Romantic Music
Last Update : 14-04-14
Part from Classical Music of course, I'm really fond of the music from the Western Romantic era, which extended from about 1815 to 1910 and as heavily influenced by German artists.
Characteristics attributed to Romantic music would be, notably : a new preoccupation with and surrender to Nature, a fascination with the past, particularly the Middle Ages and legends of medieval chivalry, a turn towards the mystic and supernatural, a longing for the infinite, mysterious connotations of remoteness, the unusual and fabulous, the strange and surprising, a focus on the nocturnal, the frightful, the sublime, fantastic dreams, a new attention given to national identity, as well as a certain discontent with musical formulas and conventions.
Characteristics attributed to Romantic music would be, notably : a new preoccupation with and surrender to Nature, a fascination with the past, particularly the Middle Ages and legends of medieval chivalry, a turn towards the mystic and supernatural, a longing for the infinite, mysterious connotations of remoteness, the unusual and fabulous, the strange and surprising, a focus on the nocturnal, the frightful, the sublime, fantastic dreams, a new attention given to national identity, as well as a certain discontent with musical formulas and conventions.
Here are some of my favourite pieces of all times but also some very rare curiosities !
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
- Symphony no. 3 in F Major op. 90 : III. Poco Allegretto was rewritten as a Concerto for Piano for the American thriller Undercurrent (1946) starring Katharine Hepburn and Robert Mitchum and arranged by Robert Keller for Two Pianos 8 Hands in 2013
Reginald King (1904-1991)
Reginald King was the composer of a small group made up of two pianists, four violinists, a cellist, a bass player and a clarinet player. The orchestra played for Pathe Studio, London on the radio during the 1930s and 1940s and various tunes were broadcast on the air, intercut with shots of radio aerials and transmitter stations.
- Prayer at Eventide and Song of Paradise performed by Mark Bebbington (2013)
Reginald King wrote his own short Hollywoodian concerto like Four Wives (1939) by Max Steiner ; London Fantasy (1942) by Clive Richardson ; California Concerto by Bert Reisfeld ; Norman Concerto by Esther Allan ; Idyll (1943) by Lindley Evans ; New Guinea Fantasy (1944) by Ysador Goodman ; Concerto Appassionato (1945) by Alberto Semprini ; The Paradine Case (1947) by Franz Waxman and Legend (1959) by Robert Docker.
- Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra (1946) performed by Philip Fowke and conducted by Barry Wordsworth
Moritz Moszkowski (1854-1925)
- Piano Concerto op. 3 (1875) performed by Ludmil Angelov with the Rzeszow Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Kiradjiev
Moritz Moszkowski was an extraordinary pianist who toured extensively throughout Europe. His début in Berlin at the age of nineteen was remarkable, prompting Franz Liszt to write admiringly of him. Considered as a pianist, Moszkowski is hors de concours. Everything was done musically and with the utmost ease. Highly influential as a teacher, Moszkowski taught at the Kullak Conservatory in Berlin and later in Paris. Through some unfortunate carelessness however, Moszkowski lost the copyrights to his compositions during the wars of 1914, and eventually died from a painful throat illness in near poverty in Paris in 1925.
Today, Moszkowski is best remembered for a few delightful piano pieces : the Etudes op. 72 and op. 36 No. 6, popularised by Hofmann and Horowitz. Yet he also composed operas, ballets, orchestral suites, songs, concertos, and chamber music, almost all of which remain forgotten. These works are generally miniatures, always well-crafted and always very pianistic. His early song cycles show an affinity for the voice and are written in a powerful style that suggests the language of Brahms. The orchestral suites show him to be a brilliant orchestrator, with a strong grasp of polyphony. The operas and ballets show a keen understanding of theatrical music and have been performed allover the world, while the piano and violin concertos are brilliant showpieces, full of delightful melodies. Yet, despite all this musical evidence, Moszkowski is not accorded much attention and is often considered little more than a footnote in musical history.
Sergei Rachmaninoff
- Piano Concerto #3 performed by Martha Argerich (1982) or simply another version by Rachmaninoff himself.
- Fantasie-Tableaux for Two Pianos : Suite No. 1 op. 5 (Barcarole, A Night for Love, The Tears, Easter) as written for two pianos (1893) performed by Martin Jones and Richard McMahon ; as arranged for Piano and orchestra by Rebekah Harkness (1968) performed by Lee Hoiby and conducted by Jorge Mester
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- Piano Concerto #1 performed by Vladimir Horowitz (1942) : I worked so hard my piano because I wanted to play this breathtaking concerto one day...
