# 3 best piano concertos ever...



## Nevum

Here are my picks:

Beethoven - Piano Concerto #5
Grieg - Piano Concerto in A minor
Schumann - Piano Concerto in A minor


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## Pugg

Why only 3 

Beethoven- 3
Beethoven- 5
Mozart- 17


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## ProudSquire

A very ambitious endeavor indeed! I'm not sure if there's such a thing as a "best concerto" ever, but one can certainly have a favorite or even favorites!

Since I can't possibly come up with an answer, I'll list the recent piano concertos that have taken a feverish hold of me! Delightful compositions they are, really!

John Field - Piano Concerto No.2 in A flat major, (H. 31)
Saint-Saëns - Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major "The Egyptian" , Op. 103 
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30

:cheers:


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## KenOC

A couple of oddities in this list.

1 - Beethoven: Piano Concerto #4 in G major (tie)
1 - Mozart: Piano Concerto #24 in C minor (tie) 
3 - Brahms: Piano Concerto #1 in D minor
4 - Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto #3 in D minor
5 - Mozart: Piano Concerto #23 in A major
6 - Mozart: Piano Concerto #20 in D minor
7 - Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto #1 in B-flat minor
8 - Brahms: Piano Concerto #2 in B-flat major
9 - Mozart: Piano Concerto #21 in C major
10 - Beethoven: Piano Concerto #3 in C minor


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## mmsbls

I will also give favorites rather than best. My top 3 probably varies from time to time although I think Mozart 20 has remained there for a long time.

1. Mozart #20
2. Beethoven #4
3. Schumann


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## KenOC

Proper people, of course, place Mozart's 23rd at the head of his list. To do otherwise is to suggest...well...the ToS prevents me from bringing up genetics, inbreeding, Krell mind-slavery, and the like.


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## Weston

Beethoven 5 and the Schumann would be my top two. Third place goes to - to . . .

? (Not Grieg, I'm afraid.)

There are too many. Schoenberg? John Gardner? Rachmaninov 2? Rawsthorne 1? Rubinstein 5? Beethoven violin concerto arranged as a piano concerto? These are all top notch for me.


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## DaveM

Beethoven #5
Beethoven #4
Brahms #1

Though sometimes it's hard not making the Brahms #1 as first.


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## Guest

KenOC said:


> Proper people, of course, place Mozart's 23rd at the head of his list. To do otherwise is to suggest...well...the ToS prevents me from bringing up genetics, inbreeding, Krell mind-slavery, and the like.


I think you know very well that it doesn't prevent anything of the sort.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet

Brahms 1
Mozart 20
Beethoven 3


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## mmsbls

KenOC said:


> A couple of oddities in this list.
> 
> 1 - Beethoven: Piano Concerto #4 in G major (tie)
> 1 - Mozart: Piano Concerto #24 in C minor (tie)
> 3 - Brahms: Piano Concerto #1 in D minor
> 4 - Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto #3 in D minor
> 5 - Mozart: Piano Concerto #23 in A major
> 6 - Mozart: Piano Concerto #20 in D minor
> 7 - Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto #1 in B-flat minor
> 8 - Brahms: Piano Concerto #2 in B-flat major
> 9 - Mozart: Piano Concerto #21 in C major
> 10 - Beethoven: Piano Concerto #3 in C minor


I don't see oddities in this list (other than the effect of Krell mind-slavery). I do like Mozart's 24 so high. It's possibly my second favorite Mozart piano concerto, and I think it rarely gets such high billing.


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## tdc

Mozart 24
Ravel in G
Bartok 2


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## Chronochromie

Just 3 random favorites:

Mozart 27
Bartók No. 2
Ligeti


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## KenOC

mmsbls said:


> I don't see oddities in this list (other than the effect of Krell mind-slavery). I do like Mozart's 24 so high. It's possibly my second favorite Mozart piano concerto, and I think it rarely gets such high billing.


Actually the oddest thing is probably that there are only ten concertos in the top ten. Seems criminal. But what's a declining civilization to do?


