# Favorite Piano Concerto Slow Movements



## DeepR

When I'm in a sentimental mood, few things can enhance the mood more than my favorite slow movements from piano concertos. If I had to make a top 5 it would be something like this. No real surprises here I'm afraid.

1. Scriabin
2. Rachmaninoff 2
3. Beethoven 5
4. Mozart 27
5. Grieg

What's yours?


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## Skilmarilion

Not sure of a top 5. In addition to those that you mentioned:

Tchaikovsky #2 - this movement is a rare setting for piano trio and orchestra, and is one of Tchaikovsky's most heartfelt and beautiful slow movements

Mozart #9, #18, #22 & #23 - Mozart in a minor a key is usually unmissable, and these four are all tinged with a sense of a tragedy and are splendid for it. The theme and variations 18th is probably my favourite of the four.

Prokofiev #2 (_Andantino-Allegretto_) - This is actually the first movement, but the slowest in the concerto, and for me is the high point of an extraoridnary work which wonderfully combines a modern (often quite dissonant) and raw sound world with sublime lyricism.

A few others:

Beethoven #2, #4
Mozart #20, #25
Rachmaninov #2, #3, #4


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## Art Rock

Ravel, Shostakovich, and plenty of Mozart.


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## nightscape

All the ones mentioned here, plus I'll throw in Mozart 17.


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## MagneticGhost

Shosty 2
Salonen
Chopin 1
Mozart 23


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## techniquest

Khachaturian; closely followed by Shostakovich 2.


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## Cosmos

Tchaikovsky's 2nd! Love the piano trio
Ravel's G major
Medtner 2
Kilar 1
Beethoven 5
Mozart 23


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## trazom

Beethoven Piano concerto 1- the a-flat largo, very wistful and moving. I don't listen to it very often, though.

Mozart 18- g minor with dramatic fugato sections, ominous feeling of an approaching storm with a small glimpse of sunshine at the end. It's strongly reminiscent of his early mentor JC Bach. The second movement of his 12th piano concerto also has a melody from one of JC Bach's operas, written as a memorial for the death of that great composer.

Mozart-17- Andante- one of the most haunting minor sections in his piano music, when it transitions from c major to g minor, and I love his cadenza at the end of the second movement. As usual with Mozart's concertos, there's always expressive dialogue between solo piano and orchestra with lyrical woodwind lines.

Mozart piano concerto 22- the woodwinds, the heavy piano writing, the way the main melody is played at the end in a major key with simple accompaniment on the left hand that makes it sound like it's floating and that eerie chromatic scale at the end!

Chopin E minor piano concerto- I admit, I listen to this concerto just for the piano writing and gorgeous melodies.


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## GKC

Mozart no. 23, Rach. no. 2, Brahms no. 1 

I think I am more taken with the Brahms than most lovers of piano concertos. I think it's terrific. Its not a pianist's P.C., but the music is wonderful. Maybe I am not a big fan of blistering cadenzas and the like.



GKC


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## Vaneyes

Re slow movements, LvB 2 and Ravel "G" contain two of my faves.:tiphat:


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## Chordalrock

Beethoven #4 in G major
Mozart #23 in A major
Bach BWV 1052 (D minor)



Skilmarilion said:


> A few others:
> 
> Beethoven #2


Nice to see this mentioned. Not one of my absolute top favorites but I think it deserves more love than it's getting. It may be hard to pull off well though. I remember I started liking it when I heard it in the documentary about Brendel. They made it sound coherent and flowing, unique instead of strange.


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## SuperTonic

I love the slow movement of Barber's Piano Concerto.


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## Cadenza

Grieg, Schumann, and Brahms 2nd.


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## Richannes Wrahms

Taneyev's _Andante funebre 
_


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## pjang23

Mozart 23, Brahms 1 & 2, Ravel


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## Chordalrock

I forgot to mention BWV 1053, as I usually listen to the oboe version. A wonderfully beautiful slow movement that's been my favorite for a long time.


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## Tristan

Shostakovich's 2nd is probably the most striking second movement to me; one of the few instances where the second movement is better than the outer movements (which I still like).

Rachmaninov's 2nd is also on my list, as is Scriabin's.

But an underrated one would have to be Paderewski's. That may be another situation where I prefer the 2nd movement to the outer. It's absolutely beautiful.


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## Torkelburger

Alan Rawsthorne's Piano Concerto No. 1 (Second Movement) which starts at 7:26. Hauntingly beautiful. One of my absolute favorites. The whole concerto is worth checking out.


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## Haydn man

Mozart 23
Mozart 20
Beethoven 5
Brahms 1
Rachmaninoff 2


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## Alfacharger

Hummel's B minor concerto has a beautiful slow movement, A kind of nocturne scored for four horns and piano.


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## Markbridge

Skilmarilion said:


> Tchaikovsky #2 - this movement is a rare setting for piano trio and orchestra, and is one of Tchaikovsky's most heartfelt and beautiful slow movements


I agree! Another slow movement similar to Tchaikovsky's 2nd is the Romanza from Paderewski's Piano Concerto in a.









If forced to choose, I would have to say the Paderewski is my favorite. But, really, who can choose a "favorite"? There are so many wonderful movements!


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## hpowders

Haydn man said:


> Mozart 23
> Mozart 20
> Beethoven 5
> Brahms 1
> Rachmaninoff 2


I would go along with these choices and add Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4, Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 and Ravel's Piano Concerto in G.


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## Avey

Well, like, *Bela Bartok*, Third Concerto, _adagio religioso_.


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## DeepR

Richannes Wrahms said:


> Taneyev's _Andante funebre
> _


This is a wonderful somber movement, which is nice for a change. Thanks.


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## DeepR

A new favorite is the slow movement of Moritz Moszkowski - Piano Concerto Op. 3, starts at 10:31


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## Lord Lance

DeepR said:


> A new favorite is the slow movement of Moritz Moszkowski - Piano Concerto Op. 3, starts at 10:31


Slow? The entire work is a masterpiece!


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## Pugg

Mozart 17 
Beethoven 3 and 5 :tiphat:


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## Proms Fanatic

I didn't think much of the Beethoven 3rd slow movement. 

However I then saw Daniel Barenboim conduct and play this work with the Berlin Staatskapelle at Royal Festival Hall. Daniel had such a great feel for the work, he made me feel the work like I'd never heard it before, it was so beautiful.

Also in the faster first and third movements, Barenboim was missing quite a few notes, but as he can play much slower in the second movement, all the notes were perfect!


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## Arsakes

Schumann
Dvorak
Saint Saens D, G and Fm
Grieg
Rachmaninov 3 & 2
Brahms 2
Mozart 21 & 17
Shostakovich 1 & 2
Bartok 3
Khachaturian


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## gardibolt

No one has mentioned Gershwin Concerto in F so I'll throw that out there too.


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## Heliogabo

Mozart 20
Beethoven 5
Ravel in G
Bartok 3
Dvórak


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## Viz

Rach 4, especially the etude tableau bit


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## MrTortoise

Mozart 21, nothing profound, but elegantly beautiful.


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## Harmonie

I've always loved the adagio movement of Mozart's 23rd concerto.


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