From: vnguyen@husc8.harvard.edu (Vinh Nguyen)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: SURVEY: FAVORITE PIANO CONCERTO
Date: 26 Dec 92 21:56:23 GMT
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

Subject: Re: SURVEY: FAVORITE PIANO CONCERTO
Reply-To: vnguyen@husc8.harvard.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical

In article <BzLuKw.BDI.1@cs.cmu.edu>,
 indira+@cs.cmu.edu (Indira Subramanian) writes:
> 
> In article <1992Dec21.011843.3283@cronkite.ocis.temple.edu>
 zorro@picasso.ocis.temple.edu (John Grabowski) writes:
>>
>>I must admit I'm starting to enjoy these "Greatest All-Time" and "Favorite" 
>>threads, so I'm starting another one.  :-)   The question is, What is your
>>favorite piano concerto?
>>
>>And a very important sub-question: What's your favorite *Beethoven* piano 
>>concerto?
> 
> This should make a great thread for discussion. I have already seen the
> responses so far and they are quite interesting. 
> 
> I have some suggestions to make this thread more informative:
> 
> (1) Please mention all the piano concertos that you have listened to
>     before listing your favorites.
> 
>     If you say LVB's emperor concerto is your favorite that's fine.
>     But if it's the only concerto you have listened to on someone else's
>     recommendation, you are not really contributing to the survey.
> 
> (2) It would be great if you say whether you are a musician or
>     someone knowledgeable in classical music or just a listener
>     (like myself).
> 
> (3) If you are a musician, in particular a pianist, could you tell us
>     why you favor certain pieces over others.
> 
> I have (and listened to):
 
I have also listened to most (if not all) of the below plus:

> (1) Beethoven     #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 (all are great, but 2 is last)

Beethoven: #1-5, Rondo in Bb.
Haha, my first love of the Beethoven concertos started with #2!

> (2) Brahms        #1, #2 (both great)

Both great, but I admire the grandeur of #2 while prefering the fire of #1.

> (3) Mozart        #6, #7, #9, #10, #13, #14, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #23, 
>                   #24, #26  (9 and 18 thru 26 are great; 18 is beautiful)

Mozart: #1-5, #8-9, #12, #17-27, Rondos.
#20 is my favorite, followed by #27, #21, #22, #5.

> (4) Tchaikovsky   #1 (great)

Tchaikovsky: #1-3, Concert Fantasy.
Bombastic, but great fun to listen to.  Too many shitty performances though.  
Absolute favorite recording: Horowitz/Toscanini.  

> (5) Schumann      op. 54 (great)

Wistful romanticism at its best!

> (6) Grieg         #1 (great)

And the must-hear performance is: Richter/Matacic.

> (7) MacDowell     #2 (beautiful)

MacDowell: #1-2

> (8) Rachmaninov   #1, #3 (haven't quite acquired a taste for them yet)

Rachmaninoff: #1-4; Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini.
Must-hear: Rach #2 with Richter.

> (9) Bartok        #2 (yet to acquire a taste for Bartok)

Eek!

> (10)Liszt         #1, #2 (not particularly)

Liszt: #1-2, Totentanz, Hungarian Fantasy.
#1 is mindless fun, #2 much better.  Try Richter/Kondrashin or 
Zimmermann/Ozawa.  Most others are yawners.

(11) Chopin: #1-2, Variations on "La ci darem la mano", Krakowiak,
Andante spianato and Polonaise Brilliante, Fantasy on Polish airs.
Favorite: Variations Op. 2; both concertos are wonderful but not great.
 
(12) Reinecke: #1, #4
(13) Litolff: Concerto symphonique #4

Great fun!  Too bad most people only know of the scherzo!

(14) Sterndale Benett: #1-5 (neglected gems!)

At least as good as any Chopin concerto, and MUCH BETTER than Liszt and
the other romantics, including Mendelssohn, Weber, etc.  Just a tad short
of Schumann, but definitely no worse than Grieg!

(15) Mendelssohn: #1-2

Mindless fun.  Rather insubstantial.

(16) Field: #1-7

Syrupy romanticism at its best!  Wonderful as easy-listening.

(17) Weber: Concertstucke
(18) Dvorak

Must-hear: Richter.  

(19) Haydn: #1-2
(20) J.S. Bach: Keyboard concerti #1-5
(21) Saint-Saens: #1-5

Besides the quintessential favorite #2, these are not bad, esp. #5.

(22) Poulenc
(23) Ravel: Concerto for the left hand
(24) Prokofieff: #1-5

#1 short and great fun!  #3 most massive and herculean, #5 quirky!

(25) Shostakovich: #1-2
(26) Britten
(27) De Falla: Night in the gardens of Spain
(28) Stravinsky

(30) Vox sets of Romantic concertos by: Hiller, Henselt, Kalkbrenner,
Schwarwenka, D'Albert, Hesse, Paderewski, Moszkowski, A. Rubinstein,
etc ....  (can't remember them all).

If I can choose only a single favorite concerto: Beethoven #5.
Otherwise, there are simply too many good ones.

Vinh Nguyen
vnguyen@husc.harvard.edu