The 10 Most Emotionally Draining Concertos 

Here's 10 Cathartic Pieces for Solo Instrument and Orchestra: 1. Elgar's Cello Concerto: I've only heard Du Pre and Barbirolli, and for me, that performance is as cathartic as any can be. 2. Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Violin & Viola: The middle movement is so impassioned that the third movement is almost a light reward for traveling through the dark. 3. Copland's Concerto for Clarinet, Strings & Harp: The opening slow movement is so beautiful that anything that follows is good enough for me. 4. Strauss's Don Quixote: "The Knight's Vigil" = enough said. 5. Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending: Magical evocation of a bird in flight 6. Schumann's Violin Concerto: A very fiery and assertive opening movement that culminates in an awkward dance 7. Howells' Elegy for Viola, String Quartet & Strings: The British are able to combine melancholy and beauty rather well 8. Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.4: It really is the most perfect of his concertos, and it speaks truth from the first note 9. Peteris Vasks' Cello Concerto No.1: Part of the modern penchant for dark and brooding, but beautiful 10. Sibelius' Violin Concerto: This has to be one of the most drama-laden concerti ever written

I would say Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano Concerto. It just gets so absurdly beautiful, specially in the video by Argerich/Chailly where you can watch them ride that big final wave of emotion together.

I find Dvorak's cello concerto to be incredibly moving....from the raging heroism in the first movement...followed by pensive meditation in the second and then the climactic battle between solo and orchestra in the third wherein both get exhausted by the end and only at the final moment does the soloist push through leading to that incredible final major key ending. That final high shrief on the cello always moves me to tears

Very interesting list. Allan Pettersson's Violin Concerto No. 2 is another work I'd suggest. Since it's a single movement that lasts around 55 min. long, you should seriously be prepared! As with other works by this composer, I don't hear it with much regularity, but when I do I'm shocked by its insane intensity and tortuous sound world.

I'd like to add to the list Britten's violin concerto. For me, quite similar to Berg's in scope and emotional impact. I get always moved by the beginning, with the rhythm in the percussion, and the entry of the orchestra, like a sea wave. But what bring me always to tears are the last minutes of the concerto. Unbearably moving.

Above and beyond the actual works chosen, what an incredible lecture this is. Sign me up for your classroom, any day, any time. The Poulenc is my favorite from the list as judged by the number of times I return to it. It is a touchstone work for me, as is the composer. It is dangerous for you to mention Poulenc in your videos as I’ll go off and do a retrospective of…everything! And I am grateful you mentioned the Elgar. My God, that cadenza at the end. I feel like I am suddenly alone on the moon staring back across space at planet Earth, as if to say, “Farewell.” What I would have in my own list: the Walton violin concerto. I only discovered this in recent years and when I heard that first movement my heart stopped, the world itself stood still for me. I believe it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever been privileged to bear witness to. Afterwards, I read that Walton was in love when he wrote it. I thought, “Figures. That will do it every time.” Thank you, David.

Glad you kept this going Dave! This category was surely missing. I have to interject because nothing short of Mahler is as emotionally draining FOR ME as the Rach 2nd Piano concerto. Popular as it is, it drains and then drains again. I also would included in my personal list the Bartok Violin concerto No. 2, the Prokofiev Piano #2 and the ....:clears throat: the Elgar Cello concerto :) Loving these videos Dave.. as a long time classical music lover/collector, I find these videos an incredibly stirring to get me to revisit pieces I haven't heard in years. So much fun and educational as well! Thanks again... keep it going! :)

I’d add Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand. Also, I’ve always wanted to make silent, b&w Perils of Pauline movie built around the Poulenc Organ Concerto.

I first heard the Shostakovich Second Cello Concerto on a radio broadcast from Tanglewood with Rostropovich, Ozawa and the BSO. It was performed within a day or so of the composer's death in 1975. Whenever I hear it I am reminded of that performance. The ending is like a gut punch!

Not once, but two times that I´ve heard Shostakovich´s First Violin Concerto (with different soloists) in concert, the E string broke during the Cadenza, and the soloist continued using the Concetino´s instrument. Both times, some of the hairs of the arch were dancing in the air. Such is the mechanical stress imposed to the instrument by the piece.

