# Composers that wrote "Concertos for Orchestra"



## BRHiler (May 3, 2014)

I'm trying to compile a list of which composers have written Concertos for Orchestra. I've always found this particular type of piece endlessly fascinating, and most of them I have listened to and/or studied have been remarkable pieces. The ones with stars are the ones I know fairly well and absolutely love. Here's the list I have from my head/CD collection

Bartok*
Lutoslawski*
Kodaly
Steven Stucky (wrote 2 before his very young and unfortunate passing) 2nd CfO*
Jennifer Higdon*
Zhou Tian*
Christopher Rouse
Ivan Karabits (3 I know of)
Bernstein (Jubilee Games is considered a Concerto for Orchestra)
Elliott Carter
Richard Danielpour
Joan Tower
Roger Sessions

If anyone knows of other ones, please add to the list, as I want to learn/hear more of them!

Thanks!


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

Goffredo Petrassi composed 8 of them. But be forewarned: all except #1 are fairly atonal

Meanwhile 

Roberto Gerhard 
Benjamin Lees
David Diamond wrote one for "small" orchestra
Walter Piston's has a clever central movement (quasi-scherzo) that halfway thru goes backwards.
Grazyna Bacewicz. It's good!


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## BRHiler (May 3, 2014)

Thanks! 

I like most of the Piston music I have played (Tunbridge Fair) or heard (symphonies, The Incredible Flutist, etc.) through the years. I really like his energy and inventiveness! I didn't know about the other composers, and will add them to my list. 

I don't know Petrassi at all. Atonality doesn't bother me, but it does have to be in smaller doses :lol:


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## Guest (Aug 1, 2020)

"Concerto for Orchestra" is also one of my favorite genres. One might get pedantic and make a distinction between "Concerto for Orchestra" and "Concerto for String Orchestra," which is in some sense a genre unto itself.

The Petrassi Concerti for Orchestra are wonderful pieces. There is also an interesting Concerto for Orchestra by Casella, a "Concert pour petit Orchestra" by Roussel, a Concerto for Orchestra by Tippett, and Concerto for String Orchestra by Leighton, and by Howels, and a Concerto for 28 instruments by Arnold. I also wholeheartedly recommend the Bacewicz Concerto for String Orchestra mentioned above. Stravinski's Dumbarton Oaks and Concerto in D for strings might qualify, although they are not entitled "Concerto for Orchestra."

One might also argue that a modern Concerto Grosso is a Concerto for Orchestra by a different name. That would let in the pieces by Schnittke and by Ernest Bloch, Martinu and others. That might be stretching it, but you get to decide.


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

Baron Scarpia said:


> I also wholeheartedly recommend the Bacewicz Concerto for String Orchestra mentioned above.


No, she wrote one for strings and one for full orchestra. But I agree the String Orchestra Concerto is neat too


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## Guest (Aug 1, 2020)

Vasks said:


> No, she wrote one for strings and one for full orchestra. But I agree the String Orchestra Concerto is neat too


Ooo, I didn't know of that work. Seems to be available only on an out-of-print CD from Olympia.

I am also frustrated at the lack of recordings of her symphonies. It seems odd that record labels have focused so much attention on her works for string orchestra while completely ignoring her works for full orchestra.


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Some more:

