12 Ridiculously Underplayed Concertos 

Which one?

Sorry. It's the E Major.

I completely agree. I became obsessed with this piece after hearing it for the first time. My favorite recording is the one from Naxos with Antoni Wit (of Mahler 8 fame).

@@johnwaring6443 Don't be sorry! I got excited thinking I might have been bringing news to you that Moszkowski wrote a 2nd piano concerto that you didn't know about! 🤣His B Minor is actually my favorite of the two, but I love the E major Op.59 SO MUCH also.

@@briang7942 Same, with Marcus Pawlik as pianist. It's the recording I imprinted on, although I'm not a fan of Wit's Mahler 8 recording. I love Piers Lane and most of his albums on Hyperion, but I'm really not a fan of his Moszkowski Op.59. It's gotta be that Naxos recording or the classic David Bar Illan recording IMO, I enjoy both.

Absolutely phenomenal recording of an incredibly underrated piano concerto. Paired with the Von Sauer if I remember correctly; I believe Hyperion is releasing a recording of Sauer's 2nd piano concerto in the coming months too.

@@kingconcerto5860That’s great to know!! Sauer’s 1st PC is a lyrically inspired masterpiece and one of my very favorite works in the genre.

​@@kylejohnson8877 Same, it was one of the first Hyperion albums I purchased and it's still one of their best IMO. I own *almost* every single album from the Romantic Piano Concerto series on Hyperion, and a few other standout releases from this series that you might know, but *possibly* have flown under your radar (in chronological order of the album release dates): - Henselt - Piano Concerto in F Minor, Op.16 (Marc-Andre Hamelin / RPC #7) - Kullak - Piano Concerto in C Minor, Op.55 (Piers Lane / RPC #21) - Holbrooke - Piano Concerto #1, Op.52 (Hamish Milne / RPC #23) - Lyapunov - Piano Concerto #1 in Eb Minor, Op.4 (Hamish Milne/ RPC #30) - Zelenski - Piano Concerto in Eb Major, Op.60 (Jonathan Plowright / RPC #59) - Moszkowski - Piano Concerto in B Minor, Op.3 (Ludmil Angelov / RPC #68) - Paderewski - Fantaisie Polonaise, Op.19 (Jonathan Plowright / RPC #83) If any of these are unfamiliar to you, do yourself a favor and get these albums today- you won't regret it (especially the Kullak and Zelenski). I will note that Dave wrote a rather scathing review of this Holbrooke concerto on his site, I understand there are problems with the piece but I still strongly feel it is criminally underappreciated- it contains one of the most beautiful cadenzas I know of which leads into this spectacular, soaring, romantic finale... I really feel like his review treated this piece unfairly, and it's VERY much a sleeper release in this series... Also, the H. Wood piano concerto it's paired with contains one of the most spectacular introductions of any piece of music I know of- very much reminds me of the intro to the Busoni piano concerto. Give it a shot, it might surprise you; but the Kullak and Zelenski are NOT to be missed! They're both right up there with Scharwenka #4 and Sauer #1 IMO. The Paderewski Op.19 is another particularly high quality composition... Anyway LMK if you're already familiar with any of this, and if not tell me what you think after listening. I'm sure you'll love them all TBH.

@@kingconcerto5860 thank you for the recommendations! Of the works you list, I know the Holbrooke and the Paderewski (his A minor concerto is also wonderful), both of which I enjoy very much. Do you know the Alnæs Piano Concerto (coupled with the rather less interesting Sinding concerto on Vol. 12 of the RPC series)? It’s a glorious work in my view, imbued with a life-affirming spirit (though the slow movement is almost tragic at times) and memorable tunes. The secondary theme of the finale remarkably anticipates the famous 18th variation from Rachmaninoff’s Paganini Rhapsody by a good 20 years!

​@@kylejohnson8877 Most certainly! I'm sure you'll love them, those are pretty much all of my top releases from that series. I'm actually quite surprised that you don't know the Moszkowski or Henselt if you know the Paderewski and Holbrooke... Yes, I do have that Alnaes + Sinding album. I do recall enjoying it a lot, although I've only heard it once or twice and it's been a few years (likely because it was part of a very large music purchase, and I think discovered something else in that round of purchases that blew me away so the Alnaes didn't get the proper attention of repeated listening over a few weeks). I'll give it another listen today, it's due. Any other standout releases along with the Alnaes from the RPC series for you? I have another post here somewhere with other great piano concerti recordings that aren't on Hyperion, these recommendations can get really long really quickly so I'll just leave you with one more in addition to the Hyperion albums I've already mentioned- the *Vittorio Giannini piano concerto* (Imreh/Bournemouth Symphony/Naxos). You'll *definitely* want to check this one out, trust me. Finally, I mentioned it previously but really just want to reiterate that the Kullak and Zelenski piano concerti should not be missed under any circumstances, lol. The Kullak is very reminiscent of the Thalberg Op.5 piano concerto, but I think the Kullak is a much stronger work. The Zelenski is Jonathan Plowright doing what he does best- advocating the beauty of the late-romantic Polish piano concerto in the most convincing way possible, and I think the Zelenski concerto really represents the pinnacle of that genre along with Paderewski's greatest masterpieces. Plowright is SUCH an underrated pianist, perhaps because of this highly specialized repertoire but every one of his Paderewski recordings has surpassed the Earl Wild recordings IMO, which were previously the reference recordings in this genre. Enjoy, and feel free to send any more of your recommendations my way because I promise I will devour them all.