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## Bulldog

Mozart 20 & 24
Rachmaninov 3


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## DavidA

KenOC said:


> A couple of oddities in this list.
> 
> 1 - Beethoven: Piano Concerto #4 in G major (tie)
> 1 - Mozart: Piano Concerto #24 in C minor (tie)
> 3 - Brahms: Piano Concerto #1 in D minor
> 4 - Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto #3 in D minor
> 5 - Mozart: Piano Concerto #23 in A major
> 6 - Mozart: Piano Concerto #20 in D minor
> 7 - Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto #1 in B-flat minor
> 8 - Brahms: Piano Concerto #2 in B-flat major
> 9 - Mozart: Piano Concerto #21 in C major
> 10 - Beethoven: Piano Concerto #3 in C minor


Pretty good list although I might have Beethoven 1 instead of 3 and Mozart 22 (with Annie Fischer) instead of 23
If only three choices to take on a desert island it might be beethoven 4, Mozart 24 and Rach 3
That gives variety


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## Adam Weber

Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 

Bartok, Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Sz. 95, BB 101

Ligeti, Piano Concerto


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## majlis

I can only name the three I like the most: Grieg, Schumann and Khatchaturian.


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## science

Brahms 2
Mozart 20
Nono Como una ola de fuerza y luz


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## Enthusiast

Well, Brahms 2 has to be there as does Beethoven 5. But Schumann's, many of Mozarts, all the Bartoks, Prokofiev 2 & 3 and Beethoven 3 & 4 all need to be included in the three. It would take a gifted mathematician to work out how that can be achieved.


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## MarkW

Beethoven No. 4
Beethoven No. 4
Beethoven No. 4


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## Heliogabo

Beethoven 5
Mozart 20
Ravel in G


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## isorhythm

Mozart 23, 24, 27 (sorry, boring)


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## DiesIraeCX

Beethoven 4
Mozart 23
Brahms 2


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## senza sordino

Grieg
Rachmaninov 2
Ravel in G


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## Aleksandar

Mozart 21
Rachmaninoff 2
Schumann

and then:

Beethoven 5
Prokofiev 3


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## Janspe

Right now, off the top of my head, I would say:

- Schoenberg's Op. 42
- Bartók's 2nd, Sz. 95
- Brahms' D minor, Op. 15

But the answer would probably be different tomorrow. I love a lot of piano concertos very much, it's probably the genre I'm most familiar with.


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## Strange Magic

Prokofiev 3
Brahms 2
Schumann

Plus another dozen.


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## Guest

Beethoven 5
Rachmaninoff 2
Tchaikovsky 1


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## pjang23

Brahms 2
Mozart 23
Mozart 27


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## Stavrogin

1. Prokofiev 2




2. Bartok 3

3. Beethoven 5


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## TurnaboutVox

Three favourites:

Bartok 3
Ravel in G
Bridge "Phantasm" (yes it _is_!)


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## EdwardBast

Sorry, but I am going to have to do three sets of three:

Bartok 2
Schnittke Concerto for Piano and String Orchestra
Lutoslawski 

Rachmaninoff 3
Prokofiev 2
Brahms 2

CPE Bach D minor Wq 23 (If you can make a Bach into a piano composer I can too!)
Mozart A major, K. 488
Beethoven 4


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## Guest

Tied for first:
Mozart 5, 9, 10, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, & 27

Tied for second:
Beethoven 4 & 5, Tchaikovsky 1, Rachmaninoff 2 & 3, Chopin 1 & 2, Bartok 3, Prokofiev 3, Shostakovich 1

Tied for third:
Shostakovich 2, Schumann, Greig, Liszt 1, Brahms 1 & 2, Ravel in G, Gershwin, Prokofiev 2, JS Bach 1

PS I already found a bunch I left out.


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## Autocrat

Ligeti
Prokofiev 2
Schoenberg


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## Nevum

Jerome said:


> Tied for first:
> Mozart 5, 9, 10, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, & 27
> 
> Tied for second:
> Beethoven 4 & 5, Tchaikovsky 1, Rachmaninoff 2 & 3, Chopin 1 & 2, Bartok 3, Prokofiev 3, Shostakovich 1
> 
> Tied for third:
> Shostakovich 2, Schumann, Greig, Liszt 1, Brahms 1 & 2, Ravel in G, Gershwin, Prokofiev 2, JS Bach 1
> 
> PS I already found a bunch I left out.


Such a clear cut ranking!


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## gHeadphone

It was difficult to leave out Beethoven but here i go.

Ravel in G (no 1 by some distance for me)
Rachmaninoff 3rd
Tchaikovskys 1st


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## Art Rock

Ravel in G
Mozart 20 
Ireland

Honourable mention goes to Mozart 21-27, Schumann, Grieg, and many others.


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## Ilarion

My top three:

Rach's 3rd
Chaikovskii's 2nd
Brahms 2nd

Just can't be without them...