- Swan Lake performed by the Kirov Ballet and Orchestra (1999) : Here is a great performance by the Kirov Ballet with splendidly lavish costumes. I'm not a great fan of those awfully tight tights however, it's quite distracting at times !
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
- Symphony #2 London performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Adrian Boult
- Fantasie for Piano and Orchestra (1896-1902 ; rev. 1904) performed by Mark Bebbington and conducted by Marin Yate ; Fantasie for Double Stringed Orchestra on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (Renaissance composer) performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by David Nolan
The Most Romantic Piano Concertos & Other Pieces
- Alain Payette (b. 1953) : Concerto for Piano (2000) performed by Anne-Marie Dubois ; Trio #2 (1976) and Trio #3 for violin, cello and piano (1978 ; 1985) performed by Marc Bélanger, Jean-Luc Morin and Alain Payette.
- Amy Beach (1867-1944) : Piano Concerto in C Sharp Minor op. 45 (1898) performed by Alan Feinberg and conducted by Kenneth Schermerhorn with he Nashville Symphony Orchestra
- André Mathieu (1929-1968) : Piano Concerto #1 (1941) performed by Alain Lefèvre ; Piano Concerto #3 (1943) dir. by Yoav Talmi ; Piano Concerto #4 ; Romantic Rhapsody for Piano And Orchestra (1947 ; 1958) dir. Matthias Bamert
André Mathieu was a French Canadian pianist and composer. He is relatively unknown even though he was a complete genius. He was a prodigy. He composed his first piece at the age of 3 and gave his first recital in Paris at 7. Also, the superb Concerto #4 was composed when he was about 12 ! He's one of my favourites. What a tragic destiny than to be forgotten when you could have had the fame of a Rachmaninoff !
- Andrey Stelmakh (b. 1987) : Piano Concerto (2012) dir. Mykola Lysenko with the Kiev Symphony Orchestra
- Arthur Bliss (1981-1975) : Concerto for Two Pianos (1924) performed by Peter Donohe and Martin Roscoe
The style here is nearer to those of Stravinsky and Debussy.
- Arthur Lemba (1885-1963) : The more classic but quite superb Piano Concerto #1 (1910) performed by Mikhel Poll and directed by Paul Mägi
- Arvids Zilinslis (1905-1993) : Piano Concerto in E Minor (1946) perf. by Maris Svinka and dir. by Janis Zirnis
- Charles Camilleri (1931-2009) : Piano Concerto no. 1 Mediterranean (1948) ; also check the funny Summer Nights in Malta : Concertino for Two Pianos and Strings (1960 ; 1998) performed by Jennifer Micallef and Glen Inanga and directed by Brian Schembri
- Corentin Boissier (b. 1995) : « Glamour Concerto » for piano solo (2012) : 1 - Appassionato (Allegro) (9.25) 0:01 ; 2 - Manhattan Waltz (Moderato) (7.06) 9:25 ; 3 - Spanish Lovers in Brooklyn (Andante / Allegro) (7.59) 16:29 performed by Thierry Châtelain ; La Dame aux Camélias performed by Yun-Yang Lee on March 13th, 2013 ; Passionately Yours : 1 - First Embraces (Allegro Tumultuoso) 0:00 ; 2 - First Confidences (Andante espressivo) 3:15 ; 3 - First Ecstasies (Allegro con fuoco) 7:25 performed by the composer
- Crt Sojar Voglar (b. 1976) : Double Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra (2000) performed by Eva Slana and Urska Kriznik Zupan with the Slovenian Radio Orchestra
- Dana Suesse (1909-1987) : Piano Concerto no. 1 in Three Rhythms (1932) performed y Michael Gurt and directed by Richard Rosenberg ; Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in E Minor (1941) performed by the sisters Beatrice and Christian Long and directed by Patrick Souillot ; Fox-Trot (1931)
- Dora Pejačević (1888-1923) : Piano Concerto in G minor (1913) performed by Sigrid Trummer and directed by Manfred Müssauer with the Nürnberger Symphoniker ; Piano Quartet in D Minor op. 25 performed by Oliver Triendl, Patrick Genet, Hans Egidi, Marc Jaermann (2009) ; Symphony in F Sharp Minor op. 41 (1918) : Cello Sonata in E Minor op. 35 performed by Olivier Triendl and Christian Poltéra
- Eduard Künneke (1885-1953) : Piano Concerto no. 1 (1935) performed by Tiny Wirtz and directed by Wlodzimierz Kamirski
- Elena Kats-Chernin (b. 1957) : Piano Concerto #2 « Ragtime » (2001) performed by Ian Munro and directed by Ola Rudner ; Eliza's Aria (2007)
- Ernest Pingoud (1887-1942) : Piano Concerto #2 (1921) performed by Roope Gröndahl and conducted by Okko Kamu. Recorded at Lahti Sibelius Hall Finland (2 December 2011)
- Ester Mägi (b. 1922) : Poem for Strings « Vesper » (1990 ; 1999) directed by Arvo Volmer
- Gabriel Pierné : Piano Concerto op. 12 : Andante performed by Dag Achatz mixed with other pieces (*)
(*) The art of composing truly romantic concerti has been lost for over half a century. This is an attempt to synthesize one concerto in the romantic style that would be perfect with regard to its melodic quality, its romantic flamboyance, and its succinctness. Among hundreds of piano concertos, excerpts have been selected from old, forgotten, and neglected concertos with similar styles (including Gabriel Pierné's) and mixed in the best way possible to create The Most Romantic Piano Concerto. Now I invite all music lovers to enjoy this unique patchwork and I invite also erudite listeners to try to discover the original compositions from which this work made made.
