# Your Top 20 Favorite Piano Concertos from 20th Century



## Andante Largo (Apr 23, 2020)

As in the title.

My top 20 favorite piano concertos from 20th century are:

Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 1 in F sharp minor, Op. 1 (1891, revised 1917) 
Delius - Piano Concerto in C minor (1897/1904/1907)
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 (1901)
Respighi - Piano Concerto in A minor, P.40 (1902)
Żeleński - Piano Concerto in E flat major, Op. 60 (1903)
Röntgen - Piano Concerto No. 4 in F major (1906)
Stenhammar - Piano Concerto No.2 in D minor, Op. 23 (1904–07) 
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 (1909)
Reger - Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 114 (1910)
Howells - Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 4 (1913)
Perosi - Piano Concerto in A minor (1916)
Hannikainen - Piano Concerto in B flat minor (1917) 
Różycki - Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 43 (1918)
Graener - Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 72 (1925)
Howells - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C major, Op. 39 (1925)
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 (1926, revised 1941)
Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major, Op. 46 (1927)
Berg, Natanael - Piano Concerto in C sharp minor (1931)
Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major, Op. 92 (1936–37)
Dohnányi - Piano Concerto No.2 in B minor, Op. 42 (1947)


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## SuperTonic (Jun 3, 2010)

This was more challenging that I thought it would be. I had to include a few works that are not formally titled as piano concertos.

In alphabetical order:

Barber
Bartok 1, 2, and 3
Copland
Falla - Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Gershwin - in F
Ginastera 1
Hindemith - Kammermusik No. 2, op. 36/1
Ligeti
Lutoslawski
Perle 1
Prokofiev 2 and 3
Rachmaninoff 2
Schnittke - for Piano and Strings
Schoenberg
Sessions
Shostakovich 1
Xenakis - Keqrops


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Pizzetti: _Canti della Stagione Alta_
Barber: Piano Concerto
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 (or 4)
Ravel: Piano Concerto for the left hand

Vine: Piano Concerto No. 1
Mathieu: Piano Concerto No. 4
Chisholm: Piano Concerto No. 1 _Piobaireachd_
Khachaturian: Piano Concerto
Mosolov: Piano Concerto No. 1

Poulenc: Piano Concerto
Bliss: Piano Concerto
Atterberg: Piano Concerto
Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 2
Medtner: Piano Concerto No. 2 (or 3)

Vaughan Williams: Piano Concerto (or in its version for two pianos)
Bortkiewicz: Piano Concerto No. 3. Actually, any of them.
Marx: Romantisches Klavierkonzert
Feinberg: Piano Concerto No. 3
Schnittke: Concerto for piano and strings


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

SuperTonic said:


> I had to include a few works that are not formally titled as piano concertos.


#MeToo

1.	Koechlin - Ballade for piano & orchestra
2.	Tcherepnin, A. - Piano Concerto No. 3
3.	Schmitt - Symphony Concertante
4.	Chávez - Concierto para Piano
5.	Landowski - Piano Concerto
6.	Saygun - Piano Concerto No. 1
7.	Jolivet - Concerto for piano & orchestra
8.	Theodorakis - Piano Concerto
9.	Rautavaara - Piano Concerto No. 1
10.	Ohana - Piano Concerto
11.	Villa-Lobos - Chôros No. 11
12.	Bennett - Piano Concerto
13.	Zimmermann, B.A. - Dialoge for 2 pianos & orchestra
14.	Gerhard - Concerto for piano & strings
15.	Feldman - Piano & Orchestra
16.	Birtwistle - Antiphonies for piano & orchestra
17.	Valen - Piano Concerto
18.	Skalkottas - Piano Concerto No. 2
19.	Tveitt - Piano Concerto No. 5
20.	Berio - Points on the Curve to Find …


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## kyjo (Jan 1, 2018)

So many great ones to choose from! I excluded works not explicitly titled "piano concerto", or else I would've included works such as Falla's _Nights in the Gardens of Spain_, Foulds' _Dyanamic Tripytch_, Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras no. 3, etc.

Anderson, Leroy: Piano Concerto in C major (seriously!)
Alnæs: Piano Concerto in D major
Atterberg: Piano Concerto in B-flat minor
Bartók: Piano Concerto no. 3
Britten: Piano Concerto in D major

Damase: Piano Concerto no. 2
Garūta: Piano Concerto in F-sharp minor
Hanson: Piano Concerto in G major
Medtner: Piano Concerto no. 3 in E minor "Ballade"
Merikanto: Piano Concerto no. 3

Poulenc: Piano Concerto in C-sharp minor
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto no. 3 in C major
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor
Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
Scharwenka: Piano Concerto no. 4 in F minor

Shostakovich: Piano Concerto no. 2 in F major
Stanford: Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor
Stenhammar: Piano Concerto no. 2 in D minor
Tcherepnin: Piano Concerto no. 4 "Fantaisie"
Tveitt: Piano Concerto no. 4 "Aurora Borealis"