Benjamin Britten somehow wrote one of the great draining violin concertos as well as a great least-draining piano concerto.

My list : (other than Rach 's pcs) Medtner pc no.1~3 Joseph Marx romantic pc Moszkowski pc op.3, op.59 Paul Juon concerto for piano trio Kurt Atterberg pc Scriabin pc Dohnanyi pc no.1

Love the list, wonderfully diverse modes/styles of music being emotionally draining. For me, there is a concerto that pretty much defines "drainage" in that the ending pictures sheer exhaustion or emptiness of feeling, spent-ness: Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 2. After the terrifying explosion of rage and despair with the final grotesque return of the "pretzels" song, there is nothing left to feel and one surrenders (as with the ending of the 8th Symphony, but this feels more private; if the 8th dramatizes the collective experience of war, this feels more like the destruction of private life itself under Stalin - my story anyway, and sticking to it). These emotionally draining videos have been great for showing the variety of means and registers that all capture a sort of abstract algebra of human pathos.

No disagreements with your list. I myself would cast a vote for John Williams's first violin concerto -- it's a pretty harrowing work, much in the vein of Berg in that he's working a profound personal loss in purely musical terms. Compelling emotionally, but also formally and as a showcase for the instrument.

Thank you for introducing some new works to me. You are more knowledgeable about 20th century works than I. I will give them a try. I find Shostakovitch difficult to my ear, so maybe we have different internal wiring on what is emotionally satisfying or challenging. I have both the Elgar violin concerto and the cello concerto and if want to wallow in sadness, I think the opening of the cello concerto is more sorrowful or "draining". I also turn frequently to the Sibelius violin concerto which has the most transcendent introduction ever for me. Take care.

I think, a lot of people would add the Dvorak Cello Concerto. Including me:-))

Thank you Dave for the nice Chat. I consider the Sibelius Violin Concerto to be also very moving. I aspecialy enjoy the second theme in the first movement. I think it ovedoes the virtuosic passages in the Violin. The second movement is very intresting considering the irchestration in the woodwinds and has its nice tunes. And the third movement is very energetic and it doesn't overdo the virtuosic passages if the violin. I consider it to have a very satisfying form in general.

I will ad Respighi's Concerto Gregoriano for Violin and Ochestra. An incredible moving and profound piece

I'm confused why nobody mentions Bach's D Minor Harpsichord Concerto (BVW 1052). This very channel has excellent video on this work. Baroque single affect principle naturally makes things very drainy if this affect happens to be somewhat dark. Also what are the rules for solo non-keyboard works: are these chamber music or a their own category? Either way Bach's chaconne for solo violin is the mother of all drainage for me: I strongly feel that chaconne/passacaglia is the ultimate drainy form and violin's loneliness adds a lot. Other drainy works for strings solo: Bartok's solo violin sonata, Britten's cello suites, Ligeti's viola sonata.

I suggest adding Rochberg's violin concerto - another 50-minute long work (in its original, uncut form). It's a real roller-coaster, ending in a heartbreakingly valedictory vein.

Wow! What great choices for this list! I would add two additional British worksfor my own personal list. First, I would include the Finzi cello concerto, and secondly, I would include the Rubbra viola concerto.

Hi David, Yes I am enjoying your talks! So fun and humorous, such articulate descriptions. This is a great list and many that are not performed much. Thanks!

I’d like to put in a good word for Christopher Rouse’s Flute Concerto. It’s a magnificent piece of music in his sort of post-romantic vein with some modernist twists, and that central slow movement… it’s a total emotional gut punch.

My choice would be: Brahms 1st piano concerto, Schumann Violin concerto, Elgar Cello concerto, Shostakovich 1st and 2nd(!)violin concertos, 1st and 2nd cello concertos, Dvořáks cello concerto, Sibelius violin concerto and Rachmaninov 2nd piano concerto.