- George Bizet (1838-1875) : Nocturne #1 in F Major op. 2 (1854) performed by Adriano Paolini and Nocturne in D Major (1868) performed by Glenn Gould (1932-1982)
- Grzegorz Fitelberg (1879-1953) : From the Depths of the Sea : Symphonic Poem for orchestra op. 26 (1914) directed by Marcia Nalecz Nesiolowski (2 March 1999) recorded with the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra
- Gunar Gjerstrom (1891-1951) : Concerto #1 in F Minor (1930) and Piano Concerto #2 « Sea Moods » (1936) performed by Ebba Jsene and directed by Oivin Fjelstad : He was a Tchaikovsky / Rachmaninoff twin (except for the fame) !
- Heather Schmidt (b. 1975) : Concerto #1 (1997) performed by Judith Kehler Siebert and dir. by Bramwell Tovey and Concerto #4 : Phoenix Ascending (2005) performed by Heather Schmidt and directed by Mario Bernardi
Heather Schmidt began studies in piano and composition at the age of 4, and composition at the age of 5. She pursued double majors in piano performance and composition throughout her musical education. She studied at Juilliard in New York City and at Indiana University, where, at age 21, she became the youngest student to receive a Doctor of Music degree. Her major influences are Shostakovitch and Einar Englund. Not easy to appreciate, yet it has intensity and creativeness !
- Henriette Renié (1875-1956) : Concerto for Harp and Orchestra (1901) performed by Xavier de Maistre and dir. by Shao-Chia Lü : This is definitely a virtuoso part for the harp, definitely pianistic !
- Henry Kimball Hadley (1871-1937) : Symphony #2 in F Minor « The Four Seasons » op. 30 (1899) performed by and directed by Karl Krueger with the Royal philharmonic ; The Ocean : Tone Poem (9121) directed by John Williams
- Henryk Wars (1902-1977) : Piano Concerto (1951) performed by Peter Jablonski and dir. by Lukasz Borowicz : What a shame he only wrote one ! It's incredible ! A short Hollywood-style concerto like Richard Addinsell's famous Warsaw Concerto. Actually Wars is mostly known for his jazz and tango songs...
- Hisatada Otaka (1911-1951) : Cello Concerto op. 20 (1943) performed by Ko Iwasaki and conducted by Hiroshi Wakasugi with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra (1971) : Just skip the awful flute thing and go directly to 14:30 !
- Hugo Alfvén (1872-1960) Swedish Rhapsody #1 op. 19 (Midsommarvaka) performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Petri Sakari (1994). The part 8:05 - 9:33 especially, with its sacred grandeur and unearthly feeling, recalls us why music exists ; Symphony #1 in F Minor op. 7 (1897) performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Niklas Willén ; the full of delicacy and inner joy Symphony #2 in D Major op. 11 (1898) performed by the Stokholm Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Neeme Järvi ; Symphony #3 in E Flat Major op. 23 (1905) performed by the Sveriges Radios Symphoniorkester conducted by Niklas Willén
- Ilmari Hannikainen (1892-1955) : Piano Concerto in B Flat Minor (1917) performed by Arto Satukangas and conducted by Petri Sakari
- Jacob Weinberg (1879-1956) : Piano Concerto No. 2 in C major (1944) performed by George Federico Osorio and conducted by Karl Anton Rickenbacherg
- Janis Medins (1890-1966) : Piano Concerto #1 performed by Reinis Zarins and conducted by Andris Veismanis (2010) 1st mvt ; Aria performed by Detroit Symphony Orchestra and directed by Neeme Järvi
- Janusz Sent (b. 1936) Piano Concerto #1 in E Flat (1979) and Piano Concerto #2 in F Minor (1982) performed by Jerzy Witkowski and directed by Jana Pruszaka. The Andante Cantabile (New York City) is quite superb !
