Piano Concertos

July 8, 2024, 7:00 pm

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Piano from above

The piano concerto is one of the most beloved genres of the concert hall. After all, it was the thundering virtuosity of some of the great composer-pianists that gave rise to music’s first superstars. To name just a few of our stars, we’ll explore their world and the great compositions of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Sergei Rachmaninoff performed by Lukas Foss, Leon Fleisher, Rudolf Serkin, Lang Lang, and Arthur Rubinstein


Playlist

Episode 1

Rachmaninov, Sergei: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2
I. Moderato (excerpt)
Concertgebouw/Haitink; Ashkenazy, piano
Rachmaninov
Lon 414475
1:00

Vivaldi, Antonio: L’Estro Armonico, Op. 3, RV 549
Concerto No. 1 III. (excerpt)
I Musici
Vivaldi – L’Estro Armonico, R. 549
Phil 412128
1:02

Vivaldi, Antonio: L’Estro Armonico, RV 565
Concerto No. 11, I. (excerpt)
I Musici
Vivaldi – L’Estro Armonico, R. 549
Phil 412128
1:03

Bach, JS: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, BWV 1050
I. Allegro
English Concert/Pinnock
Johann Sebastian Bach
Archiv 413629
9:44

Bach, JS: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
I. Allegro (excerpt)
Elysium String Quartet; Mann, flute; Feeney, double bass; Foss, piano
Brandenburg Concertos
Elysium 717
5:11

Bach, JS: Concerto for Harpsichord in D Minor, BWV 1052
Elysium String Quartet; Feeney, double bass; Foss, piano
Foss Plays Bach
Elysium 717
22:40

Mozart, Wolfgang: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 18, K. 456
III. Allegro vivace
Academy of Ancient Music/Hogwood; Levin, fortepiano
Mozart Piano Concertos
Oiseau 452051-2
7:58

Bach, JS: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, I (excerpt)
Elysium String Quartet; Mann, flute; Feeney, double bass; Foss, piano
Brandenburg Concertos
Elysium 717
3:15

Episode 2

Beethoven, Ludwig van: Piano Concerto No. 1
I. Allegro con brio (excerpt)
Cleveland Orchestra/Szell; Fleisher, piano
Beethoven The Five Piano Concertos
CBS 42445
1:53

Beethoven, Ludwig van: Piano Concerto No. 1
I. Allegro con brio
Cleveland Orchestra/Szell; Fleisher, piano
Beethoven The Five Piano Concertos
CBS 42445
17:58

Mendelssohn, Felix: Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor
I. Molto allegro con fuoco
Academy of St. Martin In-theFields/Marriner; Perahia, piano
Piano Concertos (No. 1 In G Minor, Opus 25 – No. 2 In D Minor, Opus 40)
CBS 42401
7:06

Mendelssohn, Felix: Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor
I. Molto allegro con fuoco
Academy of St. Martin In-theFields/Marriner; Perahia, piano
Piano Concertos (No. 1 In G Minor, Opus 25 – No. 2 In D Minor, Opus 40)
CBS 42401
0:43

Liszt, Franz: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major
I. Allegro maestoso
New York Philharmonic/Bernstein; Watts, piano
André Watts
Phil 456985
5:24

Chopin, Frédéric: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor
I. Maestoso, II.
RCA Symphony of the Air/Wallenstein; Rubinstein
Artur Rubinstein II
Phil 456958
16:39

Chopin, Frédéric: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor (ending excerpt)
RCA Symphony of the Air/Wallenstein; Rubinstein
Artur Rubinstein II
Phil 456958
1:28

Episode 3

Schumann, Robert: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
I. Allegro affettuoso
Philadelphia Orchestra/Ormandy; Rudolf Serkin, piano
Piano Concerto / Piano Quintet
CBS 37256
0:56; 0:33; 14:51

Brahms, Johannes: Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15
II. Adagio
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Reiner; Rubinstein, piano
Piano Concerto No. 1
RCA 63034
13:14

Brahms, Johannes: Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15
II. Adagio
Berlin Philharmonic/Rattle; Zimerman, piano
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1
DG 620302
1:23

Brahms, Johannes: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 83
I. Allegro non troppo
New York Philharmonic/Bernstein; Gould, piano
Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-Minor Op. 15
Sony 60675
1:05

Brahms, Johannes: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 83
I. Allegro non troppo
New York Philharmonic/Bernstein; Watts, piano
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83
Sony 47539
18:04

Episode 4

Dvorák, Antonin: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G Minor, Op. 33
I. Allegro agitato
Czech Philharmonic/Neumann; Firkusny, piano
Dvorak: Piano Concerto in G Minor, Op. 33 –  Janacek: Concertino & Capriccio for Piano
RCA 67481
17:45

Grieg, Edvard: Piano Concerto in A Major, Op. 16
III. Allegro moderato molto e marcato 
Bergen Philharmonic/Kitayenko; Andsnes, piano
Grieg: Piano Concerto, 6 Lyric Pieces; Liszt: Piano Concerto N°2
Virgin 91198
10:04

Tchaikovsky, Pyotr: Piano Concerto in B-Flat Minor
I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso – Allegro con spirito
RCA Symphony Orchestra/Kondrashin; Cliburn, piano
Van Cliburn
Phi 456748
20:40

Episode 5

Rachmaninov, Sergei: Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-Sharp Minor
II. Andante cantabile
Philadelphia Orchestra/Ormandy; Rachmaninov, piano
Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff: The 4 Piano Concertos
RCA 61658
5:19

Rachmaninov, Sergei: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor
I. Moderato
Concertgebouw/Haitink; Ashkenazy, piano
Piano Concertos 2 & 4
Lon 414475
11:27

Rachmaninov, Sergei: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor
III. Finale
St. Petersburg Philharmonic/Temirkanov; Lang, piano
Lang Lang plays Scriabin & Rachmaninov
Telarc 80582
14:35

Busoni, Ferruccio: Piano Concerto in C major, Op. 39
IV.  All’ italiana. Tarantella vivace in un tempo
Cleveland Orchestra/Dohnányi; Ohlsson, piano
Busoni: Piano Concerto in C major, Op. 39
Telarc 80207
12:53

Ravel, Maurice: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G Major
II. Adagio assai (excerpt)
Montreal Symphony Orchestra/Dutoit; Thibaudet, piano
Les Concertos Pour Piano / Concertinos
Lon 452448
5:26