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## PlaySalieri

Mozart

PC23
PC20
PC24


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## cliftwood

Rachmaninoff 3

Tchaikovsky 1

Beethoven 4


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## DeepR

Best=favorite
Liszt 2
Scriabin
Grieg
Honorable mentions for Mozart 27, Beethoven 5, Rachmaninoff 2 and Moszkovski 1.


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## Cosmos

So, my top three favorite piano concertos at the moment:

*Ravel* - Piano Concerto in Db Major for the left hand - I absolutely love the orchestral color in this one, and there isn't a single moment that feels excessive. Every detail is necessary for the whole here.
*Prokofiev* - Piano Concerto no.2 in g minor - I think the third is regarded as being his best work in this genre, as well as being one of the top concertos of the 20th century, but something about the drama and violent angst in this work is addictive. 
*Rachmaninoff* - Piano Concerto no.2 in c minor - Lyrical and glorious. Was the first Rachmaninoff work I heard, and one of the first pieces that got me into classical music nearly a decade ago


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## Strange Magic

,


Cosmos said:


> So, my top three favorite piano concertos at the moment:
> 
> *Ravel* - Piano Concerto in Db Major for the left hand - I absolutely love the orchestral color in this one, and there isn't a single moment that feels excessive. Every detail is necessary for the whole here.
> *Prokofiev* - Piano Concerto no.2 in g minor - I think the third is regarded as being his best work in this genre, as well as being one of the top concertos of the 20th century, but something about the drama and violent angst in this work is addictive.
> *Rachmaninoff* - Piano Concerto no.2 in c minor - Lyrical and glorious. Was the first Rachmaninoff work I heard, and one of the first pieces that got me into classical music nearly a decade ago


I totally agree--three works that again display why the piano concerto format is so compelling.


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## bz3

Brahms 1, Prokofiev 3, and Schumann.


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## MagneticGhost

I adore Rachmaninov 1-4. 
Mozart 21 and 23
Scriabin

and plenty more

Edit - I always forget Shostakovich. They are absolutely sublime.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet

I just listened to Prokofiev's 3rd. I want to change my list now to include it. Problem is, I don't know which one to oust


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## poconoron

Mozart 20,24 and 17.


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## Guest

Does it have to be just one piano?


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## Simon Moon

Bartok's 2nd
Ligeti
Samuel Barber 1st


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## Nevum

nathanb said:


> Does it have to be just one piano?


No, it can be up to 100 pianos.


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## JosefinaHW

EdwardBast said:


> Sorry, but I am going to have to do three sets of three:
> 
> Bartok 2
> Schnittke Concerto for Piano and String Orchestra
> Lutoslawski
> 
> Rachmaninoff 3
> Prokofiev 2
> Brahms 2
> 
> CPE Bach D minor Wq 23 (If you can make a Bach into a piano composer I can too!)
> Mozart A major, K. 488
> Beethoven 4


Please write a bit about the reason for each of your choices. TY


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet

Nevum said:


> No, it can be up to 100 pianos.


Brucknasty's concerto for 101 pianos and a triangle is quite something.


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## Harold in Columbia

Nevum said:


> No, it can be up to 100 pianos.


Well in that case:


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## chesapeake bay

Rachmaninov 3
Bartok 3
Prokofiev 2

Honorable mention to Ravel's in G major


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## Fugue Meister

I'll say...

Beethoven's No. 4 in G
Mozart's No. 20 in d & No. 23 in A tied
Bartok's No. 1 in e


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## hpowders

Mozart 24

Mozart 23

Brahms 2


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## hpowders

pjang23 said:


> Brahms 2
> Mozart 23
> Mozart 27


So many great Mozart keyboard concertos to choose from. That's why I bought two complete sets!


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## Pat Fairlea

Rachmaninov 3
Beethoven 4
Shostakovich 2

With apologies to Ravel and Barber


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## Medtnaculus

I can't really decide on a 2nd and third place as my opinion is forever shifting, but my favourite is definitely Schmitt's Symphonie Concertante!