Necil Kazim Akses: Concerto for orchestra
George Antheil: Concerto for chamber orchestra
Havergal Brian: Concerto for orchestra
Revol Bunin: Concerto for chamber orchestra
Geoffrey Bush: Concerto for light orchestra
Marc-André Dalbavie: The Dream of the Unified Space - Concerto for spacialized orchestra
Gottfried von Einem: Concerto for orchestra, Op. 4
Andrei Eshpai: Concerto for orchestra
Yuri Falik: Concerto for orchestra No. 1 _Til Ulenshpigel_, Concerto for orchestra No. 2 _Symphonic Studies_
Shaheen Farhat: Concerto for orchestra _Iranian Concerto_
Aloys Fornerod: Concerto No. 2 for chamber orchestra
René Gerber: Concertos for chamber orchestra in A major, E flat major and B minor
Morton Gould: Concerto for orchestra
Edward Gregson: Concerto for orchestra
Robert Groslot: Concerto for orchestra
Paul Hindemith: Concerto for orchestra
Alun Hoddinott: Lizard - Concerto for orchestra, Op. 181
Alan Hovhaness: There are a bunch of them
Viktor Kalabis: Concerto for large orchestra, Op. 25
Georg Katzer: Concerto No. 1 for orchestra
Herman David Koppel: Concerto for orchestra, Op. 101
Magnus Lindberg: Concerto for orchestra
Thea Musgrave: Concerto for orchestra
Mario Pilati: Concerto for orchestra in C major
Knudaage Riisager: Concerto for orchestra
Rodion Shchedrin: There are 5 of them
Michael Torke: Concerto for orchestra
Viktor Ullmann: Symphony No. 1 _Concerto for orchestra_


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Three others...

Peter Maxwell Davies - _Strathclyde Concerto_ no.10 (1996) - Collins/Naxos
Alan Rawsthorne - concerto for string orchestra (1949) - Naxos
Michael Tippett - concerto for double string orchestra (1938-39) - Decca


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Just over a year ago we ran a game on this subject. This was the top 10 at the end:

01 Bartók - Concerto for Orchestra
02 Lutosławski - Concerto for Orchestra
03 Bacewicz - Concerto for string orchestra

04 Dutilleux - Métaboles
05 Howells - Concerto for String Orchestra
06 Holmboe - Concerto for Orchestra
06 Kodály - Concerto for orchestra
06 Tippett - Concerto for Double String Orchestra
09 Arnold - Philharmonic Concerto, op. 120
10 Hindemith - Concerto for Orchestra



The complete list:

Akses - Concerto for Orchestra
Arnold - Philharmonic Concerto, op. 120
Bacewicz - Concerto for orchestra
Bartok - Concerto for Orchestra
Brian - Concerto for orchestra
Carter - Concerto for Orchestra
Casella - Concerto for Orchestra, op. 61
Danielpour - Concerto for Orchestra "Zoroastrian Riddles"
Davies, PM - Strathclyde Concerto No. 10: Concerto for Orchestra
Dusapin - Morning in Long Island
Dutilleux - Métaboles
Gerhard - Concerto for orchestra
Gould - Concerto for Orchestra
Gregson - Concerto for Orchestra "Contrasts"
Higdon - Concerto for Orchestra
Hindemith - Concerto for Orchestra
Hoddinott - Concerto for Orchestra
Holmboe - Concerto for Orchestra
Hovhaness - Concerto for Orchestra no. 1 "Arkeval", op. 88
Hovhaness - Concerto for Orchestra no. 7, op. 116
Hovhaness - Concerto for Orchestra no. 8, op. 117
Howells - Concerto for String Orchestra
Husa - Concerto for Orchestra
Kodaly - Concerto for orchestra
Liebermann - Concerto for Orchestra
Lindberg - Concerto for Orchestra
Lutosławski - Concerto for Orchestra
Malipiero - Concerto for Orchestra
McCabe - Concerto for Orchestra
Paulus - Concerto for Orchestra
Petrassi - Concerto for Orchestra no. 1
Petrassi - Concerto for Orchestra no. 2
Piston - Concerto for Orchestra
Sessions - Concerto for Orchestra
Shchedrin - Concerto for orchestra No. 3
Shchedrin - Concerto for orchestra No. 4
Shchedrin - Concerto for orchestra No. 5
Stravinsky - Concerto in D for String Orchestra "Basle"
Stucky - Second Concerto for Orchestra
Szeligowski - Concerto for Orchestra
Tippett - Concerto for Double String Orchestra
Tippett - Concerto for Orchestra
Torke - Concerto for Orchestra
Vivaldi - Concerto for Strings in G major "Alla Rustica", RV 151