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Bartók: Piano Concerto no. 3
Coulthard: Piano Concerto
Gerschwin: Piano Concerto in F
Krenek – Piano Concerto no. 1
Hétu: Piano Concerto no. 1

Ireland: Piano Concerto in E-flat major
Poulenc: Piano Concerto
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto no. 2 
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto no. 3 in C major
Marx: Romantic Piano Concerto

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto no. 1 in F# minor
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G
Reger: Piano Concerto
Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
Scharwenka: Piano Concerto no. 4 in F minor

Somers: Third Piano Concerto
Schmidt – Piano Concerto in E-flat major for left hand
Schoenberg: Piano Concerto
Ullman: Piano Concerto
Von Sauer – Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor


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## Andante Largo (Apr 23, 2020)

Andante Largo said:


> Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 (1926, revised 1941)


I made a mistake when pasting, I mean of course:
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto *No. 4 in G minor, Op. 40* (1926, revised 1941)


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

In no particular order:

Rachmaninoff 2
Rachmaninoff 3
Bartok 2
Bartok 3
Ravel G Major

Ravel Left Hand
Ireland
Scharwenka 4
Atterberg
Lutoslawski

Prokofiev 2
Prokofiev 3
Rautavaara 1
Khachaturian
Poulenc Two Piano

Medtner 3
Martinu - Concerto for Two String Orchestras, Piano, and Timpani
Martinu - Concerto for Two Pianos
Barber

And...can't figure out No. 20. It would be have to be a "concerto in all but name" like Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain or Messiaen's Des Canyons aux Etoiles.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Prokofiev 1, 2, 3
Rachmaninoff 2, 3, _Rhapsody_
Ravel: both concertos
Hovhaness _Lousadzak_
Khachaturian PC
Bartók 1, 2, 3
Shostakovich 1, 2
De Falla _Nights_
Poulenc C for 2 pianos, PC
Rautaavara 1
Martinů 5
Stravinsky C for P & Winds


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Roger Knox said:


> Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto no. 1 in F# minor


Error -- I need to replace Rachmaninoff No. 1 (1891). Substitute Rachmaninoff #3.


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## EmperorOfIceCream (Jan 3, 2020)

Schoenberg
Bartok 1 - 3
Debussy Fantasie
Ligeti
Prokofiev 3
Shostakovich
Rautavaara 1, 2
Carter
Carter Interventions
Abrahamsen
Xenakis Synaphaï, Keqrops
Messiean Oiseaux exotiques, Des canyons aux étoiles
Sorabji 3
Ireland
Rachmaninov 2


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## SuperTonic (Jun 3, 2010)

EmperorOfIceCream said:


> ...
> Shostakovich
> ...


Just curious, which of Shostakovich's 2 piano concertos are you referring to? I suppose the 2nd is better known than the 1st, but I've always preferred the 1st.


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## Joachim Raff (Jan 31, 2020)

SuperTonic said:


> Just curious, which of Shostakovich's 2 piano concertos are you referring to? I suppose the 2nd is better known than the 1st, but I've always preferred the 1st.


Shostakovich 2nd was written for his son but he never rated the piece as one of his serious works. Funny enough, i prefer it to some of his over bearing dismal soviet style compositions.


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## leonsm (Jan 15, 2011)

Atterberg - Piano Concerto
Bax - Winter Legends
Bloch - Concerto symphonique
Bruch - Concerto for Two Pianos
Finzi - Grand Fantasie and Toccata
Garuta - Piano Concerto (splendid)
Ireland - Piano Concerto in E-flat major and Legend
Medtner - Piano Concerto no. 2 
Poulenc - Piano Concerto FP 146; Concerto for two pianos and Aubade
Prokofiev - Piano Concerto no. 2 and 3
Sauer - Piano Concerto no. 1
Scharwenka: Piano Concerto no. 4 in F minor
Schnittke - Concerto for Piano and Strings
Tveitt - Piano Concerto no. 4 "Aurora Borealis"
Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras no. 3 (amazing) and Piano Concerto no. 5
Yoshimatsu - Piano Concerto "Memo Flora"


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## EmperorOfIceCream (Jan 3, 2020)

Shostakovich 1. It wouldn't be in my top 10, but damn that 2nd movement is good. The second one reminds me too much of Ravel, and sadly I have a Ravel allergy...


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## MusicInTheAir (Apr 21, 2007)

Barber: Piano Concerto
Bartok: Piano Concerto No. 1
Bartok: Piano Concerto No. 2
Bartok: Piano Concerto No. 3
Copland: Piano Concerto
Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F
Poulenc: Piano Concerto
Poulenc: Concerto for Two Pianos
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 1
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G
Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 1
Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 2

Can't come up with 3 others.


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## kyjo (Jan 1, 2018)

leonsm said:


> Atterberg - Piano Concerto
> Bax - Winter Legends
> Bloch - Concerto symphonique
> Bruch - Concerto for Two Pianos
> ...