Masterpiece. Check out the endings to the first and last movement too! (11:11 and 37:11)


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## Gie663

- Beethoven 4
- Saint-Saëns 2
- Mozart 20


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## Haydn man

Mozart No.23
Beethoven No.5
Brahms No.1


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## Tristan

Rachmaninov 3
Rachmaninov 2
Scriabin

Yes, I had to include two by Rachmaninov. To me he really was the greatest composer of piano concerti, and these two are supreme among all piano concerti and had to be listed. They are somewhat similar to each other, so I suppose I could have condensed them into one point on the list, but I like them for enough different reasons that I felt they deserved equal spots in the list. Rachmaninov's 3rd is not just one of my favorite piano concerti, but one of my favorite works in general. And Scriabin...his uniquely sublime music earns him a spot, even with this early work of his. Since Russian composers are generally my favorites, it doesn't surprise me that all my entries are Russian.

Close seconds would be Beethoven's 5th, Tchaikovsky's 1st, and Brahms' 1st.


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## StDior

Beethoven 4
Chopin 1 (E minor)
Prokofiev 2


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## Pugg

Three other favourites 
Dvorak.
Chopin 2
Brahms 2


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## Chris

Tippett
Tchaikovsky's First
Grieg


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## rachmaninof

Rachmaninov 3
Brahms 2
Prokofiev 2


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## Guest

Mozart 23
Beethoven 4
Ravel in G


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## Rtnrlfy

Rachmaninoff 2
Mozart 20
Ravel in G (glad to see this on others' lists as well!)


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## gardibolt

Beethoven 3
Grieg
Rachmaninoff 2


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## PlaySalieri

This is getting a bit boring so 

How about best pc middle movement

must be K467


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## Pat Fairlea

stomanek said:


> This is getting a bit boring so
> 
> How about best pc middle movement
> 
> must be K467


Shostakovich 2nd, no contest


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## Vaneyes

Depends on who's playing.


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## D Smith

The three I listen to most are:

Prokofiev 3
Rachmaninoff 3
Ravel in G

plus about 20 others


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## Becca

In the spirit of being contrarian...

Busoni
Shostakovich - Concerto for piano, trumpet & strings
Ravel - Concerto for left hand


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## Janspe

stomanek said:


> How about best pc middle movement


Bartók #3, hands down.


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## Chronochromie

stomanek said:


> This is getting a bit boring so
> 
> How about best pc middle movement
> 
> must be K467


Ravel in G, of course.


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## Guest

Nevum said:


> No, it can be up to 100 pianos.


Oh my, do you know one with that many?

In this case:

Mozart: _Piano Concerto No. 20 In D Minor_
Nono: _Como Una Ola De Fuerza Y Luz_
Haas: _Limited Approximations_

With Schumann, Brahms, Ravel, Schoenberg, Cage, Xenakis, Furrer, Lachenmann, etc having some very attractive options...


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## Tristan

stomanek said:


> This is getting a bit boring so
> 
> How about best pc middle movement
> 
> must be K467


Tie between Scriabin and Shostakovich's 2nd for me.


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## Guest

As many of you know, I always vote for Beethoven (well, mainly). Ergo, the *three* best piano concertos ever are (in descending order of greatness):
1) Beethoven: Piano concerto N° 4;
2) Beethoven: Piano concerto N° 5;
3) Beethoven: Piano Concerto N° 3;
*4*) Brahms: Piano Concerto N° 2.

Thank you.


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## Hannah85

Ravel Piano Concerto in G
Beethoven 4
Shostakovich 2


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## happyclassicalfeet

I registered on Talk Classical just to vehemently agree with you. It is the example of a piano concerto. It is almost like it is an orchestra concerto and the piano introduces and segues the orchestral work. At about 3 minutes in, the orchestra plays four repetitions of the main theme, and the piano exposition continues, and then at about four minutes, the piano ends rather dramatically and the orchestra comes in grandly with the main theme: it always makes me cry! Just the piano entry is so sneaky and subtle! And then the F sharp minor desolately beautiful Adagio! No words! Okay, I can go on and on about that concerto!


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## happyclassicalfeet

I registered on Talk Classical just to vehemently agree with you. It is the example of a piano concerto. It is almost like it is an orchestra concerto and the piano introduces and segues the orchestral work. At about 3 minutes in, the orchestra plays four repetitions of the main theme, and the piano exposition continues, and then at about four minutes, the piano ends rather dramatically and the orchestra comes in grandly with the main theme: it always makes me cry! Just the piano entry is so sneaky and subtle! And then the F sharp minor desolately beautiful Adagio! No words! Okay, I can go on and on about that concerto!


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## Allegro Con Brio

^Which concerto are you referring to?

My top 3 are Rach 3, Brahms 2, Prok 2...maybe Beethoven 5 instead of the latter.