Roslavets' Violin Concerto no. I is a worthy candidate here. Also worth considering: Bax: Winter Legends Kabalevsky: Cello Concerto no. II Weinberg: Violin Concerto Barber: Piano Concerto Reger: Piano Concerto Leighton: Cello Concerto Nielsen: Clarinet Concerto

The 2nd movement of the Schumann violin concerto absolutely rips my heart out, and leaves me wrecked every time…granted the first and third movements are definitely sunnier, so the work as a whole wouldn’t necessarily qualify for a mention, but it’s the first thing that came to mind on seeing the title of your video…wonderful and highly diverting as always! Thank you for sharing.

When this topic came up, Busoni was the first thing that popped into my head after the Berg and Mozart. I feel lucky to have experienced it in concert. Not a concerto and a very brief piece, but I think Busoni's Berceuse Elegiaque, in memory of his late mother, is deeply moving and drainesque.

Allan Pettersson's Violin Concerto No. 2 (Ida Haendal, Violin, with Herbert Blomstedt conducting the Swedish RSO). Difficult to imagine a more intense, emotionally draining hour spent, than with Ida Haendel, the violin sorceress for whom Pettersson composed this piece. How did that petite lady manage, physically, to maintain that level of intensity for that long, and against Pettersson's orchestration? In the final ten minutes, the fragments of melody tossed among the orchestra and solo violin finally coalesce into the simple melody of one of Pettersson's most poignant of his "Barefoot Songs". Grab for the tissues.

Myaskovsky Cello Concerto, Weinberg Cello Concerto, Khachaturian Cello Concerto, Khabalevsky Cello Concerto No. 2 - all are anguished, dark worlds, recommended. Hartmann Concerto Funebre, Pettersson Violin Concerto No. 2 especially. That's the real emotional drainage!

Ultimate drainage for me....Boris Tischenko's 2nd Violin Concerto. Only one recording as far as I know, originally on Olympia. A rather blaring glaring Leningrad PO, (yes, I know! But very much a Soviet era recording), accompanying a stupendous Sergei Stadler. White hot and so intensely moving. The audio can be found on YT

All great drainage pieces ! I didn’t see it mentioned in the comments but I’ve always felt that Penderecki’s first cello concerto to be one of the bleakest pieces of music ever.

Some other works that come to mind for me: Sofia Gubaidulina, "Offertorium" (not leaving you depressed kind of drainage, but feeling emotionally wrung out yes) Hartmann, concerto funebre (arguably a bit "on the nose", but really strong)

A great draining violin concerto is Prokofiev’s first! So many moments of overwhelming intensity, a scherzo that gives you absolutely no opportunity to rest, and a finale that ends with spooky lydian scales in the flute. Draining for the listener and the performers alike!

The one concerto that I would have added to the list is Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto, with that sinister snare drum from his 5th Symphony doing a lot more harm to the soloist and orchestra. A harrowing work!

Penderecki’s Violin Concerto No.1 does it for me. It starts miserable and goes downhill from there! There may not be much in the way of range but there is enough depth to just sink down and wallow. A wonderful work for occasional listening.