- Jean Coulthard (1908-2000) : Piano Concerto (1967) performed by Robert Silverman
- Johann Christoph Pepusch (1667-1752) : Greensleeves and Cold and Raw from Beggar's Opera (1728) feat. Patrizia Kwella (soprano), Paul Elliott (Tenor) and directed by Jeremy Barlow (2007)
- Johann Rufinatscha (1812-1893) : Piano Concerto in G Minor ; Dramatic Overture (Ouverture Dramatische) performed by the Orchester der Akademie St. Blasius and conducted by Karlheinz Seissl
- Joseph Jongen (1873-1953) : Symphonic Piece for Piano and Band (1928) performed by Evgeni Mogilyewsky and directed by Norbert Nozy ; Triptych for Orchestra (1937) : Part 2 . Very Close to Fauré, Debussy and Ravel, his style is pure and elegant ! His most phenomenal work (and his best know one) is the Symphony Concertante for Organ and Orchestra (1926)
- Joseph Rosenstock (1895-1985) : Symphonic Concerto for Piano (1920) performed by Stevan Bergmann with the AVRO Omroep Orchestra conducted by Hugo Rignold
- Kurt Atterberg (1887-1974) : Piano Concerto in B-flat minor op.37 (1935) performed by Love Derwinger with the Radio Philharmonie Hannover des NDR conducted by Ari Rasilainen ; Symphony #1 in B-minor, Op.3 (1910) ; Symphony #2 in F Major op.6 (1913) ; Symphony #3 in D Major (Västkustbilder) (1916) ; Symphony #4 in G minor op.14 (Sinfonia Piccola) (1918) ; the slow movement of the Symphony No.5 in D minor op.20 (Sinfonia Funebre) (1922) is quite a marvel as well ; Symphony No.6 in C Major op.31 (1928) ; Symphony No.7 in A minor op.45 (Sinfonia Romantica) (1942) ; Symphony No.8 in E minor op.48 (1945)
- Lee Hoiby (1926-2011) : Piano Concerto #1 (1957) performed by John Atkins and directed by Jan Krenz
- Ludomir Rozycki (1883-1953) : Piano Concerto #1 in G minor (1918) performed by Krystyna Makowska Lawrynowicz and directed by Andrzej Straszynski ; Cello Sonata in A Minor (1906) ; Boleslaw Smialy (symphonic poem) (1906) directed by Janusz Przybylski ; Violin Concerto (1944) performed by Ewelina Nowicka and directed by Zygmunt Rychert
- Lydia Auster (1912-1993) : Piano Concerto in G Major op.18 performed by Arbo Valdma and conducted by Neeme Järvi with the Estonian State Symphony Orchestra (1952)
- Marie Jaëll (1846-1925) : Piano Concerto #1 (1877) performed by Romain Descharmes with the Orchestre National de Lille directed by Joseph Swensen ; Piano Concerto #2 performed by David Violi with the Orchestre National de Lille directed by Joseph Swensen (2012)
- Max d'Ollone : Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra ; Etudes de Concert 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 played by Gérard Parmentier on a Pleyel Cert Piano (1963) ; Lamento for Orchestra (1908)
Max d'Ollone is one of the unfortunately forgotten representatives of the Romantic French School, along with Gabriel Pierné and Albéric Magnard. People will mostly remember Gabriel Fauré.
- Mikalojus Čiurlionis (1875-1911) : Miške (In The Forest) (1901) and Piano Works including Nocturne VI 178 ; Impromptu VI 181 (3:19) ; Prelude VI 188 (8:48) and Prelude VI 230 (10:14)
- Natanael Berg (1879-1957) : Symphony #1 (Alles endet was entstehet) (1912) conducted by Ari Rasilainen with the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Platz ; Symphony #2 (1916) conducted by Ari Rasilenen ; Symphony No.5 (Trilogia delle Passioni) (1924) conducted by Ivar Hellman with the Radioorkesten (1956)
- Nicolas Flagello (1928-1994) : Piano Concerto #1 ; #2 ; Piano Concerto #3 ; Missa Symphonica performed by the National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine directed by John Laughlin Williams with Tatjana Rankovich at the piano
- Nikolaj Rakow (1908-1990) : Concert Etude #4 ; Piano Concerto #1 (1969) performed by A. Nasedkin with the Strings of State SO conducted by N. Rakow
Rakow is closer to Jazz than Romanticism, as the keys employed prove it. The Concert Etude #4 for instance is primarily in the key of A Lydian dominant (A overtone), which is a commonly used mode in jazz music. Another example of this key used in a 'classical' context is Debussy's L'Isle Joyeuse. For a very modern example, all one has to do is listen to The Simpsons Theme tune.
