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The public likes romantic works with an orchestral background. Frankly, my intention is to be a cheap Chopin imitator and use his formula to produce 3 more Chopinistic concertos. The days of idealism are over. What have the clowns in the conservatories and university produced?
You're right; nobody cares about integrity in music. Let's just worry only about the public and make money.
In fact, forget Chopin all together, let's do something more radical!! Like this genius:
Yes, true genius. After gutting the piece of all of its technical difficulties, he seems to think his glissandi qualify him as a virtuoso and will win over the audience. Sadly, he seems to have been correct. How in the h*ll did you ever dig up this clown????
The public likes romantic works with an orchestral background. Frankly, my intention is to be a cheap Chopin imitator and use his formula to produce 3 more Chopinistic concertos. The days of idealism are over. What have the clowns in the conservatories and university produced?
You're right; nobody cares about integrity in music. Let's just worry only about the public and make money.
In fact, forget Chopin all together, let's do something more radical!! Like this genius:
Old Man, I have Saint-Saens 4 (along with 2) on vinyl record with Entremont playing. Absolutely stellar!! I highly recommend his Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, too.
Good call with Chopin 2! I personally do prefer it over the first, and even though I made a little slight at both concertos above, I do think they're beautiful and wonderful pieces!
Old Man, I have Saint-Saens 4 (along with 2) on vinyl record with Entremont playing. Absolutely stellar!! I highly recommend his Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, too.
Yep, I know that Saint-Saens album well. My dad had that one, with P.E.'s face on the cover, back in his stud muffin days. I immediately fell in love with No.2, probably because of that dramatic piano introduction, but I pretty much ignored No. 4. But as I grew older, I started listening to 4, and realized that this was really the superior concerto (IMHO). I also became quite an Entremont fan. He always had plenty of power and played so cleanly, like Horowitz and Gutierrez. I've never read much about him on this forum, however.
I'll have to check out the Rach Rhapsody, because his Rach 2 with Bernstein (also from the 60s) is quite unique. Probably the slowest version of Rach 2 I've ever heard. You can't tell it from the opening chords, but as soon as the orchestra joins in and you hear the bass notes from the piano, you realize that Philippe and Lenny are moving at a snail's pace. But surprisingly that version grew on me too, and I would enjoy hearing it again today.
Good call with Chopin 2! I personally do prefer it over the first, and even though I made a little slight at both concertos above, I do think they're beautiful and wonderful pieces!
What do you mean "both concertos above" - I listed eight, didn't I?
Good call with Chopin 2! I personally do prefer it over the first, and even though I made a little slight at both concertos above, I do think they're beautiful and wonderful pieces!
What do you mean "both concertos above" - I listed eight, didn't I?
I meant in an earlier post that I made, regarding both piano concertos. I commented how I didn't always prefer the "piano being the star of the show while orchestra just tags along for the ride" aspect of some piano concertos.
If your list doesn't have Saint-Saens 2, it sucks.
Uh-oh... I'm in trouble!
I have a hard time enjoying Saint-Saens' "dark" music. I much prefer the delightful music. Check his "Serenade d'hiver." Sang it in choir last year, and it was a BLAST. Gives me the same joy I get whenever listening to PC Nos. 4 and 5.
But I guess the second is popular for reasons, most notably, Rubinstein? On my Entremont record, it states that the 4th concerto is more popular than the 2nd, so that must have been at the time of the recording... Sad that it fell out of fashion.
Lol... I've only listened to three concertos... Rach 2 and 3 and Tchaikovsky 1. I'm a classical music newbie, so I guess I'll give some of the popular ones in these lists a listen.
Previously: Kawai MP-10, 1980 Yamaha C7, 2012 Young Chang Y175
If your list doesn't have Saint-Saens 2, it sucks.
Uh-oh... I'm in trouble!
And think of how much trouble I'd be in if I said, in paging through this thread, that several lists 'suck' because of certain concertos they do contain.
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I have a hard time enjoying Saint-Saens' "dark" music.
'Dark'? Maybe on the surface of the 1st movement, but to borrow a cliche, its darkness is only skin deep!
If your list doesn't have Saint-Saens 2, it sucks.
Well, for many years I would have agreed. And I still love it. Just not quite as much as Saint-Saens 4.
Would #10.a do it? (I also have 10.b thru 10.z available).
I admit I have only heard #2. So forgive me if that's like saying Chopin's best ballade is the first. I MUST delve into S-S. I've heard three of his works and each are fantastic. I'm thinking he's going to rank in my top tier of favorite composers. I can feel it.
If your list doesn't have Saint-Saens 2, it sucks.
Well, for many years I would have agreed. And I still love it. Just not quite as much as Saint-Saens 4.
Would #10.a do it? (I also have 10.b thru 10.z available).
I admit I have only heard #2. So forgive me if that's like saying Chopin's best ballade is the first. I MUST delve into S-S. I've heard three of his works and each are fantastic. I'm thinking he's going to rank in my top tier of favorite composers. I can feel it.
Holy cow, you HAVE to hear the 4th concerto, 5th concerto, and Africa!! The 1st and 3rd are nice, but don't quite do it as much for me.
I admit I have only heard #2. So forgive me if that's like saying Chopin's best ballade is the first. I MUST delve into S-S. I've heard three of his works and each are fantastic. I'm thinking he's going to rank in my top tier of favorite composers. I can feel it.
So can I.
OSK will back me up. S-S 5 is a very fine piece of music, magnificently written.
Poulenc, Mozart, Stravinsky, Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals, the three J. S. Bach, some C. P. E. Bach, W. F. Bach, Liszt Concert Pathetique are among the best for concertos two pianos. Some of those do not have orchestra parts. You could also toss in Soler's concertos for two organs.
After gutting the piece of all of its technical difficulties, he seems to think his glissandi qualify him as a virtuoso and will win over the audience. Sadly, he seems to have been correct. How in the h*ll did you ever dig up this clown???? 
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