Grieg? Easy? No way!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Mendelssohn's concerti are good and not played very often. How about Weber?

[ansatz496]

Grieg? Easy? No way!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Mendelssohn's concerti are good and not played very often. How about Weber?

I never said it was easy, just on the easier end of the scale (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) None of these concertos are actually easy... actually except for maybe the Haydn D major and very early Mozart concerti, there aren't many easy piano concertos at all.

[porilo]

Grieg? Easy? No way!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Mendelssohn's concerti are good and not played very often. How about Weber?

I never said it was easy, just on the easier end of the scale (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) None of these concertos are actually easy... actually except for maybe the Haydn D major and very early Mozart concerti, there aren't many easy piano concertos at all.

Mmm..... I personally put Grieg at the more difficult end of the scale. I forgot to mention Schumann's concerto. It a beautiful one and (in my opinion) not too difficult. Of course, I agree that none of them are "easy". In fact someone once said that the easier the piece looks, the more difficult it is to play. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[edgmusic]

Grieg? Easy? No way!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Mendelssohn's concerti are good and not played very often. How about Weber?

I never said it was easy, just on the easier end of the scale (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) None of these concertos are actually easy... actually except for maybe the Haydn D major and very early Mozart concerti, there aren't many easy piano concertos at all.

Mmm..... I personally put Grieg at the more difficult end of the scale. I forgot to mention Schumann's concerto. It a beautiful one and (in my opinion) not too difficult. Of course, I agree that none of them are "easy". In fact someone once said that the easier the piece looks, the more difficult it is to play. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

I agree with the Schumann as a good starting point for the Romantic concerto repertoire.
Maybe consider the Kabalevsky 3rd (Youth) or Shostakovich 2nd for approachable 20th century ones, the latter particularly good if you have worked through the Hanon virtuoso exercises!

[dolcevita]

I agree with the Schumann as a good starting point for the Romantic concerto repertoire.
Maybe consider the Kabalevsky 3rd (Youth) or Shostakovich 2nd for approachable 20th century ones, the latter particularly good if you have worked through the Hanon virtuoso exercises!

Ah, love the shostakovich 2 - takes me back to my student days. And then there's Ravel - another favourite.
But if it has to be Romantic, then, yes, Schumann might be a good choice.

[ansatz496]

I agree with the Schumann as a good starting point for the Romantic concerto repertoire.
Maybe consider the Kabalevsky 3rd (Youth) or Shostakovich 2nd for approachable 20th century ones, the latter particularly good if you have worked through the Hanon virtuoso exercises!

Kabalevsky, Shostakovich, and Ravel are good suggestions (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) As for Schumann, I don't know anyone who played Schumann before at least one of Mendelssohn/Grieg/Saint-Saens. Grieg seems to be very popular as a first concerto around here (lots of 12-14 year olds play it), which is why I suggested it.

[wurlitzer]

It might be worth getting your daughter to look at some of John Field's piano concertos. Whilst some of these are extremely challenging (and contain ferociously difficult passages) others such as his first (written in 1799, with an early Romantic style) are simpler.
Solo versions of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th piano concertos can be found here:
John Field Sheet Music
The full orchestral scores however, are more difficult to find. Other possibilities may include Schumann's A minor concerto and Prokofiev's first piano concerto.

On a side note, does your daughter have an orchestra with which to perform a concerto? If not, it might be worth her while looking for piano trios/quintets for the moment (of which there are many) and finding a few talented string playing friends to perform them with. A lot of early 19th century piano trios/quartets still treat the piano as a concertante instrument within the ensemble, so it would be similar to playing a concerto.

[edit] Perhaps your daughter may also benefit from trying some pieces for piano with orchestra that aren't piano concertos. A lot of these exist from the 19th century (think of Chopin, although beyond your daughters level). Some other suggestions could include:
Saint Saens' Caprice Valse 'Wedding Cake' for Piano and strings
Kulau Piano concerto in C Op. 7

[edgmusic]

It might be worth getting your daughter to look at some of John Field's piano concertos. Whilst some of these are extremely challenging (and contain ferociously difficult passages) others such as his first (written in 1799, with an early Romantic style)
Other possibilities may include Schumann's A minor concerto and Prokofiev's first piano concerto.

Ah yes. The Db first concerto of Prokofiev.
I'd forgotten about that one!

[fsharpminor]

We seem to have two threads running on the same subject, I posted on the other one, and suggested the Schumann as being the most approachable. I also agree with a poster who suggested Shost 2, its not too difficult but not Romantic period, the second movement is certainly romantic though, its gorgeous.
I also like Saint Saens third, but cannot asses its difficulty.
Can the mods amalgamte the two threads please ?

[wurlitzer]

Sorry for bumping this thread by almost two weeks, but I just thought about Cesar Franck's B minor Piano concerto No. 2. This might be a suitable piece!

[VH2]

Grieg? Easy? No way!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Mendelssohn's concerti are good and not played very often. How about Weber?

I never said it was easy, just on the easier end of the scale (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) None of these concertos are actually easy... actually except for maybe the Haydn D major and very early Mozart concerti, there aren't many easy piano concertos at all.

Exactly. Part of the reason for a concertos existence is to display the soloists virtuosity.

That may not be a very noble purpose, and you may not like it, but it is a fact.

I would go further than ansatz496 and say that ther are NO easy concertos. Those early Mozart concertos may have relatively few notes that are not too hard to make, but when you hear the beautiful way that those few notes are rendered by our best performers you realize that they too are technically very difficult, it is just a different aspect of technique (and an oft-neglected one) that is called into play.