- Otar Taktakishvili (1924-1989) : Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor (1950) performed by Jungram Kin Khwarg and conducted by Dong Hock Hyun (Part 2) ; Poem (1949) performed by Luka Okrostsvaridze
- Paul Ladmirault (1877-1944) : 2nd Movement of the Sonate for Cello and Piano performed by François Salque and Alexandre Tharaud ; Brocelianda in the Morning (1909) conducted by Stefan Sanderling ; Sad Waltz for Piano and Orchestra performed by Colette Diard with the Orchestre de Bretagne conducted by Stefan Sanderling
- Peteris Barisons (1904-1947) : Symphony #2 in E flat Major « Romantic » conducted by Edgars Tons : The Awakening of Love (Allegro con brio) 13:05 and Sentiment (Tranquillo) 9:40 and Part 2 : Erotica (Allegro con affetto) 8:45 and Death of Love (Andante sostenuto) 9:00 ; Legend (1937) : Symphonic Poem directed by Janis Zirnis
- Natanael Berg (1879-1957) : Symphony #1 (Alles endet was entstehet) (1912) conducted by Ari Rasilainen with the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Platz ; Symphony #2 (1916) conducted by Ari Rasilenen ; Symphony No.5 (Trilogia delle Passioni) (1924) conducted by Ivar Hellman with the Radioorkesten (1956)
- Nicolas Flagello (1928-1994) : Piano Concerto #1 ; #2 ; Piano Concerto #3 ; Missa Symphonica performed by the National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine directed by John Laughlin Williams with Tatjana Rankovich at the piano
- Nikolaj Rakow (1908-1990) : Concert Etude #4 ; Piano Concerto #1 (1969) performed by A. Nasedkin with the Strings of State SO conducted by N. Rakow
Rakow is closer to Jazz than Romanticism, as the keys employed prove it. The Concert Etude #4 for instance is primarily in the key of A Lydian dominant (A overtone), which is a commonly used mode in jazz music. Another example of this key used in a 'classical' context is Debussy's L'Isle Joyeuse. For a very modern example, all one has to do is listen to The Simpsons Theme tune.
- Otar Taktakishvili (1924-1989) : Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor (1950) performed by Jungram Kin Khwarg and conducted by Dong Hock Hyun (Part 2) ; Poem (1949) performed by Luka Okrostsvaridze
- Paul Ladmirault (1877-1944) : 2nd Movement of the Sonate for Cello and Piano performed by François Salque and Alexandre Tharaud ; Brocelianda in the Morning (1909) conducted by Stefan Sanderling ; Sad Waltz for Piano and Orchestra performed by Colette Diard with the Orchestre de Bretagne conducted by Stefan Sanderling
- Peteris Barisons (1904-1947) : Symphony #2 in E flat Major « Romantic » conducted by Edgars Tons : The Awakening of Love (Allegro con brio) 13:05 and Sentiment (Tranquillo) 9:40 and Part 2 : Erotica (Allegro con affetto) 8:45 and Death of Love (Andante sostenuto) 9:00 ; Legend (1937) : Symphonic Poem directed by Janis Zirnis
- Ricardo Lamote de Grignon (1899-1962) : Piano Concerto « Triptico de la Piel de Toro » (1958) performed by Daniel Blanch and conducted by Marcin Niesiolowski : 1 - Lentamente (10.54) ; 2 - Adagio (10:05) ; 3 - Moderato. Allegro Vivace (09:18) ; Concerto Magico (1953) performed by Albert Guinovert and directed by Xavier Puig ; Symphonic Version of the theme Noche de Reyes (1936) conducted by Ataúlfo de Argenta Maza (1913-1958)
- Richard Addinsell : The Warsaw Concerto (1941) orchestrated by Roy Douglas into a single-movement piano concerto
- Richard Arnell (1917-2009) : Piano Concerto #1 (1946) performed by David Owen Norris and directed by Martin Yates 1 - Allegro. Molto Appassionato (14.23) ; Andante (10:43) ; Poco Presto (07:44)
At times, it does sound like a weird mix between Mozart and John Williams !?