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Pretty comprehensive list of them here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerto_for_Orchestra?wprov=sfla1


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

A great genre. The ones I really like are Lutoslawski (which I saw in concert right at the top of the year—awesome), the Carter, and in a somewhat distant third place the Bartók—it has not clicked with me yet. Somewhat recently I made a post asking what I was missing with it, considering the high praise it earns, to which someone responded that I was expecting too much, and that it's just a fun showpiece and I should enjoy it as such. Well, I don't, but whatever. It's still Bartók, still masterfully crafted, but it just doesn't do it for me like so many of his other works do.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

A fun show piece? It's much more than that. Try listening closely to one movement at a time a couple of times. I think it will click with you eventually because it is a great work. And I know you have a good ear for music.


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## BRHiler (May 3, 2014)

You all have given me a plethora of music to work through now. I thank you!!

On my end, I highly, highly recommend the Steven Stucky 2nd Concerto. It is a fantastic piece of music, well deserving the Pulitzer Prize it received.

And the Zhou Tian Concerto is great too. Extremely colorful orchestrations, and amazing ideas. You can listen to both on Spotify. 

Vasks.....did you know that John Luther Adams' "Become Ocean" is one long palindrome? I'd love to see the score to that piece! Another famous palindrome is in the 3rd movement of Karel Husa's "Music for Prague 1968". It occurs in the main percussion group (not the snare drum or Vibe part). That one I came across on accident when I was studying it back in college days.


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

No I didn't, BR. I do have the recording of "Become Ocean" and I have both the band and orchestra recordings versions of the Husa. I met Husa twice and was a nice fellow. I had done some analysis of one of his pieces that was published and he wrote me a handwritten thank you.


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## sonance (Aug 20, 2018)

Ghedini's concerto is quite interesting:

Giorgio Federico Ghedini: Architetture. Concerto for Orchestra





And I've got Donald Erb's Concerto for Orchestra (1985), but there is no youtube clip. But it's very enjoyable - as are the other works on this CD (maybe some streaming service does offer it?):










What about "Konzertstück?

Vytautas Barkauskas: Konzertstück für Orchester





And here is another "plethora of music to work through" ...

I've worked on this list for two days (just for the fun of it). As far as I see now there is no duplicate to the already given composers and their works.
And no, I didn't listen to the concertos. You'll find some famous names and a lot of unknown ones. As for the existing of youtube clips: I checked only the first twenty offered clips, maybe a more thorough search will bring a better result.
Anyway: Probably it will keep you busy. I hope you'll make some discoveries.

Judith Bailey
- 



Richard Rodney Bennett 
- 



Michael Berkeley
- 



John Casken
- first movement: 



Unsuk Chin
- 



Carson Cooman
- first movement: 



Edward Cowie
- 



Franco Donatoni (1951; no youtube clip)
Søren Nils Eichberg ("Morpheus", 2012; as I couldn't find the first movement: youtube playlist 9-15)
- 



Giorgio Ferrari
- 



Andrew Ford (1980; no youtube clip)
Aharon Harlap
- 



Douglas Knehans
- first movement: 



Günter Kochan
- 



Henri Lazarof
- 



Guido Mancusi
- 



David Matthews (op. 151; no youtube clip)
Siegfried Matthus
- 



William Thomas McKinley
- first movement: 



Arthur Meulemans
- concerto no. 1: 



- concerto no. 2: 



Fabian Müller
- first movement: 



Eric Nathan
- only some introductory words by the composer: 



Piero Niro (2003; no youtube clip)
Paul Patterson (op. 45; no youtube clip)
Robin de Raaff
- 



Alexander Raichev
- 



Shulamit Ran
- 



Gerhard Rosenfeld (?; no youtube clip)
Norbert Rosseau (1947; no youtube clip)
Edwin Roxburgh (2010; no youtube clip)
Josef Schelb (no. 1: 1942; no. 2: 1941 - website https://www.josef-schelb.de/werke/ ; no. 3: 1945 [not performed until now])
Gerard Schurmann (1996; no youtube clip)
Nina Šenk
- 



