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Favorite Classical Concerto

post #1 of 63
1/17/08 at 1:15pm
Thread Starter 
I got kind of bored so I decided to post a bit about classical music and get some opinions.

The question is: What is your favorite classical concerto? It can be for any instrument from any time period. Please also post your favorite recording of it.

I'll start with mine. As a violinist, I'm definitely biased:

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor - Jascha Heifetz with Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony Orchestra on RCA Living Stereo
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post #2 of 63
1/17/08 at 2:42pm
Piano - Brahms' #2, Gilels performing w/Jochum conducting
Violin - Sibelius - Lin performing
Cello - Shostakovich 1st - Rudin performing
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post #3 of 63
1/17/08 at 5:24pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyson View Post
Piano - Brahms' #2, Gilels performing w/Jochum conducting
Violin - Sibelius - Lin performing
Cello - Shostakovich 1st - Rudin performing
Very interesting choices, very similar to something that my conductor back in high school would choose. Lin's Sibelius is definitely quite good. I'm jealous because one of my friends studies with him at Rice University.
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post #4 of 63
1/17/08 at 6:06pm
OK, I'll follow Tyson's lead

Piano - Tchaikovsky #1 - Van Cliburn
Violin - Sibelius - Heifetz
Cello - Elgar - Du Pre
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post #5 of 63
1/17/08 at 6:12pm
I'm biased to Prokofiev for some strange reason:

Piano: Brahms #1 - Brendel w/ Abbado & Berlin Phil.
Violin: Prokofiev #2 - Vengerov w/ Slava & LSO
Cello: Prokofiev Sinfonia Concertante - Mørk w/ Jarvi & City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
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post #6 of 63
1/17/08 at 6:33pm
of course my list changes regularly, depending on my mood
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post #7 of 63
1/17/08 at 6:50pm
Piano: Rubinstein #4
Cello: Dvorak
Violin: Karlowicz

Odd, is it not, that when classical enthusiasts talk about concertos it's almost always for Violin or Piano? Cello gets some mention, but the other instruments almost none. And there have been wonderful, Romantic concertos for flute, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, string bass, organ, and others. It's sad that we limit our musical experiences so much.
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post #8 of 63
1/17/08 at 6:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbhaub View Post
Piano: Rubinstein #4
Cello: Dvorak
Violin: Karlowicz

Odd, is it not, that when classical enthusiasts talk about concertos it's almost always for Violin or Piano? Cello gets some mention, but the other instruments almost none. And there have been wonderful, Romantic concertos for flute, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, string bass, organ, and others. It's sad that we limit our musical experiences so much.
Rubinstein #4 by which composer?!

And what you say is indeed true. It has to do with the fact that there are many more famous concertos for violin and piano than other instruments. Usually, the more we hear something the more we like it. If you have a concerto of another instrument to suggest, I will gladly try it.
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post #9 of 63
1/17/08 at 8:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbhaub View Post
Piano: Rubinstein #4
Cello: Dvorak
Violin: Karlowicz

Odd, is it not, that when classical enthusiasts talk about concertos it's almost always for Violin or Piano? Cello gets some mention, but the other instruments almost none. And there have been wonderful, Romantic concertos for flute, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, string bass, organ, and others. It's sad that we limit our musical experiences so much.
Haha, you left out the viola, but then again, who doesn't :P (I hope no violists are offended).

Just to vouch for them, both the Bartok and Walton concertos are great works. There's also a transcription of the former work on the cello, although the only recording I've heard of it is Starker's. Also I'm somewhat surprised concertos for multiple instruments a la Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart etc. haven't been mentioned.
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post #10 of 63
1/17/08 at 9:28pm
Rubinstein #4 by Anton Rubinstein -- the Russian composer, not the Polish pianist.

Other instruments:

Viola: Berlioz, Harold in Italy
Double Bass: Koussevitsky

Flute: Reinecke (the Rampal recording is superb)
oboe: Strauss
Clarinet: Weber #1
Saxophone: Glazunov (what else?)
bassoon: Danzi
contrabassoon: Aho

trumpet: Arutunian
horn: Strauss #1
4 horns: Schumann Konzertstuck
8 horns: Mahler 2nd
trombone: Rimsky Korsakov
tuba: Vaughan Williams

harp: Reinecke
guitar: Rodrigo (Concerto de Aranjuez)
2 guitars: Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco
Organ: Rheinberger

I think the reason so many of these are unknown to most people is a snobbish attitude about these "lesser" instruments. I've had violin players tell me that it is much harder to play violin well than a cello or viola or ANY wind instrument. Obviously, they've never studied bassoon or horn.
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post #11 of 63
1/17/08 at 11:25pm
Chung/LSO - Sibelius's violin concerto.

I also like the Heifetz recording on Living Stereo, a recent purchase of mine. Comes with an excellent Glazunov too.

--Chris
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post #12 of 63
1/18/08 at 12:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hempcamp View Post
Chung/LSO - Sibelius's violin concerto.

I also like the Heifetz recording on Living Stereo, a recent purchase of mine. Comes with an excellent Glazunov too.

--Chris
Yeah thats the Heifetz version I have.
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post #13 of 63
1/18/08 at 12:50am
Thread Starter 
I feel compelled to list some of my other favorites now:

Edward Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor.

Carmen Fantasy for solo flute (I know it's not technically a concerto, but it's often performed as one.)

Mozart concerto for violin and viola.
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post #14 of 63
1/18/08 at 1:47am
Some of my favorite concertos.

Piano
- Beethoven 5
- Brahms 2
- Mozart 20
- Schumann
- Grieg
- Tchaikovsky
- Rach 3

Violin
- Vivaldi (Four Seaons)
- Beethoven
- Brahms
- Tchaikovsky
- Bach (for two violins)
- Mendelssohn
- Bruch
- Mozart 3
- Prokofiev 2
- Elgar
- Sibelius

Cello
- Dvorak
- Elgar
- Schumann
- Haydn 1
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post #15 of 63
1/18/08 at 1:53am
Trumpet: I'm a big fan of the Arutunian (Particularly Dokshizer's performance - but that's not really classical, so I'll go with the Hummel, especially Maurice Andre's performance.
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