# Best Piano Concertos **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 5, 2016, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918 "2016-12-05T10:07:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/1 "2016-12-05T10:07:41Z")
Inspired by this thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=812535](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=812535) The title says it all. I’ll try to allow multiple votes. I’ve shortlisted 30 concertos among those that are among the most often played. I don’t think any of the “really big ones” are missing but if you feel I’ve forgotten one, don’t hesitate to mention it. I’ve semi-arbitrarily decided to exclude concertos written after 1945. The date itself is irrelevant apart from the fact that it’s easy to remember but the idea was include only concertos that have been around for long enough to consider them standard repertoire. That means I had to leave some cocnertos that I realy, really like such as those written by **Poulenc, Barber, Ligeti** and **Lutoslawski**. Yet, you might want to check them out, they’re worth investigating (the last two are not easy listening however, but fascinating all the same). ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/2 "2016-12-05T10:22:18Z")
By the way, you’ll notice that I included “only” five concertos by **Mozart** but the reason is easy to see: if I had picked all 27 of them, the list would have become much too long. So I chose the five most often recorded ones (as per [Arkivmusic.com](http://Arkivmusic.com)). I settled on five so that he’d be even with **Beethoven** :D. I also hesitated between **Gershwin** and **Schoenberg** but decided to exclude the latter as it’s probably not that popular. I’m not crazy about the **Gershwin** , though. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/3 "2016-12-05T12:22:56Z")
I couldn’t narrow it down to fewer than nine: The Chopin F minor Both Brahms The Grieg The Saint-Saëns Both Tchaikovskys Both Rachmaninoffs Obviously my tastes skew heavily toward the Romantic period. Not that I don’t listen to and enjoy the others as well (with the exception of the Bartoks). I really wanted to vote for at least one Mozart or Beethoven, and if this were a “desert island” list I would have … but none jumped out above the others. My two favorites, overall, are the two Rachmaninoffs, especially the final movement of the D minor. I expect most people’'s choices will be earlier and later than mine. Romantics don’t seem to be as much in fashion as Classical and Modern. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/4 "2016-12-05T12:49:30Z")
I wish I could play. I have a fleeting knowledge of most of these, but no real hard listening. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/5 "2016-12-05T12:54:41Z")
Our tastes are quite similar. I narrowed it down to five: **Beethoven 4 Brahms 1 Brahms 2 Grieg Tchaïkovsky 1** We have the last four in common ;). I could also have voted for the **Schumann** , both **Rachmaninoff** s and **Prokofiev** s as well as **Ravel** ’s in G Major (that slow movement is pure magic). > [@panache45](#): > > …I expect most people’'s choices will be earlier and later than mine. Romantics don’t seem to be as much in fashion as Classical and Modern. Hmmm, I’m not sure about that. Classical, perhaps but definitely not Modern. I think that most votes will go to Romantic concertos. Or **Mozart 21**. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/6 "2016-12-05T17:14:49Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > Hmmm, I’m not sure about that. Classical, perhaps but definitely not Modern. I think that most votes will go to Romantic concertos. Or **Mozart 21**. I expect Romantic concertos to win it, with Grieg and Rachmaninoff 2 topping the list, but we’ll see. In my experience, Romantic music is far more popular than any of the others time periods, but it could be the company I keep. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/7 "2016-12-05T18:20:00Z")
In order, with my preferred artist: Beethoven #1, Glenn Gould Mozart #20, Monique de la Bruchollerie Gershwin RIB, Philippe Entremont ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/8 "2016-12-05T22:19:28Z")
I’ll never forget the first time I heard the Saint-Saens concerto. Chills. The gorgeous second movement of Beethoven #5 is one of my favorite pieces of music ever. I also love Tchaikovsky #1 and both Rachmaninoffs. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2016, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/9 "2016-12-05T23:44:20Z")
My immediate choices were the Ravel Left Hand and the _Emperor_. (I’m also rather fond of the Beethoven #2, which is conspicuously absent.) Once those were out of the way, I added the Bartok 1 and the obvious warhorses Tchaikovsky 1, Rachmaninoff 2 and the Grieg. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/10 "2016-12-06T00:01:06Z")
My all-time, absolute fav is the Emperor. To me, it’s the perfect concerto. But I’m a lover of the classical period. I expect that the result will show the Tchaikovsky in first, followed by Grieg, then Beethoven, then Rachmaninoff (#2), which are the anointed “Big Four” of concerti for piano. Personally, I prefer Rachmaninoff’s Third to his Second; I have a rendition by Horowitz that is outstanding. Sadly missing from the list is one of my favorites: the Mendelssohn First. But that’s because at one time I attempted to learn it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/11 "2016-12-06T02:26:16Z")
One of my first LPs was Tchaikovsky’s First with Graffman and Szell and the Cleveland. I remember every note. Eta: even the bobbles. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/12 "2016-12-06T04:03:28Z")