That I call the Prozac dealer's list for jolly evenings! Once more, you mentioned nearly all the works, I would list. But, nevertheless, I want to add a few without any rating. BRITTEN: Violin Concerto - Britten knew the Berg-Concerto, but what's more astonishing: he did NOT know the Shostakovich's, which came later. This is a strangely bitter piece from such a young composer. Especially the final movement, that great passacaglia with the quiet ending is very special and moving. BERNSTEIN: Halil - a short concerto for solo flute, piccolo and alto flute, percussion, harp and strings, lasting about 16 or so minutes. It's a deeply moving work, a requiem for a israelian flutist killed in the Yom Kippur war. Bernstein uses 12-tone techniques framing an incredibly beautiful tonal lament. The work is not well known, but it should be. In my opinion, it's one of Bernstein's finest achievements in non-vocal music. CORIGLIANO: 1st Violin Concerto - this is based on the music for the film "The Red Violin", and the concert version is just so spooky, creeping and sometimes violent. The finale is quick and loud, but not happy, rather nervous, like a predator in a cage. At first hearing, it left me breathless, afterwards I detected the subtileties of the work, which, for me, is one of the great violin concertos after Berg. BRIDGE: Phantasm - this is a very special piano concerto: a 25-minutes single movement, shifting between moods, some of them expressionistically overheated, stylistically hafway from Ravel to Berg. The work is unthankful for the soloist, being difficult but unrewarding to play, and it ends quietly. But it's a gripping piece. HARTMANN: Concerto funebre - the title of this concerto for violin and strings says all. The main influences seem to me Berg and Bartók combined with a baroque discipline of counterpoint. It's an infinitely sad music with choral-like moments and threnodies in contrast to agitated, even furious quick passages. This work is so draining emotionally, because it has no glimpse of light, it's just dark and desolate. PENDERECKI: 2nd Cello Concerto - this one has to come, of course. If one wants to know, how black would sound: just so. Black are the slow passages, black are the quick passages. There are a few scherzo-like moments, but they are in the vein of Shostakovich's scherzi: grotesque, forced laughter. It's a music of sadness, and Penderecki's genius drags the listener in this unhappy vision. It's a great experience, but a draining one.

How about the 10 most emotionally draining bagatelles?

It's an awful pity Heifetz never recorded the Shostakovich no:1, I sometimes have the impression the more modern violin concertos were more difficult for Heifetz to understand musically, which is an awful shame.

I don't find Poulencs Organ Concerto to be draining. Possible candidates for me are Liszt's Totentanz, Walton's Cello Concerto and Vaughan Williams Piano Concerto.

I would also add Prokofiev’s 2nd piano concerto

I find Bartok's Third Piano Concerto provides emotional drainage perhaps because of its understated emotion.

This may take some time but can you do the most emotionally draining operas?

Many thanks. When I saw the list the first I thought of was Shostakovich Violin Concerto no. 1. Happy you saved for the final one. Of the many excellent versions I have I think David Oistrakh is the greatest.

I'd like to add Sofia Gubaidulina's Piano Concerto 'Introitus'. Intense meditative first part and a virtuoso second part. Also the Adams' Violin Concerto.

Just as Dave said the "Emotionally draining" series was over....

Yes, the "ills" of the concerto repertoire ostensibly being a vehicle for virtuoso display with the presence of jaunty, rollicking finales tends to place them into the lighter category rather than the drainage/drainers. But when taking a look at just opening movements, oh my goodness!... Brahms Violin Concerto. But no, I won't plead for a single movement drainage category. Nope. I won't.

Writing as I watch but the following would be suggestions Mozarts pc 20 or 24 Brahms 2nd pc Elgar cc. Yes! deffo drainy Bartok, Concerto for orchestra (if it counts as a concerto) Shostakovich 1st vc and maybe 1st cc too Hackneyed I know but Rach 2 Prokofiev 2nd pc of course!

Wonderful list Dave! Brahms Piano Concerto n.1 Prokofiev Piano Concerto n.2 Rachmaninov Piano Concerto n.3 Beethoven Piano Concerto n.4 Saint Sáens Piano Concerto n.5 Mozart Piano Concerto n.23 Liszt Wanderer Fantasy Brahms Violín Concerto Bartok Piano Concerto 2 Janácek Capriccio

One from left field: Peter Sculthorpe's Piano Concerto. And another: Schnittke's Choir Concerto.

great video! i'd agree with most of these recommendations. would like to interject rachmaninoff's second and third piano concerti, prokofiev's second piano concerto as well as scriabin's piano concerto; it's somewhat underrated of a piece, but oh the second movement is especially emotionally evocative among the three stellar movements. ps if there were a little category for most emotionally draining concerto movement, might ravel's piano concerto 2nd movement be taken into consideration? even ravel himself said that the initial piano bars in the second movement were taxingly hard for him to compose, but the movement all in all drains me along a journey through all the nuances of regret, sadness, bittersweetness and tears:/

Not so sure I agree with the Walton Viola concerto (the cello concerto is also pretty draining and perhaps more original, and the violin concerto is more epic)… also I’d like to add the KA Hartmann Concerto Funebre

This is a really good list. I'm glad you did it. However, we could use repertoire videos about almost all of these (I think the only one you already did was the Berg violin concerto.) I would add the Bartok Third Piano Concerto. It's not just the middle movement adagio religioso. The whole thing is an acceptance of death. It may not be sad like Tchaikovsky but it is draining as heck.