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## Bulldog

I posted my 3 back in 2016.

A little different now:

Brahms 2nd
Mozart 17th
Schumann


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## chu42

Brahms No.1
Bartok No.1
Brahms No.2


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## Highwayman

Brahms 2
Schumann
Brahms 1


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## flamencosketches

Brahms 2
Prokofiev 2
Rachmaninov 3


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## Brahmsian Colors

Favorites:

Brahms 1
Brahms 2
Rachmaninoff 3


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## happyclassicalfeet

I am new to the forum and struggling with replying correctly and deleting accidental repeat posts. To Allegro Con Brio, I was referring to Mozart's 23rd and specifically to the comment that said proper people place it on top!


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## Brahmsian Colors

The easiest way to delete a repeat post is to click on edit, cancel everything, then type in duplicate post cancelled. Otherwise, getting rid of your entire post indicating your personal info on the left would require you to contact one of the administrators and request it be removed completely. Most of us simply type in what I first indicated, save it and leave it at that.


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## Xisten267

Favorites at the moment:

Beethoven #5
Schumann
Rachmaninoff #3


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## 20centrfuge

*Prokofiev 2, for sure
Mozart 23, my favorite by Mozart, for sure*

Three way tie for the third spot:
Rachmaninoff 2 is pure romantic bliss
Schumann is amazing
Prokofiev 1 is also a fantastic work: youthful vigor, enthusiasm, daring

*I guess I'll go with Rach 2 for the bronze medal*


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## UniversalTuringMachine

I will give a hipster Top 3 list, thank me later

1. Medtner Piano Concerto No. 2
2. Moszkowski Piano Concerto in E major
3. Kapustin Concerto No. 2, Op. 14


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## flamencosketches

UniversalTuringMachine said:


> I will give a hipster Top 3 list, thank me later
> 
> 1. Medtner Piano Concerto No. 2
> 2. Moszkowski Piano Concerto in E major
> 3. Kapustin Concerto No. 2, Op. 14


Hmm, I ought to hear Kapustin's piano concertos, how many did he write?


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## Rogerx

Favorites at this moment:

Beethoven :5th
Beethoven: 3th 
Rachmaninoff: 2th


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## Strange Magic

Bach Keyboard in D-minor
Brahms No.2
Prokofiev No.3

And, as another posted, about 20 more.....


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## pianozach

I'm big on getting a _*consensus*_ of experts

*UDiscoverMusic*

1. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 - and No. 5 too
2. Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2
3. Mozart: Piano Concerto No 24 in C Minor, K491

*Gramophone*

1. Mozart Piano Concerto No 27 in B♭ major, K. 595
2. Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5
3. Brahms Piano Concerto No 1

*ClassicalMusic*/BBC Music Magazine

1. Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2
2. Khachaturian Piano Concerto
3. Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5

*BachTrack*

1. Beethoven's Piano Concerto no. 3 in C minor
2. Beethoven's Piano Concerto no. 5 in E flat major
3. Beethoven's Piano concerto no. 4 in G major

*WMFT*

1. Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor, Op 18
2. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 4 in G major, Op 58
3. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 5 in E-flat major, Op 73, "Emperor"

*ClassicalMusicOnly*

1. Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor, Op 18
2. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No 1 in B flat minor, Op 23
3. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 5 in E-flat major, Op 73, "Emperor"

*Interlude*

1. Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat - the 'Emperor'
2. Grieg - Piano Concerto in A minor
3. Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat, K595

*Scaruffi*

1. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 C Major, K. 467
2. Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No.2 in F major
3. Brahms: Piano Concerto No.2 B-flat Major, Op. 83

*BestMusicArt*

1. Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
2. Prokofiev - Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op 16
3. Grieg - Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16

Great lists; all great piano concertos. *UMusic* cheated by giving Beethoven's 4th and 5th the #1 slot, but whatever. BachTrack gave all three spots to Beethoven.

Beethoven gets the #1 spot on 4 lists, although it's for three different concertos. Out of the nine lists, Beethoven gets eleven or twelve mentions, with his 5th Piano Concerto getting the most mentions.

Rach No 2 gets three mentions

Mozart gets four mentions; No 21, No 24, and two for No 27

Prokofiev's No 2 get two mentions, as does Grieg's only Concerto.

Brahms gets two mentions for his 1st and 2nd.

But I'd say that *Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5* takes the cake, mentioned on 7 of the 9 lists, a landslide in this sampling.

Coming in at #2 is *Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 4*, with four mentions.

