Brilliant Classics – Piano Concertos (FLAC)

Number of Discs: 10
Format: FLAC (image+cue)
Label: Brilliant Classics
Catalogue: 94095
Release: 2010
Size: 2.57 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

CD 01
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 15 in B-Flat, K. 450
01. I. Allegro
02. II. Adagio
03. III. Allegro assai

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 11 in F, K. 413
04. I. Allegro
05. II. Larghetto
06. III. Tempo di menuetto

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K. 488
07. I. Allegro
08. II. Andante
09. III. Allegro

CD 02
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C, K. 467 ‘Elvira Madigan’
01. I. Allegro
02. II. Andante
03. III. Allegro vivace assai

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 1 in F, K. 37
04. I. Allegro
05. II. Andante
06. III. Allegro

Piano Concerto No. 25 in C, K. 50
07. I. Allegro maestoso

CD 03
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C, Op. 15
01. I. Allegro con brio
02. II. Largo
03. III. Rondo: Allegro scherzando

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat, Op. 19
04. I. Allegro con brio
05. II. Adagio
06. III.Rondo

CD 04
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37
01. I. Allegro con brio
02. II. Largo
03. III. Rondo

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G, Op. 58
04. I. Allegro moderato
05. II. Andante con moto
06. III. Rondo:Vivace

CD 05
Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25
01. I. Molto allegro con fuoco
02. II. Andante
03. III. Presto – Molto allegro e vivace

Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 40
04. I. Allegro appassionato
05. II. Adagio
06. III. Finale: Presto scherzando

07. Mendelssohn: Capriccio Brillante in B Minor, Op. 22

CD 06
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11
01. Allegro maestoso
02. Romance, larghetto
03. Rondo, vivace

Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21
04. Maestoso
05. Larghetto
06. Allegro vivace

CD 07
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat
01. Allegro
02. Quasi adagio
03. Allegretto vivace
04. Allegro animato
05. Allegro marziale animato

Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2 in A
06. Adagio sostenuto assai
07. Allegro agitato assai
08. Allegro moderato
09. Allegro deciso, sempre allegro
10. Marziale, un poco meno allegro
11. Allegro animato

12. Liszt: Totentanz: Paraphrase on ‘Dies irae’
13. Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-Flat, Op. posth.

CD 08
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18
01. Moderato
02. Adagio sostenuto
03. Allegro scherzando

Schumann: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54
04. Allegro affetuoso
05. Intermezzo
06. Allegro vivace

CD 09
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23
01. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso; allegro con spirito
02. Andantino semplice; Prestissimo
03. Allegro con fuoco

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Major, Op. 44
04. Allegro brilliante
05. Andante non troppo
06. Allegro con fuoco

CD 10
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat, Op. 83
01. I. Allegro non troppo
02. II. Allegro appassionato
03. III. Andante
04. IV. Allegretto grazioso

05. Brahms: Klavierstücke, Op. 119
06. Brahms: Intermezzo in B Minor: Adagio
07. Brahms: Intermezzo in E Minor: Andantino un poco agitato
08. Brahms: Intermezzo in C: Grazioso e giosco
09. Brahms: Rhapsody in E-Flat: Allegro risoluto

The piano concerto emerged from the 18th century keyboard concerto as a display vehicle for the new instrument – the fortepiano, and the new breed of virtuoso pianist-composers who wrote concertos for their own use. Mozart took the form to heights never dreamed off by his contemporaries, and his 27 concertos paved the way for the piano concertos of the next 100 years. Some of the works of by his contemporaries could be performed with just a few instruments accompanying the soloist. For Mozart, the interplay between the piano and a full orchestra’s textures and colours were important. The modern piano concerto had been born.

Beethoven took the 18th century virtuoso concerto (Mozart’s 20th and 2Fourth being his models) and with his Third, Fourth and Fifth concertos created the romantic concerto. The piano had developed rapidly in the early years of the 19th century, and Beethoven’s works exploit the greater range and power of the new instrument, and are symphonic in style. Brahms took this a stage further composing 2 huge concertos, which are almost symphonies with piano. One critic called his titanic First concerto ‘a concerto for piano against orchestra’!

However, the tradition of the virtuoso display concerto continued with Chopin, Liszt and Mendelssohn. Their concertos combined the Mozartian refinement with romantic gestures, and, in the case of Liszt extraordinary virtuosity with thunderous and dazzling effects. He also transformed the structure of the concerto from the traditional 3 – movement form to a cyclical multi-section one-movement work.

The epitome the 19th and early 20th romantic century piano concerto are those of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. Both composers wrote concertos that have remained the most popular in the repertoire since their premiers.

The image of the virtuoso pianist has proved to be an enduring one, and this collection contains some of the greatest piano concertos, and is a superb introduction to the exciting world of classical music.