# Best entrance by a piano in a piano concerto



## ScipioAfricanus (Jan 7, 2010)

Brahms 1st, is there anything remotely close.? After a stormy start by the orchestra Brahms brings in a pleading soft piano that builds in intensity.

Chopin's 2nd. The Piano makes the entrance of a sword just cutting through everything in its path.

Does anyone else have any other to share?


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I'd add that exquisite Bach-like cadenza in the opening of Saint-Saens' 2nd concerto. Perhaps the rest of the work doesn't quite live up to that grand & memorable beginning (does any Saint-Saens really?), but the start just makes the work what it is.

I also like the bell-like sounds of the opening of Rachmaninov's 2nd. It's like the sounds of bells tolling, getting louder and louder, until the orchestra introduces the main theme.

Australian Peter Sculthorpe also uses a cadenza in the opening of his concerto (1980's), which eventually becomes a dialogue (or argument?) with the brass & percussion. Like the opening, the whole concerto is quite dark & moody, although there are parts where the piano mimics far eastern music, particularly Balinese gamelan.


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## ScipioAfricanus (Jan 7, 2010)

How could I forget about Saint Saens g minor concerto. That was quite rich.


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## Sebastien Melmoth (Apr 14, 2010)

Agreed: Brahms' First.
But has anyone heard Reger's PC?
Hilarious in its bombasticity, like Lizst's First.


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## TWhite (Feb 23, 2010)

I love the Brahms First--that stunning orchestral exposition seems to even erase the idea that a piano is even going to be involved. Yet, when the piano makes its entrance with that lyric, almost pleading theme, the listener becomes suddenly aware that they are going to experience probably the most SYMPHONIC of all piano concerti. And IMO, Brahms does not disappoint. It's actually my very favorite piano concerto. I performed it in college, and it is still one of the most musically satisfying and emotionally and technically challenging works I've ever played. 

Another that almost matches--the long, increasingly intense orchestral introduction to Ravel's Concerto For Left Hand. Yet when the piano finally enters with that tremenduous keyboard-sweeping opening cadenza, there is no doubt that Ravel created a piano concerto masterpiece. The work is not as much as showing what the left hand can do, but what can be DONE for the left hand. And despite the fearsome technical difficulties of the work, it lies PERFECTLY for the hand. A remarkable piece of music, IMO. 

Tom


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## Ravellian (Aug 17, 2009)

Mozart's 20th in Dm deserves a mention here. After the thrilling orchestral opening the piano cuts in with a soft gesture, completely different from what came before and quite surprising. And I'm surprised no one's mentioned the Emperor concerto yet..


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## KetchupOnIce (Nov 18, 2014)

Mozart's 9th is not the best, but it was pretty revolutionary for it's time. The opening bars sound like the orchestra stating something, the piano making a naughty comment, then the orchestra butting back in, shutting the piano up, and so on.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

M


TWhite said:


> I love the Brahms First--that stunning orchestral exposition seems to even erase the idea that a piano is even going to be involved. Yet, when the piano makes its entrance with that lyric, almost pleading theme, the listener becomes suddenly aware that they are going to experience probably the most SYMPHONIC of all piano concerti. And IMO, Brahms does not disappoint. It's actually my very favorite piano concerto. I performed it in college, and it is still one of the most musically satisfying and emotionally and technically challenging works I've ever played.
> 
> Another that almost matches--the long, increasingly intense orchestral introduction to Ravel's Concerto For Left Hand. Yet when the piano finally enters with that tremenduous keyboard-sweeping opening cadenza, there is no doubt that Ravel created a piano concerto masterpiece. The work is not as much as showing what the left hand can do, but what can be DONE for the left hand. And despite the fearsome technical difficulties of the work, it lies PERFECTLY for the hand. A remarkable piece of music, IMO.
> 
> Tom


Amen, Brother, and Hallelujah! I am in total agreement with you on both concertos.


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## dsphipps100 (Jan 10, 2016)

Ahem - Grieg. (And also Beethoven's Emperor)


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

I will put in a word for both the Prokofiev 1st Concerto and for the Khachaturian. There is something very fresh, very reminiscent or suggestive of the Russian steppe in the initial moments, as distinct from the more citified Moscow/conservatory aura of the Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff concertos, as wonderfully as those also open. A scent, a mood of the outdoors as opposed to the indoors.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Mozart's 20th. Made me shiver the first time I heard it.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Rachmaninov second and Beethoven no 5:tiphat:


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

I don't particularly love the concerto but the entrance for Gershwin's Concerto in F is very enjoyable. 

If we're talking Mozart I like 15, 22 & 24 for piano's entrance. 

I'll concur on LvB's 5th but I also like his 3rd as well. 

Big fan of Bartok's 1st & 2cd. 

Penderecki's is cool too.. the opening at least.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

The piano openings of the Beethoven #4 (the piano softly doing the opening) and #5 (the piano opening dramatically after a single orchestral note) have always been favorites. But I can't help it, like others above 'the winner' IMO has to be the Brahms 1st.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

I may be old fashioned, but I do not recall a piano concerto opening that has grabbed me with quite the force as did that of the Tchaikovsky First upon my first hearing of the work. But heck, that was on a now legendary DECCA recording by Ashkenazy, with Maazel and the London Symphony Orchestra, so you'll have to excuse me.