- Robert Docker (1918-1992) : Legend for Piano and Orchestra (1959) performed by William Davies and conducted by Barry Knight. Here is a slower and shorter version for Piano solo adapted by Philipp Sear (2009)
- Rodion Shchedrin (b;. 1932) : Piano Concerto #1 in D Major (1954) performed by Vladimir Krainev and directed by Alexander Dmitriev : Maestoso con Moto (7:58) ; Scherzo. Toccata (2:45) ; Passacaglia. Sostenuto (4:47) and Finale. Presto Festoso (5:38)
- Rudolf Kattnigg (1895-1955) : Piano Concerto (1934) performed by Hans Kann and directed by Karl Etti
- Ruth Gipps (1921-1999) : Piano Concerto in G minor (1948) performed by Eileen Broster and directed by Ruth Gipps
- Selim Palmgren (1878-1951) : Piano Concerto #1 op. 13 and Piano Concerto #5 op. 99 preformed by Raija Kerppo and the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra ; Snowflakes op. 57 performed by Izumi Tateno ; Rain Drops op. 54/1 performed by Risto Lauriala (2000)
Selim Palmgren, The Finnish Chopin, wrote several Piano Concertos, a Sonata in D minor, symphonic works, and operas. But it was in his shorter piano pieces, and his songs, however - as an inimitable miniaturist - that he achieved his best. He knew how to present a mood or a picture with the minimum of means and the maximum of effect. His Snowflakes and Raindrops are little masterpieces of impressionism and amazing studies in musical psychology. His songs breathe the melancholy of the North, but also its austere beauty and grandeur.
- Theo Mackeben (1897-1953) : Piano Concerto in B flat minor (1945) performed by Julius Bassler and directed by Werner Eisbrenner
- Thomas Oboe Lee (b. 1945) : Piano Concerto « Mozartiana » op. 118 (2007) performed by Robert Levin with the Boston Classical Orchestra conducted by Steven Lipsitt : 1 - Moderato. Allegro (8.41) and 2 - Adagio (12.23)
- Toni Mineo (b. 1926) : Rhapsody 21 for Piano and Orchestra (1961) performed by Sondra Bianca and directed by Paul Whiteman
A Hollywoodian short concerto composed for the Seattle World's Fair (1961)
- Tyzen Tsiao (b. 1938) : Piano Concerto in C minor (1992) performed by Anatoly Sheludyakov and directed by Wakhtang Jordania (1994) : 1 - Allegro moderato (13.03) ; 2 - Andante (10.48) and 3 - Allegro con fuoco (10.38) ; The Angel from Formosa (2011)
- Veselin Stoyanov (1902-1969) : Piano Concerto #1 in A minor (1942) performed by Boris Nedeltchev and directed by Vasil Kazandhiev : 1 - Moderato e maestoso (15:11) ; 2 - Andante molto tranquillo (8:30) ; 3 - Allegretto (8:40) Piano Concerto #2 in D minor (1953) performed by Youri Boukoff
- Vittorio Giannini (1909-1966) : Piano Concerto (1935) performed by Gabriela Imrek and directed by Daniel Spaldind : 1 - Sostenuto (21:24) ; 2 - Adagio (8:33) ; 3 - Allegro vigoroso (11:24)
- Zara Levina (1906-1976) : Piano Concerto No. 1 (1945) performed by Leonid Brumberg and dir. Vladimir Kin
- Richard Addinsell : The Warsaw Concerto (1941) orchestrated by Roy Douglas into a single-movement piano concerto
- Richard Arnell (1917-2009) : Piano Concerto #1 (1946) performed by David Owen Norris and directed by Martin Yates 1 - Allegro. Molto Appassionato (14.23) ; Andante (10:43) ; Poco Presto (07:44)
At times, it does sound like a weird mix between Mozart and John Williams !?
- Robert Docker (1918-1992) : Legend for Piano and Orchestra (1959) performed by William Davies and conducted by Barry Knight. Here is a slower and shorter version for Piano solo adapted by Philipp Sear (2009)
- Rodion Shchedrin (b;. 1932) : Piano Concerto #1 in D Major (1954) performed by Vladimir Krainev and directed by Alexander Dmitriev : Maestoso con Moto (7:58) ; Scherzo. Toccata (2:45) ; Passacaglia. Sostenuto (4:47) and Finale. Presto Festoso (5:38)
- Rudolf Kattnigg (1895-1955) : Piano Concerto (1934) performed by Hans Kann and directed by Karl Etti
- Ruth Gipps (1921-1999) : Piano Concerto in G minor (1948) performed by Eileen Broster and directed by Ruth Gipps
- Selim Palmgren (1878-1951) : Piano Concerto #1 op. 13 and Piano Concerto #5 op. 99 preformed by Raija Kerppo and the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra ; Snowflakes op. 57 performed by Izumi Tateno ; Rain Drops op. 54/1 performed by Risto Lauriala (2000)
Selim Palmgren, The Finnish Chopin, wrote several Piano Concertos, a Sonata in D minor, symphonic works, and operas. But it was in his shorter piano pieces, and his songs, however - as an inimitable miniaturist - that he achieved his best. He knew how to present a mood or a picture with the minimum of means and the maximum of effect. His Snowflakes and Raindrops are little masterpieces of impressionism and amazing studies in musical psychology. His songs breathe the melancholy of the North, but also its austere beauty and grandeur.