And it's *Rachmaninov No 2* for the #3 spot


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## consuono

Mozart K. 491
Mozart K. 488
Beethoven 4 or 5 (take your pick)


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## Caryatid

At the end of the day Brahms 2 and Beethoven 5 are the greatest, in my view. But it's not so easy to name the third. Beethoven 4, Brahms 1, Schumann, even Prokofiev 3 come to mind. Maybe I'll go with Prokofiev 3, if only for the sake of variety.


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## PierreN

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:


> Brucknasty's concerto for 101 pianos and a triangle is quite something.


I always thought the triangle stole the show.


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## PierreN

*BachTrack*
1. Beethoven's Piano Concerto no. 3 in C minor
2. Beethoven's Piano Concerto no. 5 in E flat major
3. Beethoven's Piano concerto no. 4 in G major

Interesting. Those would have been my three choices as well, except I would switch first and third places.

I'm discovering Dvorak's concerto right now. It's too early for me to rank it but I'm enjoying it a lot.


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## Mifek

Rachmaninov 2
Tchaikovsky 1
Saint-Saens 2


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## Wilhelm Theophilus

Are Beethoven's piano concertos really as good as Mozart's?

Mozart wins this genre.


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## consuono

Wilhem Theophilus said:


> Are Beethoven's piano concertos really as good as Mozart's?


Overall, no.



> Mozart wins this genre.


I agree. My nominations:

K. 488
K. 491
Op. 73


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## MrMeatScience

I'm surprised to see a lack of love for Prokofiev 1 on all these lists -- it's my favorite of his although I adore the 2nd and 3rd as well. The other two (particularly 4) never clicked with me. 

Beethoven 4
Prokofiev 1
Mozart 23

After these the race gets much tighter!


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## flamencosketches

MrMeatScience said:


> I'm surprised to see a lack of love for Prokofiev 1 on all these lists -- it's my favorite of his although I adore the 2nd and 3rd as well. The other two (particularly 4) never clicked with me.
> 
> Beethoven 4
> Prokofiev 1
> Mozart 23
> 
> After these the race gets much tighter!


Really? I've always seen Prokofiev 1 as a student work. I'll give it a listen soon, but it doesn't stack up against the others in a favorable way to me at all. Keep trying with 5, it's great. Maybe try the Richter DG recording. 4 never clicked with me either.


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## Agamenon

Brahms #2
Mozart #20
Prokofiev #3


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## Bwv 1080

Bartok 2
Schoenberg
Carter


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## leonsm

Brahms - no. 2
Garuta
Prokofiev - no. 3


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## ORigel

Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24


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## Eclectic Al

My definition here is: "The piano concertos which give me the greatest confidence of upcoming enjoyment when I put them on."

On that basis I think I would have:

1
Brahms 2

2
Ravel Piano Concerto in G

3
Rachmaninov Variations on a Theme of Paganini (if that's allowed).
If it's not then:
Poulenc Concerto for 2 Pianos (if that's allowed).
If it's not then:
Ravel Concerto for Piano Left hand (if that's allowed).
If it's not then:
Beethoven 4

Do you see what I did there?  6 recommendations crammed into 3.


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## David Phillips

Mozart No.17
Franz Schmidt (Piano Concerto for Left Hand)
Bliss Piano Concerto


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## Jacck

leonsm said:


> Brahms - no. 2
> Garuta
> Prokofiev - no. 3


good choice, especially the Garuta. I have been on TC long enough to get tired by these endless "name your TOP3, TOP10 whatever" threads. Excercises in futility.


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## Prodromides

3 best piano concertos ... that aren't called concertos:

*Chôros No. 11 for piano and orchestra* by Heitor Villa-Lobos 



*Dialoge for 2 pianos and orchestra* by Bernd Aloïs Zimmermann 



*Symphonie Concertante for piano and orchestra* by Florent Schmitt


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## eric1

Beethoven 5 and Rach 2 are clearly in. The third spot, I don’t know. Mozart 20, 21, 23? Beethoven 4? Schumann? Grieg? Brahms 1, 2? Tchaikovsky 1? Rach 3? Tough.


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## BlackAdderLXX

MrMeatScience said:


> I'm surprised to see a lack of love for Prokofiev 1 on all these lists -- it's my favorite of his although I adore the 2nd and 3rd as well. The other two (particularly 4) never clicked with me.
> 
> Beethoven 4
> Prokofiev 1
> Mozart 23
> 
> After these the race gets much tighter!