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## Stavrogin (Apr 20, 2014)

I second the Cajkovskij pick.

All the mentions of the Brahms PC made me wonder, is there any _later_ entrance by a piano in a piano concerto?
Off the top of my head I can't think of any.

Except in 4'33", the piano and orchestra version I mean.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

violadude said:


> Mozart's 20th. Made me shiver the first time I heard it.


I sometimes wonder what inspiration caused Mozart to come up with that opening and the whole concerto. It is not at all like any of his earlier or later concertos.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The opening of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 and also No. 5.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

The Saint.Saens G Minor has to be the most dramatic beginning in all the repertoire.


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## jdec (Mar 23, 2013)

Brahms 1st opening.


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## Stavrogin (Apr 20, 2014)

Liszt's Totentanz deserves a mention here.


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

Yep it's got to be the Grieg hasn't it? I'm quite partial to the Chopin in E Minor too.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Bartok no.3
Prokofiev no.2


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## Ivanbeeth (Nov 30, 2015)

Brahms 2nd: that first low note, majestic.
Beethoven 1st: a gentle greeting after the energetic orchestral exposition.
Mozart's 24th: sorrow following the tragic exposition.


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## Guest (Feb 6, 2016)

Liszt's Concerto No.1--those thundering octaves are just so powerful. By the way, perhaps "Favorite" would be a better word than "Best" in your title: There's no way to determine the "best" of anything. No "best" symphony, conductor, soloist, recording, etc.--it's all too subjective.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Among those not mentioned, there´s the grandeur of *Busoni*´s concerto (such as in the Peter Donohoe recording 3:15 in 



 ), the effective melodies of *Saint-Saens´ *4th Concerto (



) and of *Wiklund*´s 2nd Concerto (



), as well as *Medtner*´s 3rd Concerto in the dreamy and intricate Ponti recording (



).



> All the mentions of the Brahms PC made me wonder, is there any later entrance by a piano in a piano concerto?


Gubaidulina´s Introitus-Concerto lasts around 25 mins, and I think the piano only enters after 5:10 or so ...


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## Janspe (Nov 10, 2012)

Mozart's D minor, Brahms' D minor and Ravel's D major come to mind. Wonderful entrances by the solo piano!


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

^^^
I agree with everything above (esp. Medtner's Third PC). I'll nominate:


*Edgar Bainton*: Concerto Fantasia.
*Eugene Goossens*: Phantasy Concerto.
*Glazunov*: Piano Concerto no. II
*Zygmunt Stojowski*: Piano Concerti I & II (pretty bold entry in no. I., spellbinding piano entry in no. II).
*Sergey Bortkiewicz*: Piano Concerto.
*Sir Arnold Bax*: Symphonic Variations & Winter Legends (both for piano & orchestra).
*Palmgren*: Piano Concerto no. I.
*Lydia Auster*: Piano Concerto.
*Emil von Sauer*:Piano Concerto no. I.
*Anton Rubinstein*: Piano Concerto no. III.
*Xaver Scharwenka*: Piano Concerto no. I.
*Herbert Howells*: Piano Concerto no. I.
*Moszkowski*: Piano Concerto no. II.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

MagneticGhost said:


> Yep it's got to be the Grieg hasn't it?


I first heard the opening to the Grieg when I was playing in the orchestra for How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, at the section when he sings the praises of Rosemary. There was a lovely young flutist seated next to me at the time. And that began a nice six-month romance. I can't think of any other piano concerto which had that kind of effect, at least in my personal experience.


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## drpraetorus (Aug 9, 2012)

Although I do not like the composition, The Tchaikovsky 1st is so memorable and popular that it is the cliché for all piano concertos


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Beethoven 4. Astounding in its simplicity and understatement.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Even though I don't care much for the composer and this concerto in particular, the Schumann Piano Concert starts with a nice, in your face piano flurry.


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## sam93 (Nov 9, 2015)

There's a reason Grieg's A minor concerto is so popular. Those large descending chords are pretty damn amazing.


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## Eva Yojimbo (Jan 30, 2016)

Old thread, but I'd go with Tchaikovsky's 1st.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Has to be Beethoven 4. Played by Gilels.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The entrance of the piano in Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 is dramatic and memorable.


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## Aldarion (Feb 9, 2016)

Beethoven 4
Medtner 1
Brahms 2
Rachmaninov 2
Prokofiev 2
Mozart 20
Schumann
Scriabin
Busoni
Henselt
Tovey
Scharwenka 4
d'Albert 1
Korngold LH


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## Markbridge (Sep 28, 2014)

I definitely like the Brahms 2nd. Simply ethereal. However, something entirely different than the Brahms is the Paderewski. The piano is introduced by the tympani. Always thought it was pretty neat.


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## manyene (Feb 7, 2015)

The Schumann gets my vote with its wake up call: and the rest of it is brilliant too.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The entry of the piano at the beginning of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto Number Two is for me, quite memorable.


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## gardibolt (May 22, 2015)

DavidA said:


> Beethoven 4. Astounding in its simplicity and understatement.


Beethoven 4 hands down.


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