- Theo Mackeben (1897-1953) : Piano Concerto in B flat minor (1945) performed by Julius Bassler and directed by Werner Eisbrenner
- Thomas Oboe Lee (b. 1945) : Piano Concerto « Mozartiana » op. 118 (2007) performed by Robert Levin with the Boston Classical Orchestra conducted by Steven Lipsitt : 1 - Moderato. Allegro (8.41) and 2 - Adagio (12.23)
- Toni Mineo (b. 1926) : Rhapsody 21 for Piano and Orchestra (1961) performed by Sondra Bianca and directed by Paul Whiteman
A Hollywoodian short concerto composed for the Seattle World's Fair (1961)
- Tyzen Tsiao (b. 1938) : Piano Concerto in C minor (1992) performed by Anatoly Sheludyakov and directed by Wakhtang Jordania (1994) : 1 - Allegro moderato (13.03) ; 2 - Andante (10.48) and 3 - Allegro con fuoco (10.38) ; The Angel from Formosa (2011)
- Veselin Stoyanov (1902-1969) : Piano Concerto #1 in A minor (1942) performed by Boris Nedeltchev and directed by Vasil Kazandhiev : 1 - Moderato e maestoso (15:11) ; 2 - Andante molto tranquillo (8:30) ; 3 - Allegretto (8:40) Piano Concerto #2 in D minor (1953) performed by Youri Boukoff
- Vittorio Giannini (1909-1966) : Piano Concerto (1935) performed by Gabriela Imrek and directed by Daniel Spaldind : 1 - Sostenuto (21:24) ; 2 - Adagio (8:33) ; 3 - Allegro vigoroso (11:24)
- Zara Levina (1906-1976) : Piano Concerto No. 1 (1945) performed by Leonid Brumberg and dir. Vladimir Kin
Jewels of Light Music
The English call her Light Music, the Frenchmen call it Musique Légère. Born in the 30s and gaining its highest popularity in the 40s, the Light Music played an important role in the victory of the Allies against the Nazis. It is indeed thanks to this music permanently broadcast on the BBC that the English spirit lost nothing of its native cheerfulness or irresistible optimism. Against Wagnerian Walkyries, the British set their Light Music, as, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the Americans broadcast their own Jazz and Swing music. The Light Music is highly inventive, however very seriously written by Anglo-Saxon composers such as Leroy Anderson, Haydn Wood, Eric Coates, Vivian Ellis, Robert Farnon and Clive Richardson. In our desperate times, constantly brainwashed by aggressive music, these witty tunes should more than ever be broadcast on our radio channels. And maybe, thanks to them, we could win our fight against heavy spirits who are deaf to real music and real beauty...
Here are some samples : vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 4, vol. 5, vol 6, vol 7 and vol. 8
The Best of the VST Virtual Studio Technology
- Bruno Miranda (b. 1971) : Adagio Lamentoso for String orchestra (2008) created with Sibelius 6 and East West Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra
Bruno Miranda : « This work is dedicated to Gustav Mahler, one of my favorite composers, and I tried to recreate the mood and the sentiment that we can find in the slow movements of Mahler's symphonies. I wanted to write a work in my own composition style but one that could express the passion and admiration I have for his music. »
- Carl Bladez (b. 1989) : Piano Concerto : Andante (2011) : you can hear it's not a real orchestra, it's too regular and has problems with nuances but it has some very nice parts indeed !
- Corentin Boissier (b. 1995) : Philip Marlowe Piano Concerto : 1st movement (2012) and full version here.