I love the Prokofiev PC #1. It's my favorite after the 3rd.

I guess my list would be

Prokofiev #3
Prokofiev #1
Grieg


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## Roger Knox

Chopin #1
Von Sauer #2
Marx #1 (Romantic)


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## Handelian

Beethoven 4

Mozart 24

Rachmaninov 3


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## consuono

Mozart K. 488
Mozart K. 491
Beethoven 5


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## ik280

Mozart 4
Mozart 1
Mozart 7
__________________
Hungarian Folk Songs on the recorder: https://www.patreon.com/folksongs


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## Brahmsianhorn

Brahms 1
Mozart 20
Rach 3


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## mparta

Beethoven 4, everything else distant, not that they're weak, it's just the Beethoven is so immensely magnificent
Moravec first recording, magical


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## SanAntone

Don't know or care about the best, but these three are the only piano concertos I listen to anymore.

*Ravel* - _Piano Concerto in G_
*Rachmaninoff* - _Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor_
*Cage* - _Concerto for Piano and Orchestra_


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## adriesba

After hearing several at concerts in the past, I'm still not really a fan of concertos, but I like Beethoven's piano concertos. His 3rd and 5th are probably my favorites. Not sure about ones by other composers, but I should try more.


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## Bxnwebster

Busoni
Liszt 2
Prokofiev 2


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## consuono

Mozart K. 488
Mozart K. 491
Beethoven 5


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## Beebert

Surprising that so few mention the greatest of Mozart’s Concertos(to my mind): No. 27, K 595. That piece is a miracle from start to finish and the most beautiful Piano concerto I have ever heard. 
After that: Beethoven’s 5th and then a tie between Mozart’s 23rd, Mozart’s 24th and the Schumann.


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## Sumantra

Top 1

Mozart's 17th
Mozart's 20th
Mozart's 21st
Mozart's 22nd
Mozart's 24th
Tchaikovsky's 1st
Scriabin's F Sharp
Prokofiev's 2nd
Prokofiev's 3rd
Liszt's 2nd
Brahms' 1st
Brahms' 2nd
Beethoven's 1st
Beethoven's 4th
Beethoven's 5th
Adigozalov's 4th
Adigozalov's 5th
Scharwenka's 4th
Saint Saens' 2nd
Saint Saens' 4th
Atterberg's 1st
Villa Lobos' 5th


Top 2

Clara Schumann's
Debussy's Fantaisie
Franck's Symphonic Variations
Scharwenka's 2nd
Bach's 1052
Bach's 1053
Bach's 1057
Bach's 1060
Chopin's 1st
Mendelssohn's 2 Piano No. 1
Mendelssohn's Double
Mendelssohn's 1st
Mozart's 8th
Mozart's 9th
Mozart's 12th
Mozart's 15th
Mozart's 16th
Mozart's 18th
Mozart's 23rd


Top 3

Shostakovich's 1st
Shostakovich's 2nd
Scriabin's The Poem of Fire
Ravel's Left Hand
Rachmaninov's 2nd 
Rachmaninov's 3rd
Mozart's 13th
Mozart's 19th
Mozart's 27th
Medtner's 2nd
Medtner's 3rd
Kabelevsky's 2nd
Dvorak's
Chopin's Grande Polonaise
Beethoven's 3rd
Bartok's 3rd
Bartok's Two Pianos
Bach's 1055
Bach's 1058
Bach's 1062
Weber's Konzertstuck
Scharwenka's 3rd
Rautavaara's 3rd
Poulenc's Double 
Ireland's
Handel's No. 13
Gershwin's F
Busoni's 1st
Beach's
Villa Lobos' 3rd


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## JTS

Any of Mozart’s last ten but I’ll pick 24
Beethoven 4
Rachmaninov 3


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## PlaySalieri

Beebert said:


> *Surprising that so few mention the greatest of Mozart's Concertos(to my mind): No. 27, K 595.* That piece is a miracle from start to finish and the most beautiful Piano concerto I have ever heard.
> After that: Beethoven's 5th and then a tie between Mozart's 23rd, Mozart's 24th and the Schumann.


And it does almost sound as if Mozart knows he composing his last piano concerto - cheerful melodies of nostalgia that leave you feeling sad.


