Hi

Can anybody recommend any decent organ concertos to learn apart from the Poulenc and anything Baroque.

I have heard that Hindemith wrote one?

I am trying to learn a concerto that could be played by an orchestra that isnt too long. The Poulenc is very Long and I dont really like it. Anything Baroque would be ok but has its a full size chamber orchestra and most baroque concertos use only strings and oboe/Bassoon.
I would like something that the whole orchestra could play.


I could learn a piano concerto but I want to offer something different.

BTW I have a year, from now, to learn it.


Thanks

I would recommend the Malcolm Arnold concerto. Glorious stuff. There is a recording available and the score is easily purchaseable.

More info here: http://www.chesternovello.com/default.aspx...rkId_3041=12282

Alternatively how about one of the two Guilmant Symphonies for Organ and Orchestra. No. 1 is a version of the 1st Sonata and No. 2 is a version of the 8th Sonata. I think the second is a more satisfying work but No. 1 gets regular outings since it wears its heart on its sleeve a lot more.

Ian Tracey (Liverpool Cathedral) has recorded both nicely on the Chandos label with the BBC Philharmonic.

Rheinberger, Wesley, Stanford and Dupre spring to mind as worthy concerti rarely played.

Barry Willams

I'm intruiged by the mention of one by Arnold and Stanford. Any more emlightening details?

The Rheinberger in F major is a jolly good romp, Dupre and Jongen a little more meaty. I'm not a big fan of the Hindemith. New recording of the Leighton released last year on Chandos, I quite like it, but its very dark! There's one by Petr Eben (quite hard) and I'll look out others at home, I went through a phase of collecting recordings some years ago. For British and still alive, there's at least one by Francis Jackson.

The Baroque type ones are all pretty harmless and technically a little easier than the ones mentioned so far. I've played a couple of the Stanley ones (E major and C major) and they are great fun. I've played the Wesley ones in arrangments for one organ. If you want to investigate the Handel ones, get Richard Egarr's new recordings of both sets, absolutely stunning.

Both the Guilmant ones already mentioned (and the arrangment of Widor 6) are less like real organ concertos, but if you've got the instrument that would do them justice, go for it.