It’s my favorite cello concerto along with the Dvorak B minor - a poignantly beautiful (that slow movement!!), dramatic, and virtuosic work. In fact, I’m currently learning it for my graduate recital! If you haven’t heard other recordings of the work besides the Wallfisch (Paul Watkins on Chandos, Tim Hugh on Naxos, and a young Yo-Yo Ma on Lyrita), I definitely recommend them and prefer them all to Wallfisch’s account.

I’ve noticed that this masterpiece has actually been featured relatively frequently on recent concert programs. On the other hand, I’ve never seen his delightful, sparkling Piano Concerto programmed once!

@@kylejohnson8877 very true, happy to see. Underplayed and underrated don't necessarily line up exactly. The quality, the gigantic burst of inspiration that is that work, relative to it's status makes it still massively underrated to me. It probably is my favorite violin concerto since Bach, but I never see it on lists of the greatest works in the Violin Concerto repetoire. Agree on the Piano Concerto! Way more underplayed and so exciting and interesting.

@@BachsBWV232 Well, in any case, it’s near the top of *my* list of the greatest violin concertos! It’s probably also my favorite work by Britten and one of his most deeply communicative works. He tends to get remembered as a composer primarily of vocal works, but there are many riches to be found amongst his instrumental works as well!

@@kylejohnson8877 I agree wholeheartedly. Do you have a favorite recording, of both the Piano and Violin Concerto?

@@BachsBWV232 I can’t claim to have a comprehensive knowledge of the discography of either work, but certainly the Janine Jansen/LSO/Paavo Järvi recording of the Violin Concerto on Decca strikes me as an intensely committed performance. As for the Piano Concerto, it’s hard to imagine the dazzling Steven Osborne/BBC Scottish SO/Ilan Volkov recording on Hyperion being bettered! And it’s wonderfully coupled with Britten’s two other delightfully inventive works for piano and orchestra, “Diversions” and “Young Apollo”.

Have a lot of time for Bryars, after hearing his song cycle Adnan Songbook - melodically gorgeous and the way he uses the instrumental ensemble that accompanies is little short of masterly. Cheers

Karlowicz is generally excellent.

Yes! Karlowicz’s Violin Concerto is one of my all-time favorite concerti for the instrument and is full of some glorious tunes. I find it much more appealing than his often gloomy and rather unmemorable (IMO) tone poems.

We used to play public doman stuff all the time, I believe on loan from the Fleischer Collection in Philadelphia, and fees were generally waived or were very modest, based on the budget of the ensemble. I'm not sure about the situation now. I remember doing an "American in Paris" where the parts rental wasn't a big deal, except that they wanted $400+ for the taxi horns, so I went out and bought my own set at a junk shop for $20 or so and it worked splendidly.

Yes. Instrumentalists are usually eager to play new material. It's the budget-conscious orchestra management that needs to be convinced.

A wonderful selection! Thank you.

Hear hear for the Ibert! As a frustrated saxophonist, I consider it the best concertante work for the instrument, despite it being of chamber size ... no other such works I've encountered are so well scored (as you say) but also so formally concise and logical! Plus genuinely memorable material - one of the most perfect works ever written, for any instrumental combination!

His Piano Concerto, too.

Agree but his 1st is also beautiful

Dave has mentioned Matthias’s Harp Concerto in another video but yes, it’s not a work that is played!

I agree.....great concerto

Absolutely seconded. His Violin Concerto is equally gorgeous.

Listening to it for the first time right now and I'm enjoying it

Thank you very much for mentioning Glanville-Hicks - as an Australian, I can't help but feel a tinge of pride! The first movement (my favourite of the three, with one of the most beautiful melodies I've ever heard) gets regular play on the A(ustralian)BC Classic radio station, but they don't use the Brooklyn Philharmonic recording - instead opting for our own Caroline Almonte accompanied by the Tasmanian Symphony under Richard Mills (which is a bit more diffuse in sound, although you can actually hear the last note of the movement well unlike with Jarrett et al.). I've often wondered how on earth this thing could be brought into the concert hall ... maybe pairing it with another short-ish Aussie piano concerto (e.g. the neo-Romantic Vine 1st, the terse yet heartfelt Sculthorpe, the buoyant Williamson 2nd)?

