# Best Classical Era Piano Concerto Composers



## Bevo (Feb 22, 2015)

So just thought I'd ask, excluding Mozart and Beethoven, which composers from the Classical Era would you say excelled most at the Piano Concerto genre?


----------



## pjang23 (Oct 8, 2009)

Most definitely Hummel, a very underrated figure.


----------



## Bevo (Feb 22, 2015)

pjang23 said:


> Most definitely Hummel, a very underrated figure.


Yes I do have Hummel's Piano Concertos. Hummel wrote some great works. For someone who studied under Mozart, and took Mozart's position after Mozart's death, you would think he would be more well known in today's time.


----------



## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

pjang23 said:


> Most definitely Hummel, a very underrated figure.


Absolutely, if we take Hummel to be a classical era composer rather than an early romantic. 
Same goes for John Field, perhaps? Of Mozart's contemporaries, few stand out in this genre, though as I recall, Haydn wrote some rather nice ones. But the Mozart ones are so great, in his own time, no one else came anywhere close.


----------



## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Just listened to some of the Hummel - not impressed I'm afraid. I can hear the inlfluence and teaching of Mozart though.
The best non Mozart classical PC I know of is the one by J Haydn.


----------



## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

Not sure anyone can really compete against Mozart. I do really like Paisiello's set of concerti 



 And Salieri's couple aren't bad


----------



## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Bevo said:


> So just thought I'd ask, excluding Mozart and Beethoven, which composers from the Classical Era would you say excelled most at the Piano Concerto genre?


Hummel, especially the A minor piano concerto.


----------



## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Friedrich Kuhlau was really good.


----------



## Valjuan (Dec 9, 2016)

This is pushing the edge of the "Classical Era", but Kalkbrenner wrote a couple Piano Concertos that I enjoy.


----------



## pcnog11 (Nov 14, 2016)

brianvds said:


> Absolutely, if we take Hummel to be a classical era composer rather than an early romantic.
> Same goes for John Field, perhaps? Of Mozart's contemporaries, few stand out in this genre, though as I recall, Haydn wrote some rather nice ones. But the Mozart ones are so great, in his own time, no one else came anywhere close.


That is why he had 27 of them. No matter what angle you look at them, Mozart won by a wide margin.


----------



## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Many of CPE Bach's keyboard concertos are excellent. I particularly like his Concerto in E-flat Major for harpsichord and fortepiano. 

It's interesting to hear how he places the two instruments in dialogue--one (the harpsichord, of course) was already starting to be viewed as old-fashioned and one (the fortepiano) was on the ascendancy. However, he treats both instruments as equal partners, giving each one a chance to introduce thematic material.


----------



## Bevo (Feb 22, 2015)

Obviously I already know of this one, but I really like Clementi's Concerto as well. 




Wish he wrote more than just one.


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I think very highly of Franz Xaver Mozart's piano concertos. These works bear a striking resemblance to daddy Wolfgang's earlier concertos - silky orchestration/piano parts, graceful elasticity and a constant supply of melodic material.

I have FX Mozart's piano concertos on a Novalis disc (likely deleted), but both are now available on an Hyperion disc played by Howard Shelley. If you're hungry for more Mozart piano concertos, FX is the closest you can get.


----------



## Retrograde Inversion (Nov 27, 2016)

Bulldog said:


> I think very highly of Franz Xaver Mozart's piano concertos. These works bear a striking resemblance to daddy Wolfgang's earlier concertos - silky orchestration/piano parts, graceful elasticity and a constant supply of melodic material.
> 
> I have FX Mozart's piano concertos on a Novalis disc (likely deleted), but both are now available on an Hyperion disc played by Howard Shelley. If you're hungry for more Mozart piano concertos, FX is the closest you can get.


As I listen to his Op.14 Concerto in C, I'm afraid I can't hear any special FX here.


----------



## Bruckner Anton (Mar 10, 2016)

The ones by cpe bach, haydn, hummel and dussek are good - if they can all be sorted as classical. I think Hyperion initiated a recording series called "the classical piano concerto", and you might find something interesting among them.


----------



## ProudSquire (Nov 30, 2011)

A special nod to John Field and his magnificent piano concertos.


----------



## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Bulldog said:


> I think very highly of Franz Xaver Mozart's piano concertos. These works bear a striking resemblance to daddy Wolfgang's earlier concertos - silky orchestration/piano parts, graceful elasticity and a constant supply of melodic material.
> 
> I have FX Mozart's piano concertos on a Novalis disc (likely deleted), but both are now available on an Hyperion disc played by Howard Shelley. If you're hungry for more Mozart piano concertos, FX is the closest you can get.


I understand one of Mozart's sons was talented but have never listened to his music. But wasnt he composing well into Beethoven's era and therefore beyond the classical period.


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Franz Xaver Mozart seems to have been a minor luminary. He lived until 1844 but composed little after 1820. His works comprise only about 30 opus numbers, and he is remembered primarily as the son of his father. I haven't heard any of his works, and none of those listed in Wiki have links.


----------



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

KenOC said:


> Frans Xaver Mozart seems to have been a minor luminary. He lived until 1844 but composed little after 1820. His works comprise only about 30 opus numbers, and he is remembered primarily as the son of his father. I haven't heard any of his works, and none of those listed in Wiki have links.


Heard a piano concerto of his the other day on the radio. Pleasant but rather like rather inferior Mozart Sr. Wish I could write something as good though! He doesn't compare with dad but then who does? Very few!


----------