I would agree the Shostakovich 1st Violin Concerto is more effectively draining than either of the cello concertos. At a performance of the later opus for cello by the Boston Philharmonic, its conductor, Ben Zander, observed, "It's the only concerto I know of that ends with a shrug."

I remember the 1970s brain drain, but concerto drainage is a terrifying concept.

Speaking of Bloch and draining works, I listened to his interminable Quartet No. 1 (Griller) in one sitting and *survived*! They should give out medals for that.

I'm on board for this list except for the Poulenc, which gives me the wrong kind of drainage. I can't get past my distaste for it. Whatever is there in it will probably remain forever hidden from me. This is probably also partly because I've played so many awful performances of it with church organists who "hired a band".

Just listened to the Elgar played by Menuhin. Stunning stuff. I'd no idea it was so fine. Easily the equal of the Sibelius.

I guess the Rachmaninov Second Piano Concerto is too ubiquitous to merit mentioning by anyone. As most likely are the Tchaikovsky First Piano and Violin Concertos, which also could have been choices (I realize he did mention the Violin Concerto in this video, but it wasn't a choice). You could pretty much make a list of just Shostakovich works, since all of his good ones are emotionally draining in some way or another. Dvorak Cello Concerto is also a good choice as mentioned below. You could make a case that The Lark Ascending or even Flos Campi could be included, although neither are traditional concertos. The Lark might not be "draining" since it feels more like the draining already happened, but the air of melancholy it strikes is practically unique within the repertoire. I would personally have a hard time including Brahms (who just should not be on any list of emotional works), or anyone from the classical period, but I realize the case can be made for several works. But as I said, that is my personal feeling. I'm not sure I've ever listened to a piece by Martinu, but apparently that needs to change.

Great chat! You got me interested in some new concertos. And yes, Mozart's 24 is a towering masterpiece and favorite of mine. And you enjoy saying the word "DRAINAGE!"

There sometimes a public perception that classical music was written by revered "old masters". Back in my student days, I toyed with the idea of doing a radio show for the University radio station wholly comprised of classical music by composers of student age. How about 10 masterpieces by composers 25 or younger?

Two works missing that for me would have to be in the top 10: The Dvorak and Elgar Cello Concertos.

Elgar not only invented the string tremolo effect underscoring the cadenza but coined the word to describe it. He called it 'thrumming."

Would you consider doing a video on concerto form Dave? I read and see so much about symphonic forms, due to the comparitively more serious and less flashy nature of the medium as you mentioned, but it would be very interesting as it's a far more rarely discussed subject.

Thanks for the great list! What about Chausson's Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet?

specifically the du pre / celibidache dvorak, WOOF

Here is a work I find really difficult to 'take in' whilst recognising its capacity to drain.....I think it is a masterpiece, but my......Britten's cello symphony - short of breath, almost bronchial, not at all the conventional Britten sound world! Not for everyday listening, most certainly.

Elgar Cello concerto

Most emotionally draining wind band marches? Viennese waltzes? Baroque trumpet concertos?

How about Brahms’ 2nd Piano Concerto- at least the middle two movements?

I also thought of Prokofiev Cello Concerto-symphony

Wonderful Series - "catharsis" - one of the main reasons I -- "keep on listening" - Wonderful Choices - THANX - I learn so much from you !

It's been love/ indifference with me and Busoni. The work is mentally challenging ( and physically for the performers ) but not emotionally. And that's a thing with Busoni. His music is cerebral or speculative. Not emotional. That said, the entry of the choir is certainly a wonderful moment in music. ( Another list? Great moments?) Also the 3rd movement certainly sustains a mood for a time. However thank you for mentioning the work. It should get played at least once every 10 years or so