We have such similar tastes! The wonderful Sauer concerto appears to be from 1895, however his 2nd concerto (which is almost nearly as good) would qualify, being from 1901.


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## leonsm (Jan 15, 2011)

kyjo said:


> We have such similar tastes! The wonderful Sauer concerto appears to be from 1895, however his 2nd concerto (which is almost nearly as good) would qualify, being from 1901.


Indeed, thanks for the call, let me put Villa-Lobos - Chôros No. 11 in its place.


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## Coach G (Apr 22, 2020)

1. Barber
2. Rachmaninoff 2
3. Rachmaninoff 3
4. Shostakovich 1
5. Shostakovich 2
6. Ravel (G)
7. Ravel (for Left Hand Only)
8. Prokofiev 1
9. Prokofiev 3
10. Copland 1
11. Britten
12. Rautavaara 3
13. Schoenberg
14. Busoni


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## MRJames (Nov 10, 2020)

Adams - Century Rolls
Bartok - Piano Concertos 1 & 2
Berkeley - Concerto for Two Pianos
Dusapin - A Quia
Hanson - Piano Concerto
Harrison, Lou - Piano Concerto
Lutoslawski - Piano Concerto
Martinu - Piano Concerto 4
Petrassi - Piano Concerto
Poulenc - Piano Concertos for 1 & 2 Pianos
Prokofiev - Piano Concertos 2 & 3
Ravel - Piano Concertos in G & for Left Hand
Schoenberg - Piano Concerto
Sculthorpe - Piano Concerto
Tippett - Piano Concerto
Vaughan Williams - Piano Concerto for Two Pianos

Picking these twenty was not that difficult. Picking just ten would be a lot harder.


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## Bill Cooke (May 20, 2017)

No particular order:

Prokofiev - 2, 3
Bartok - 1, 2
Ravel - G major, Left Hand
Korngold
Antheil - 1
Saeverud 
Rozsa
Barber
Ginastera - 1
Ligeti
Poulenc - Concerto for 2 Pianos
Martinu - 4 "Incantations"
Rachmaninov - 3
Rawsthorne 1
Dohnanyi - 1
Scharwenka - 4
Herrmann - Concerto Macabre


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## kyjo (Jan 1, 2018)

MRJames said:


> Adams - Century Rolls
> Bartok - Piano Concertos 1 & 2
> Berkeley - Concerto for Two Pianos
> Dusapin - A Quia
> ...


Great list. Thumbs up especially for the Berkeley Concerto for 2 Pianos which I think is his finest work.


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## Bxnwebster (Jan 5, 2021)

1.	Busoni: Piano Concerto
2.	Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2
3.	Reger: Piano Concerto
4.	Roussel: Piano Concerto
5.	Atterberg: Piano Concerto
6.	Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 (the ending of the finale is my all-time favorite ending within all of classical music)
7.	Veress: Hommage à Paul Klee
8.	Barber: Piano Concerto
9.	Szymanowski: Sinfonia Concertante
10.	Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 4
11.	Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2
12.	Kabalevsky: Piano Concerto No. 2
13.	Mignone: Piano Concerto
14.	Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 3
15.	Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3
16.	Villa-Lobos: Piano Concerto No. 5
17.	Tavares: Piano Concerto in Brazilian Forms
18.	Guarnieri: Piano Concerto No. 2
19.	Bortkiewicz: Piano Concerto No. 2
20.	Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 5


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I'll only add a few of mine that haven't been listed.

Norgard: Concerto in due tempi
Maurice Ohana
Panufnik


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

starthrower said:


> I'll only add a few of mine that haven't been listed.
> 
> Norgard: Concerto in due tempi
> Maurice Ohana
> Panufnik


My post #4 has Ohana


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Bxnwebster said:


> 1.	Busoni: Piano Concerto
> 2.	Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2
> 3.	Reger: Piano Concerto
> 4.	Roussel: Piano Concerto
> ...


The Tavares was a recent discovery of mine. Sounded to me something like Saint-Saëns goes to Rio de Janeiro.


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## Bxnwebster (Jan 5, 2021)

MusicSybarite said:


> The Tavares was a recent discovery of mine. Sounded to me something like Saint-Saëns goes to Rio de Janeiro.


I also found it relatively recently, but I latched on to it immediately. I hadn't thought of it before, but I completely agree with you comment about Saint-Saëns (there's also some Tchaikovsky in there, or at least as I hear it).


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## John O (Jan 16, 2021)

Bartok 1,2,3
Prokofiev 1,2,3
Ravel - both
Rachmaninov - Paganini Rhapsody
Stravinsky
Martinu 4,
Martinu piano & two string orchestras
Ligeti
Chavez
Lutoslawski
Shostakovich 1,2


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## John O (Jan 16, 2021)

*Thank you*

Martinu 4 and Ligeti are two less obvious on my list so definitely going to listen to the ones onyour list I dont know


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