Best Piano Concertos?

Lately I've been perusing the world of piano concertos, and have recently looked at some by Brahms, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, and Chopin recently, and I have to say... There is something that just amazes me about the opening to Brahms Piano Concerto No.1. It just says "We'll lay some sustained notes in the background and let the strings go crazy." And Mozart's rather famous Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, (specifically, the second movement, which I have performed(?) before ) is timeless, and every musician should be familiar with it. Tchaik's 1st is constantly amazing as well.

BUT, the question is: Which piano concertos do you hold in high esteem, and for what reasons? Which concertos move you, impress you, or sound just plain awesome?

Like I said, my three are: Brahms No.1, Tchaik No.1, and Mozart No.21.

...GO!

EDIT: I like how I completely forgot about the other thread I made a while ago regard the same topic. I was really quite shocked. XD

My favorite is the Busoni concerto; it's just such an incredibly unique piece on so many levels. Busoni's style is rather unusual, which makes it a somewhat difficult work to digest at first. However, after a few listens the genius of the writing becomes apparent. His use of thematic material in particular is mind-blowing... the work has a rather operatic character, and it ends appropriately with a male chorus singing the main themes of the first four movements. Truly a remarkable work -- I highly recommend checking it out!

ATM I am rather fond of Bartoks 1st Concerto, but the other two are cool too

I second Brahms 1st concerto, is 2nd is fine too. Barber's concerto is cool. Shoti's concerti are fine, if not very good.

Prokofiev has written 5 piano concertos. The first is youthful and happy, love the opening and how that theme returns in the recap. The 2nd and 3rd are very good. The 4th and 5th remind me too much of his ballet works, iono why, but I like them a bit lesser.

And then, there are so many, Poulenc, Kabelevkys concertos... too many

I for one hate those piano jerk-off concertos so I adore the Bartók's 1st.

It makes the piano play musically. The orchestra is well written in as it treats the soloist as a speaker speaking and underscoring the speech.

I for one hate those piano jerk-off concertos so I adore the Bartók's 1st.

It makes the piano play musically. The orchestra is well written in as it treats the soloist as a speaker speaking and underscoring the speech.

"piano jerk-off concertos" ? Would you kindly give us a definition of this phrase?

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto #2. I'm playing this for my senior solo (the first movement) and it's amazing. It is probably the most Russian sounding piece you will ever hear, hahaha. It is very difficult though.

Beethoven: Piano Concerto #5: The second movement of this piece is SOOOO gorgeous. Go listen to it. Now.

"piano jerk-off concertos" ? Would you kindly give us a definition of this phrase?

They are concertos in which the pianist is required to masturbate for proper performance.

I don't know about the best, but these are the ones I like: Shosty 1, Rach all of them, Mozart (you know, just...Mozart concertos in general really), Beethoven 3-5, and definitely the Poulenc ones (there's a double piano concerto and a regular concerto I know of)

Prokofiev's concertos are great, too, but I never liked them much. I need to listen to Barber's and Bartok's now :ermm:

I am unfamiliar with scores of the myriad of piano concertos out there. As a man, I am thus going to have to base my opinion entirely on how much my testosterone levels are liable to rise following one. As such, I will have to give my vote to Kapustin.

I mean, who else? I have to try and plug his music everywhere I can on this forum :laugh:

Also, he has the best moustache ever.

Also, he has the best moustache ever.

Agreed.

Tveitt Piano Concerto, "Northern Lights"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtbit4BjxKU&feature=related

:)

OMG. BEETHOVEN PIANO CONCERTO NO. 5. RACHMANINOFF PIANO CONCERTI NO. 2 AND NO. 3, MOZART CONCERTO FOR TWO PIANOS K365 IN EFLAT(3RD MVT ESPECIALLY), PROKOFIEV PIANO CONCERTO NO.3 IN C MAJOR(if im not wrong)(i love prokofiev's piano power). :D

Just to go for the obscure ones (there's the old stand-bys that I won't bother mentioning, of course, but everyone knows 'em), my vote goes to Ljapunov's two piano concerti. His first is probably my favourite, but it's been a while since I've listened to them both.

Brahms Pianoconcerto in D minor is the best!

and, of course, also the Pianoconcerto of Schumann...

But there are much more neglected pianoconcerto's. When do you hear on a classical radio the pianoconcerto of Dreyshock?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAD2qSt6Lmw

I like that.

The Atterberg concerto is also great!

But more interesting is the question: What is the WORST pianoconcerto?

Maybe this pianoconcerto of Fodor?

Fodor came from my country ;-)

I am really fond of Rautavaara's first piano concerto. Here is the first movement:

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Grieg's yet. I'm actually surprisingly ignorant of piano concertos for a pianist :/ but of the few I'm familiar with, I'd have to say Grieg's is fantastic. I'm also a fan of Saint-Saens's 2nd.

I agree with all your favorites you've posted. Brahms' first Tsiolkovsky's first, but I don't agree with Mozart's 21st. I think his 21st is just a common general public favorite. It's the material of stereotypical classical masterpieces. Among these stereotypes are Beethoven moonlight sonata (1st mvt), Beethoven Fur Elise, and Mozart's Rondo alla Turca. Mozart's 21st just doesn't cut it. Sorry. :(