Yorgo Sicilianos
- first movement: 



Thomas Simaku (2012; no youtube clip)
Miroslav Skoryk
- 



Emil Tabakov (1995)
- 



Alexandre Tansman
- first movement: 



Andrea Tarrodia („Ascent" 2015; no youtube clip)
Jukka Tiensuu
- 



Bernd-Alois Zimmermann (1946/48, no youtube clip)

in case you accept a concert piece:
Jerzy Fitelberg
- 



Jef Maes (Konzertstück for large orchestra; 1938, no youtube clip)
Emil Tabakov (1985)
-


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## Alfacharger (Dec 6, 2013)

The recently deceased Ennio Morricone composed a Concerto for Orchestra in 1957.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

This week's Saturday Symphony is Haydn's #7, "Le Midi", the central work of the well-known trilogy. Like others of his early symphonies, there is a lot of solo work, which made me think of the term "concerto for orchestra," although this is probably a misapplication. But a good symphony and grateful listening!


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## KevMan (Jul 13, 2020)

BRHiler said:


> I'm trying to compile a list of which composers have written Concertos for Orchestra. I've always found this particular type of piece endlessly fascinating, and most of them I have listened to and/or studied have been remarkable pieces. The ones with stars are the ones I know fairly well and absolutely love. Here's the list I have from my head/CD collection
> 
> Bartok*
> Lutoslawski*
> ...


That's a pretty impressive list, I will 
Definitely have to hunt down a few of them 
Since I've only heard Bartok & Lutoslawski.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

flamencosketches said:


> A great genre. The ones I really like are Lutoslawski (which I saw in concert right at the top of the year-awesome), the Carter, and in a somewhat distant third place the Bartók-it has not clicked with me yet. Somewhat recently I made a post asking what I was missing with it, considering the high praise it earns, to which someone responded that I was expecting too much, and that it's just a fun showpiece and I should enjoy it as such. Well, I don't, but whatever. It's still Bartók, still masterfully crafted, but it just doesn't do it for me like so many of his other works do.


I'm with you on the Lutoslawski and Carter. But the Bartok is a major masterpiece and perhaps a seminal work (certainly many followed in writing concertos for orchestra after it). You could try Dorati's recording (lots of atmosphere) or the superb one by Kocsis. It is a late work - so somehow more mellow than some of his music - and it revels in its folk roots.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Not mentioned hitherto or by Wiki, I think, all recorded (?)

- Ruders, Concerto in Pieces
- Szervansky, Concerto for Orchestra

Later Concerti Grossi include 
- Gudmundsen Holmgreen, Concerto Grosso
- Martinu, Concerto Grosso
- Bloch, 2 Concerti Grossi
- Blomdahl, Concerto Grosso

String concertos, a big genre, would include those later ones by
- Pettersson (3)
- Nystroem (2)
- Dyson, Concerto da Chiesa


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Enthusiast said:


> I'm with you on the Lutoslawski and Carter. But the Bartok is a major masterpiece and perhaps a seminal work (certainly many followed in writing concertos for orchestra after it). You could try Dorati's recording (lots of atmosphere) or the superb one by Kocsis. It is a late work - so somehow more mellow than some of his music - and it revels in its folk roots.


Do you see it as a fun showpiece, or something with more depth behind it?


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

^ Not as a fun showpiece, certainly. "Depth" is evident (apparent) in some works while somehow seeming the wrong word for others even though they have serious intent. It is a key work in Bartok's later period. It was also his breakthrough piece in the US, where he was neglected for much of his time living there. Success came a little late for him. That said the work belongs in a world not so far removed from his Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta of some six or seven years earlier.


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## neofite (Feb 19, 2017)

Would _Cortege_ by Sir Harrison Birtwistle (



) be considered some sort of concerto for orchestra, albeit an unusual one?


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