How about Rouse's trombone concerto?

this list is marvelous, thank you truly! Finding that Knipper Violin Concertino is no mean feat!!

@@smallbirdsongs You're welcome. Happy listening. 👍

I've played the Rozsa. Seems more than a bit influenced by the Bartok, but well worth listening to.

I wouldn’t say the Bliss PC is “hopelessly anachronistic”. There’s some deliciously piquant and “spicy” harmonies (though never harsh) sprinkled throughout. The heroic first movement boats a particularly thrilling cadenza, near the end of which the timpani comes thundering in!

Agreed - Ward is a wonderful composer I've heard some of his symphonies - very nice indeed.

Totally agree! The fact that Ward’s music has barely been given any recent recordings is baffling to me. Not even Naxos’ generally wonderful and comprehensive American Classics series has paid any attention to Ward. His warm-hearted, accessible music should appeal to anyone who enjoys Barber and Hanson.

Respighi's violin concertante works are stunning.

@@robhaynes4410 indeed! The Poema autunnale is another personal favourite. It's imbued with a soulful spirit I find quite moving.

@@AlsoSprach_Zarathustra It's so gorgeous.

I had the pleasure of seeing Stephen Hough perform the 2nd with the San Francisco Symphony just before he recorded it in Minnesota for Hyperion's RPC. I wasn't familiar with the work, and after starting to fade near the end of the first movement I was *completely* entranced by the second! The triple sonata with its beautiful melody just blew me away. I agree it should be programmed more frequently.

The slow movement of the 2nd PC is one of Tchaikovsky’s very finest creations - basically a “mini triple concerto” with its beautiful, extended solos for violin and cello (which are scandalously removed in the cut version).

I once heard Postnikova and Rozhdesvensky do it in Singapore, of all places.

Less than a year ago Dave also did a highly enthusiastic video on a brilliant disc from Johannes Moser of 3 neglected 20th century cello concertos, including the Honegger. Completing the disc are the Hindemith and Martinu 1st concertos.

Oooh yes the Bortkiewicz 2: I have never heard anything of his that I didn't immediately love. And all the Scharwenkas too.

Dvorak gets played a fair amount. Elgar less so but I wouldn’t call it neglected. Neither gets played as much as the Big 4, admittedly.

The Dvorak Piano Concerto is also a fabulous work. They say pianists hate to play it, though, because he made the left hand part just as difficult as the right hand's part.

I was fortunate enough to hear both Pinchas Zukerman and Ida Haendel play the Elgar in London, back in the seventies.

Dave did not forget it.. he cited its extreme brevity as a reason for its rarity in the concert hall. I'm a big Roussel fan, but have never even heard it on disc.

There's three recordings of the Bax, but only the Mordkovitch/Thomson one is in modern sound. It should be recorded much more. I had hoped that Tamsin Little would record it for her British concertos albums, but she retired after just two albums. A shame.

It’s quite frequently performed in my experience (deservedly so!), more so than any of his piano concerti. I very much agree with Dave about the criminal neglect of his 3rd PC. Ditto the 1st PC, which is one of the most sunny and tuneful works of the entire 19th century (in the outer movements, anyway).

saint saens no.3 is played very often at student concertos and by students in general.

And I already made a video about it.

The Cello Concerto is a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece! One of the greatest concerti for the instrument in my view.

I have a fairly recent recording of the violin concerto by Linus Roth. It's a gritty, astringent piece with little of the lyrical warmth of the gorgeous cello concerto.

@@timothybridgewater5795 Yeah, the Cello Concerto is uncommonly approachable and instantly lovable amongst Weinberg’s works. Much of his other music can be rather austere and grey, but is sometimes worth the effort.

The Himdemith cello concerto u mentioned was considered by Paul Tortelier to be among the five great ones...I think the reason for its less popularity might be the leght ( longish ) and eventhough a beautiful second movement the first is perhaps too marchial in it manner🙄

None of those are underplayed.

Well, at least in my country they are

www.amazon.com/Mengelberg-As-Accompanist-Concerto-Fantaisie/dp/B0025RNTKY

Yes. 2 and 3, in particular.

2 and 3 are performed occasionally, but my favourite is No 5.

And from the same period, John Field's 2nd concerto. Lovely work!

@@ruramikael Indeed--my three favorites as well. He also has a superb and very Mozartian mandolin concerto. Sadly, the figurines are vastly more celebrated than the composer.

Discussed elsewhere.

All three!

@@burtcolk I agree, and they are so different from each other.

The 2nd is wonderful, but my favorite is the glorious 3rd. Medtner is often dismissed as being an inferior melodist to Rachmaninoff, but the nostalgic, waltz-like tune in the finale of the 3rd PC sure gives Sergei a run for his money! There’s a great recording of the work on BIS with pianist Evgeny Sudbin and the Bergen PO under Andrew Litton, and it’s coupled with Scriabin’s beautiful, underplayed concerto.