I voted for the Bee’s First Piano Concerto mainly for the MONSTER final rondo movement. If there are piano duels in heaven, Ludwig will sit by while Mozart. Liszt, Fats Waller, and Art Tatum take their best shots, and then stroll out and knock out this third movement. Here’s a nice theatrical version, with the orchestra standing around the pianist like they’re rooting out a fox. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/E5q1YEAZsrU/maxresdefault.jpg "Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 - 3rd movement") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5q1YEAZsrU) The greatest Piano Concerto in history is of course Ferruccio Busoni’s Opus 39 in C major from 1904. It NEVER gets played because a) it runs well over an hour; and b) you need a pianist of Busoni’s virtuosity to play the fuckin’ thing. It’s one of those wacky crazy early 20th century compositions full of nature mysticism and Masonic symbolism and general woo-woo stuff. Picture Gustav Mahler slow-dancing with Aleister Crowley. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/13 "2016-12-06T06:04:14Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > The greatest Piano Concerto in history is of course Ferruccio Busoni’s Opus 39 in C major from 1904. It NEVER gets played because a) it runs well over an hour; and b) you need a pianist of Busoni’s virtuosity to play the fuckin’ thing. I wouldn’t call it “the greatest Piano Concerto in history,” but I recommend the Garrick Ohlsson recording with Von Dohnanyi and the Cleveland Orchestra. It’s almost 72 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/14 "2016-12-06T06:53:39Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Personally, I prefer Rachmaninoff’s Third to his Second; I have a rendition by Horowitz that is outstanding. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SOBX-89Xh0c/maxresdefault.jpg "Vladimir Horowitz 1951 Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOBX-89Xh0c) Long been a favourite of mine - there’s some amazing passages in that, as well as Bartok #2. I got a lot of listening to bone up on considering admittedly I haven’t heard the majority of those selections - been more fixated on fringe stuff like Turina, Granados, Albeniz (Alicia de La Roccha is a hero!:)) And this weird Faure kick I’ve been on. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/15 "2016-12-06T09:56:08Z")
I don’t think there’s anything weird with being on a **Fauré** kick : his chamber music is amazing, up there with the best works in the genre of his near contemporaries **Brahms** and **Dvorák** but they aren’t played nearly as often, for some reason. > [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > …(I’m also rather fond of the Beethoven #2, which is conspicuously absent.)… Yes, I have no idea what happened there. I shortlisted it of course, as my second post indirectly indicates, but noticed hours later that it wasn’t there. I must have messed up while copy-pasting it into the poll :smack:. > [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > My all-time, absolute fav is the Emperor. To me, it’s the perfect concerto. But I’m a lover of the classical period. > > I expect that the result will show the Tchaikovsky in first, followed by Grieg, then Beethoven, then Rachmaninoff (#2), which are the anointed “Big Four” of concerti for piano. Personally, I prefer Rachmaninoff’s Third to his Second; I have a rendition by Horowitz that is outstanding. > > Sadly missing from the list is one of my favorites: the Mendelssohn First. But that’s because at one time I attempted to learn it. 😃 I thought of including **Mendelssohn** ’s concertos but I had already reached 30 pieces and felt that they weren’t quite as strong as the other selections. However, if I ever do a similar poll for _violin concertos_, his will be in for sure. It seems that at the time of writing, your prediction is absolutely spot-on. And I clearly prefer **Rachmaninoff** ’s _Third_ to his _Second_, too. I must say I’m a bit disappointed to see that both **Brahms** concertos got an early lead but are now trailing. They’re fantastic, ambitious masterpieces, in turn colossal and intimate, powerful and yearning, joyful and melancholy. Full of great tunes as well, but that’s almost a given with **Brahms**. I also hope that both **Prokofiev** s will get a few votes. > [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > … Picture Gustav Mahler slow-dancing with Aleister Crowley. That’s quite a picture, I need to listen to it, now. Which reminds me that I haven’t included **Scriabin** ’s piano concerto in the poll. He was one of classical music great weirdos. ---
**Author:** ![Mavic\_Chen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mavic\_Chen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mavic_Chen)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/16 "2016-12-06T11:33:41Z")
The one [Tom plays](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat_Concerto) while Jerry distracts him 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/17 "2016-12-06T12:36:34Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > I also hope that both **Prokofiev** s will get a few votes. I’m disappointed that no one else has voted for his Third. Is there a more exciting piano concerto? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/18 "2016-12-06T12:36:59Z")
> [@Mavic\_Chen](#): > > The one [Tom plays](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat_Concerto) while Jerry distracts him 😉 And he plays without the standard number of fingers! ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/19 "2016-12-06T15:06:21Z")
Didn’t notice that Beethoven #2 was missing. I like that concerto (though not so much the first movement). It was something I heard a lot during the period I played _Europa Universalis 2_ (roughly 2001 to 2006) because they used the 2nd and 3rd movements in the music for the last part of the game. I wish I had chosen that concerto back in 1975 to play. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918/20 "2016-12-07T08:21:23Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’m disappointed that no one else has voted for his Third. Is there a more exciting piano concerto? It seems to be the most popular of the five he wrote but personally, I prefer the _Second_, especially the sarcastic, march-like _Intermezzo_ with the mocking bassoon runs and the big, heavy drum. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piano-concertos/773918.md?page=2)