Stanford's Piano Concerto No. 2: best British piano concerto of all?

[EdgeleyRob]

Just a word, Edgey - you're not "out of sync" with many other Forumistas' tastes: you're in sync with your own - which is far more important.

Thanks Ferney.

[EdgeleyRob]

Hello EdgeleyRob,

I rather like Bliss's concerto for two pianos.

Yes,me too Stan.

[EdgeleyRob]

What a super thread,thanks Cal.

Time for a list,favourite 10 British Piano Concerto cds.

Bliss + Piano Sonata + Concerto for 2 Pianos.Donohoe,Roscoe Naxos.
Rawsthorne 1 & 2 + concerto for 2 Pianos.Tozer,Cisowski,Chandos.
Mackenzie + Tovey.Osborne,Hyperion.
Ireland + Walton Sinfonia Concertante,Bridge Phantasm.Stott,Conifer.
Parry + Stanford No 1 .Lane,Hyperion.
Stanford No 2 + Concert Variations.Fingerhut,Chandos.
Alwyn 1 & 2 + Sonata Alla Toccata.Donohoe,Naxos
RVW + Delius + Finzi Eclogue. Lane,CFP.
Howells 1 & 2 + Penguinski.Shelley,Chandos.
Arnell + Symphony No 2.Owen-Norris,Dutton

[Pulcinella]

The Rubbra, Tippett, and RVW concertos get regular outings here in Casa Pulcinella.
I don't find the Rubbra difficult to grasp, and love the way the first movement evolves.
But yes, the RVW slow movement is divine.
Finzi's Eclogue is a firm favourite too.

[Pianorak]

Latest acquisitions -
Bowen PC 2 and 3 - underwhelmed on a first hearing
Ronald Stevenson: PC 1 and 2 - Very taken with it
Arnold: Fantasy on a theme of John Field - Most enjoyable
Bridge: Phantasm for Piano & Orchestra - Bridge can do no wrong in my books.
Marx: Romantisches Klavierkonzert - Jorge Bolet's favourite PC - mystified!

Didn't know the Stanford No. 2 PC - Loved it! - Thanks for mentioning it, Caliban!

[Serial_Apologist]

How about the Constant Lambert? Spiky.

He wrote two - the spiky one I presume you're referring to being the first, composed when Lambert was 17, and very much in the Rio Grande style of the late 20s work, and a more morose and complex second, from the early 1930s, very close in idiom to Milhaud.

[ahinton]

For reasons I've never really been able to pin down, I've always liked the Piano Concerto by Richard Rodney Bennett on this fine Lyrita disc.



....... but I can't remember coming across anyone else who likes it though

Really? Well, you have now!

[Nick Armstrong]

What a super thread,thanks Cal.

Time for a list...

.... I don't mind if I do!

Yes the moggy and the pigeons have had a merry dance!

The fact is that in the orchestral vein, piano concertos are by far and away my favourite genre (other than symphonies themselves).... massively more than concertos for other solo instruments. Don't know if it's because there's more variety, complexity etc thanks to 10 fingers (or even 5*), or if it's because it's the instrument I play...

Anyway, some great avenues opened up - though I still like CVS#2 best

.

*Mention of 5 fingers reminds me of a piece not I think yet mentioned in this thread: the other 'British piano concerto' I really love, more than his actual "Piano Concerto", is Britten's Diversions for piano (left hand) and orchestra. What a great piece, need to put that on in the car tomorrow as well as the CVS, for my journey south

[ahinton]

What a super thread,thanks Cal

Super Cali...

...better get that coat again...

[Bryn]

I imagine that quite a few others would recognise that a good choice if only they'd actually heard it; it's had few performances so far and it's been played by only a tiny handful of pianists including the composer who, as you'll know, premièred it.

Then there's Sorabji 5 (the only one so far to have been performed)...

Rolf Hind played the Bush concerto at the Maida Vale studios in December 2000. It is a recording of that broadcast by which I know this fine work. Something for Testament to consider getting their hands on for release?

[Pulcinella]

*Mention of 5 fingers reminds me of a piece not I think yet mentioned in this thread: the other 'British piano concerto' I really love, more than his actual "Piano Concerto", is Britten's Diversions for piano (left hand) and orchestra. What a great piece, need to put that on in the car tomorrow as well as the CVS, for my journey south

How could I have forgotten Diversions? (The thread title mentioning concerto, as implied here, I suspect!)

[ahinton]

Rolf Hind played the Bush concerto at the Maida Vale studios in December 2000. It is a recording of that broadcast by which I now this fine work. Sonething for Testament to consider getting their hands on for release?

Or Toccata, perhaps? It really is far too fine a piece to continue largely to languish in obscurity and merely be taken off the shelves and dusted off only ever few dacades or so, which is more or less what's sadly happened to it since its première more than three quarters of a century ago.

[rauschwerk]

I don't think anyone has mentioned Foulds's Dynamic Triptych which for sheer entertainment value knocks many British piano concertos into a cocked hat. It seems to me very well written, too. Strict adherence to a seven note mode in the first movement, moments of quarter-tones in the second and a polyrhythmic toccata to finish. To taste the full flavour of its uninhibited virtuosity, sample Donohoe/Oramo. I very much admire Howard Shelley, but he and Handley are very tame indeed in this piece.

[ahinton]

I don't think anyone has mentioned Foulds's Dynamic Triptych which for sheer entertainment value knocks many British piano concertos into a cocked hat. It seems to me very well written, too. Strict adherence to a seven note mode in the first movement, moments of quarter-tones in the second and a polyrhythmic toccata to finish. To taste the full flavour of its uninhibited virtuosity, sample Donohoe/Oramo. I very much admire Howard Shelley, but he and Handley are very tame indeed in this piece.

Mea culpa; I'd forgotten to mention it! I wonder what else I've forgotten to mention...

[BBMmk2]

I've mentioned Bliss's PC, I have two versions one with Philip Fowke, the other Peter Donohoe.