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## PlaySalieri

Not easy but

Mozart 20
Mozart 23
Mozart 24


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## JTS

Beebert said:


> Surprising that so few mention the greatest of Mozart's Concertos(to my mind): No. 27, K 595. That piece is a miracle from start to finish and the most beautiful Piano concerto I have ever heard.
> After that: Beethoven's 5th and then a tie between Mozart's 23rd, Mozart's 24th and the Schumann.


In all fairness about the last 10 of Mozart's piano Concerto can be said to be 'miracles'


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## Chilham

Piano concertos are probably my least favoured pieces. If I had to pick three of those I have enjoyed, I'd choose:

Busoni
Chopin 1
Any one of the last few Mozart concertos


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## RobertJTh

Brahms - Piano Concerto no. 2
Szymanowski - Symphonie Concertante
Schönberg - Piano Concerto


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## vtpoet

All y'all's lists are soooooooooooo predictable. Best three piano concertos:
JCF Bach's E Major (the third movement at 14 minutes is just the bubbliest ever written):






Or since the video isn't working...






Handel's Piano Concerto B-Flat Major, Op. 7 No. 1, HWV 306. Who knew?






Schumann's Piano Concerto Op. 7


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## JTS

vtpoet said:


> All y'all's lists are soooooooooooo predictable. Best three piano concertos:
> JCF Bach's E Major (the third movement at 14 minutes is just the bubbliest ever written):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Handel's Piano Concerto B-Flat Major, Op. 7 No. 1, HWV 306. Who knew?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Schumann's Piano Concerto Op. 7


Ever occurred to you that the lists might be predictable because the works cited by others might just happened to be the best piano concertos written? The OP did ask for the best concertos written not the bubbliest


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## vtpoet

JTS said:


> Ever occurred to you that the lists might be predictable because the works cited by others might just happened to be the best piano concertos written? The OP did ask for the best concertos written not the bubbliest


Why so *serious*?


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## Brahmsianhorn

Brahms 1
Mozart 20
Rach 3


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## SONNET CLV

Enthusiast said:


> Well, Brahms 2 has to be there as does Beethoven 5. But Schumann's, many of Mozarts, all the Bartoks, Prokofiev 2 & 3 and Beethoven 3 & 4 all need to be included in the three. *It would take a gifted mathematician to work out how that can be achieved.*


But since Einstein's not available, maybe all it takes is a CD box set mislabeled as "3 best piano concertos ever..."!*

__________________

* I hope that set includes a disc with Tchaikovsky's First and the Grieg Concerto, as well.


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## JTS

vtpoet said:


> Why so *serious*?


No more serious than you were my friend!


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## Xisten267

My three favorites:

Rachmaninoff #2
Brahms #2
Beethoven #5


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## vtpoet

JTS said:


> No more serious than you were my friend!


Phew. I was worried there. You struck me as the kind who walks into a circus tent and with trembling indignation says: "You, *Sir*, are a *clown*!"


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## JTS

vtpoet said:


> Phew. I was worried there. You struck me as the kind who walks into a circus tent and with trembling indignation says: "You, *Sir*, are a *clown*!"


What on earth is there to be indignant about someone choosing three little played piano concertos? I never go to the circus - just watch politics on TV.


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## David Phillips

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 11 or 13
Schmidt: Piano Concerto for Left Hand
Bliss: Piano Concerto


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## 59540

Any number of Mozart concertos, Beethoven 3, 4, or 5...I can't decide. Although not a concerto I'd nominate Liszt's Totentanz.  I have to admit I've never been all that fond of the Brahms or Rachmaninov concertos. One possibility would be the Schoenberg concerto.


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## rice

1. Rachmaninoff 3rd
2. Medtner 3rd
3. Rachmaninoff 2nd


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## pianoedvard_b93

1. Grieg
2. Rach 2
3. Rach 3


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## haziz

1. Grieg
2. Tchaikovsky 1
3. Rachmaninoff 2


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## Rogerx

1 , Beethoven 3
2. Saint-Saëns 3 
3. Mendelssohn:. 1


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## Pat Fairlea

'Best' or 'ones I like best'?
I'll nominate Beethoven 4 and Rachmaninoff 3. Then I'm stumped. Ravel G major? Ireland? Barber?
Or just admit that the third place goes to Grieg?


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## Brahmsianhorn

Rach 3
Brahms 1
Mozart 20


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## Simon Moon

Simon Moon said:


> Bartok's 2nd
> Ligeti
> Samuel Barber 1st


While I still love these, my list now, 6 years later, would probably be:

Bartok 3
Charles Wuorinen 4th
Elliott Carter


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