Great 2nd movements in Piano Concertos
I have been listening to a bunch of Piano Concertos on loop on my Zen micro. All 4 Rach, Grieg, Schumann, Shostakovich. I find the combined sounds of piano and symphony orchestra surprisingly conducive to work to.
It got me thinking about all those beautiful slow second movements in these concertos. Because they are melodious, they often get hijacked as romantic mood or film music with the strings engineered to sound overly-lush like a Mantovani album, and the piano passages played in a sloppy, indulgent style, with far too much tinkling and glissando ala Richard Clayderman. It's all a disgraceful massacre of wonderful music.
Thinking about 2nd movements led me to contemplating which ones I love the most. I haven't really given it that much thought before, despite many concerts and much money spent on recordings. So I have been listening to snippets of second movements from all the major piano concertos, to refresh my memory and gauge my personal favourites.
My Favourite 2nd Movements in Piano Concertos:
1. Piano Concerto no 21 (Mozart)
Yes, the famous Andantino featured in the film "Elvira Madigan". This was a no brainer. It is by far and away the greatest 2nd movement in any concerto, in my opinion. Everything about it is miraculously perfect, as only Mozart's musics can be, it seems. From the first slow hush of strings to the major-minor-major modulations in the middle to the classically clean lines at the end, it is touched by magic. The piano part conforms to classical conventions much as a minuet does, and yet it is never stifling or formal, but delicate and inspired.
2. Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini (Rachmaninov)
It's not called a piano concerto, but it follows the form of a piano concerto so it is one in my books. What I love about this is how it starts serenely with the familiar Paganini theme and suddenly bursts forth with an explosion of melody as Rachmaninov reversed the notes of the main theme. And what a melody it is too. Sublimely beautiful and romantic in the best sense of that word; turbulent, heartfelt and emotive. The interplay between piano and orchestra is masterfully constructed, one soars while the other thunders majestically. It is like watching an eagle fly against a darkening sky.
3. Piano Concerto in A (Grieg)
The word for this movement is "meditative". Even when the melodic line begins to build in the latter half of the movement, it never loses that elegiac, contemplative quality that is so well-established in the long orchestral introduction. To me, this piece of music is evocative of quiet, rainy afternoons in the countryside spent in deep thought. It is like a particularly lovely silk-covered diary, within which lies the promise of poetry and adventure (which Grieg gives us in great doses in the third movement).
It got me thinking about all those beautiful slow second movements in these concertos. Because they are melodious, they often get hijacked as romantic mood or film music with the strings engineered to sound overly-lush like a Mantovani album, and the piano passages played in a sloppy, indulgent style, with far too much tinkling and glissando ala Richard Clayderman. It's all a disgraceful massacre of wonderful music.
Thinking about 2nd movements led me to contemplating which ones I love the most. I haven't really given it that much thought before, despite many concerts and much money spent on recordings. So I have been listening to snippets of second movements from all the major piano concertos, to refresh my memory and gauge my personal favourites.
My Favourite 2nd Movements in Piano Concertos:
1. Piano Concerto no 21 (Mozart)
Yes, the famous Andantino featured in the film "Elvira Madigan". This was a no brainer. It is by far and away the greatest 2nd movement in any concerto, in my opinion. Everything about it is miraculously perfect, as only Mozart's musics can be, it seems. From the first slow hush of strings to the major-minor-major modulations in the middle to the classically clean lines at the end, it is touched by magic. The piano part conforms to classical conventions much as a minuet does, and yet it is never stifling or formal, but delicate and inspired.
2. Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini (Rachmaninov)
It's not called a piano concerto, but it follows the form of a piano concerto so it is one in my books. What I love about this is how it starts serenely with the familiar Paganini theme and suddenly bursts forth with an explosion of melody as Rachmaninov reversed the notes of the main theme. And what a melody it is too. Sublimely beautiful and romantic in the best sense of that word; turbulent, heartfelt and emotive. The interplay between piano and orchestra is masterfully constructed, one soars while the other thunders majestically. It is like watching an eagle fly against a darkening sky.
3. Piano Concerto in A (Grieg)
The word for this movement is "meditative". Even when the melodic line begins to build in the latter half of the movement, it never loses that elegiac, contemplative quality that is so well-established in the long orchestral introduction. To me, this piece of music is evocative of quiet, rainy afternoons in the countryside spent in deep thought. It is like a particularly lovely silk-covered diary, within which lies the promise of poetry and adventure (which Grieg gives us in great doses in the third movement).
Labels: Music and Movies
posted by gentleice the deptfordian at 1:26 AM
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