# Prokofiev Concerto 2



## Martienus (Dec 19, 2017)

Hello everyone. I'm a fairly new listener to classical music, but the things that have really gripped me (Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev) have done so in such a manner that I can not picture my further life without them. 
Now I'm looking for something similar to Prokofiev's Concerto no 2. The thing I love about it, is that it comes over so powerful and emotional yet with a modern feel to it. What would be similar to it, in the way that it's both melodic as it is harsh in some parts? It can be a concerto, but anything really.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Prokofiev is one of a kind! But you might stick with the Russians and try a Shostakovich concerto, perhaps start with the Cello Concerto #1 or the Piano Concerto No. 2. Or, a bit moodier but more powerful, the Violin Concerto No. 1.

(And of course Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3...)


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## Adam Weber (Apr 9, 2015)

I second KenOC's Shostakovich recommendations. Definitely check out Bartok's concertos too. And Barber's concerti. And maybe Medtner's.


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## Martienus (Dec 19, 2017)

KenOC said:


> Prokofiev is one of a kind! But you might stick with the Russians and try a Shostakovich concerto, perhaps start with the Cello Concerto #1 or the Piano Concerto No. 2. Or, a bit moodier but more powerful, the Violin Concerto No. 1.
> 
> (And of course Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3...)


Thanks for the recommendations, I have his 3rd concerto on CD. What recordings would you recommend of those Shostakovich concertos?


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Lots of good recordings! Among my favorites are:

VC #1, Lydia Mordkovich
CC #1, Heinrich Schiff
PC #2, Alexander Melnikov

But it's really hard to go wrong here.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Lots of fine 20th century piano concertos. The Khachaturian piano concerto, the Poulenc piano concerto and his concerto for two pianos. Piano concertos by Martinů and Rautavaara. And the 3 piano concertos by Bartók have already been mentioned.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Closest I can think of are Bartok's 2nd, Medtner's 2nd and the Ravel in G. Oh, and Prokofiev's 1st!

Indeed, further exploration of Prokofiev might be a good way of doing things. The last three symphonies, R&J, Alexander Nevsky......

Also check out the Scriabin concerto. It's gorgeous!


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

The second is my favorite Prokofiev concerto, because it's both hard driven but also has a strange kind of lyricism to it (unless you get a performance by one of those bricklayers who is incapable of sensing it). I too suggest the Bartoks.


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

Prokofiev PC 2 is one of my favorite pieces. I think you would love the following:

Prokofiev Piano Sonata 6 - Pogorelich
Prokofiev Piano Sonata 7 - Pollini
Prokofiev Piano Sonata 8 - Chiu 
Prokofiev Symphony 6
Bartok Concerto for Orchestra
Bartok Miraculous Mandarin - Fischer/Budapest


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

All of 20centrfuge's recommendations get a second from me, especially the Prokofiev sonatas. But for Prokofiev you definitely need to add the Violin Sonata No. 1 in F minor to your list. It's one of his best works.


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## Martienus (Dec 19, 2017)

Thanks you very much everyone. I will definitely check out your recommendations. I have already listened to Shostakovich' violin concerto and this is exactly what I'm looking for. Dark and powerful.


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## Razumovskymas (Sep 20, 2016)

Liszt piano concerto no2


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Leo Ornstein also strikes a nice balance between fresh-sounding dissonance and melodic drive.






His music gets less dissonant and more Rachmaninoff-y as he gets older (and he got real old, a centenarian who witnessed the entire 20th century)


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I wonder if the OP is referring to the Piano Concerto No. 2 or the Violin Concerto No. 2?

Why hasn't anyone else asked this question by now...


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

tdc said:


> I wonder if the OP is referring to the Piano Concerto No. 2 or the Violin Concerto No. 2?
> 
> Why hasn't anyone else asked this question by now...


I was also wondering that. I guess it is the mention of Rachmaninov that leads us to the 2nd piano concerto and the liking of the first Shostakovich violin concerto (closer in mood to Prokofiev's 2nd piano concerto than his second violin concerto) seems to confirm this. In my opinion piano concertos did less well than violin concertos in the 20th century. There are the Bartoks (three of his greatest works) and most of the Prokofievs (the 5th in the recording by Richter is also impressive), the wonderful Ravel and not that much else (I do have a liking for Schnittke's concerto, though). But for violin concertos there seem to be so many more: Bartok's second (a difficult work), the Britten, the two by Shostakovich, the Berg, the Pettersson, the Stravinsky, the Sibelius, the Walton, the Prokofievs (especially the 1st) to name a few favourites.

As recommendations to the OP, given a liking for Prokofiev's second piano concerto, I would go for Lutoslawski's Concerto for Orchestra and the violin concertos of Britten and Sibelius (as well as Shostakovich 1). And Prokofiev's suite from the Love for Three Oranges may also work. And to be adventurous why not try the violin concerto by Ades and some Ligeti? Or go backwards in time to the 1st Brahms piano concerto.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Certainly if piano concertos any of the Bartok. Number 3 is more user-friendly of course. But there are four more by Prokofiev remember of which no 3 is probably the best.

Violin? Prokofiev no 1? Either Shostakovich. Szymanovsky?


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## Martienus (Dec 19, 2017)

DavidA said:


> Certainly if piano concertos any of the Bartok. Number 3 is more user-friendly of course. But there are four more by Prokofiev remember of which no 3 is probably the best.
> 
> Violin? Prokofiev no 1? Either Shostakovich. Szymanovsky?


I will definitely check out the Bartok concertos. I've already listened to the 5 Prokofiev concertos (I got the whole set from Michel Beroff).


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## Martienus (Dec 19, 2017)

Also many thanks to the person who recommended the Ornstein Piano Quintet. This is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Schnittke piano concertos on Apex label.

Szymanowski symphony no 4 w/piano

Lutoslawski piano concerto

Ravel concertos by Aimard on DG is a great disc.

Bartok concertos by Sandor on Sony. Grab a used copy for a few bucks.

Maurice Ohana's piano concerto on the Timpani label is a great work. Also includes his excellent cello concerto.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

I think all 3 of the Bartok PCs, not just the Second, might appeal to the OP


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Martienus said:


> Also many thanks to the person who recommended the Ornstein Piano Quintet. This is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.


The Shostakovich Piano Quintet Opus 57 may be the finest of the 20th century.


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## jimsumner (Jul 7, 2013)

KenOC said:


> The Shostakovich Piano Quintet Opus 57 may be the finest of the 20th century.


I would eliminate the "may be."

Shostakovich referred to the scherzo as "dancing on tombstones."


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

I would recommend *Kabalevsky's Second Piano Concerto*. It's indebted to Prokofiev's own Second Concerto (some may argue too much so for its own good), but its' delights are delectable. The slow second movement is actually quite sublime, achingly tender and melancholic in the Myaskovskian/Rachmaninovian vein, but ear-catching nevertheless.


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