- Hans-André Stamm (b. 1958) : Per Aspera ad Astra for piano and orchestra (2009)
- Gérald Olivieri (b. 1952) (France) : Piano Concerto (2011) : 1 - Allegro (5.38) ; 2 - Andante (4.43) ; 3 - Scherzo (2.05) ; 4 - Cadenza (2.04) created with Logic Pro : Vienna Symphonic Library (VSL)
http://soundcloud.com/geraldol
- Jean-Jacques Engels (b. 1956) : Music for a Virtual Movie (2008) : 1 - Return to Saint-Malo (2.47) ; 2 - Color Pencils (1.40) ; 3 - Her body (1.58) ; 4 - Sweet Afternoon (2.09) ; 5 - Tribute to John Barry (1.47) composed with Cubase, Piano The Grand 2 (Steinberg), Symphonic Orchestra Gold (East West Quantum Leap), Symphonic Choirs (EWQL), Rythmique et Accordéon Kolossus (EWQL)
- Jennifer Athena Galatis (b. 1971) : Piano Concerto in F Major (2010) : it's fun how it sounds a lot like the Opening Titles of Pride and Prejudice (1995)^^
http://www.jennifergalatis.com/
- Richard Birdsall (b. 1989) : Knights and Magic (2007) created with Finale and Garritan Personal Orchestra (GPO)
Film Music
This section doesn't take inconsideration the quality of the films, only of the soundtrack. Ironically, some of the best scores can be found in the worst films !
Alexandre Desplat
The French composer (born 1961) has received six Academy Award nominations, six BAFTA Nominations, six Golden Globe Award Nominations, 5 Grammy Nominations. He worked on Hollywood commercial successes like The Queen, Benjamin Button, Twilight Chapter 2 : New Moon, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The King' Speech.
Here are my favourites themes :
- Full Moon from New Moon (2009)
- Calling The Guardians and Alone in the World (Jack's Theme) from Rise of the Guardians (2012)
- Main Theme from The Monuments Men (2014) : Light and fun ! The style is close to Indiana Jones dynamics !
- Calling The Guardians and Alone in the World (Jack's Theme) from Rise of the Guardians (2012)
- Main Theme from The Monuments Men (2014) : Light and fun ! The style is close to Indiana Jones dynamics !
Patrick Doyle
Eliot Goldenthal
Harry Gregson-Williams
- Battle Theme from Narnia (2006)
Lee Holdridge
One of the most underrated film composers nowadays, Holdridge nevertheless composed beautiful themes for series such as East of Eden (1981), Beauty and the Beast (1987-1990) and The Shunning (2011).
John Powell
The English conductor (born 1963) is best know for his scores to action films such as Mr. and Mrs. Smith or the Bourne Trilogy.
- Death and Transfiguration from Hancock (2009) : The best part actually begins at 1:45
- How To Train Your Dragon Suite (2010)
- How To Train Your Dragon Suite (2010)
Nino Rota (1911-1979)
- Romeo and Juliet Orchestral Suite conducted by Kenneth Alwyn (1968) / Piano Solo arranged by Cyril de Saint-Amour (2012)
Actually my favourite performance is the Violin solo version arr. by André Rieu : it's absolutely overwhelming ! I've never heard such a beautiful sound from a violin...
Here are more about André Rieu Romantic Moments.
- The Glass Mountain (1942) Orchestral Version / Piano Concerto Version / Piano Solo
- Main Titles from Death on the Nile (1978)
Howard Shore
- The Lord of the Rings Symphony in 6 Movements : actually one of the best things ever written in this century !
- Eclipse (2009) : The most intense part is Riley (actually the best and only interesting scene of the movie, it was also added to the book^^) but Rosalie and Jasper themes also include a few interesting passages. Actually it just sounds to close to The Lord of the Rings to be striking and unique. Alexandre Desplat was the best composer of them all for Twilight.
Max Steiner (1888-1971)
This brilliant Austrian composer is along with Miklos Rozsa, the father of film scores from romance (Casablanca, 1942) and adventure to war movies (Gone with the Wind, 1939).
Franz Waxman (1906-1967)
It sometimes gets a little too cheesy with weary dribbling fiddle style. Franz Waxman is best known for writing scores for big productions such as A Place in the Sun (1951) ; Rebecca (1940) or The Paradine Case (1947).
John Williams : Star Wars (1977-2005)
You really have to buy the DVD Star Wars : A Musical Journey. It's simply astounding !
The Main Menu in itself is an absolutely riveting original composition !
TITLES include, among my favourites :
- Anakin's Theme / Across The Stars
- Battle of the Heroes / Imperial March
- Binary Sunset
- Yoda's Theme / Asteroid Field
- Luke and Leia / Brother and Sister
I'm sure you notices the quality of the introductions by Ian Mc Diarmid, the one who saved the Prelogy from being an acting disaster...
Hans Zimmer
Most of this brilliant composer's music is adequately epic, fast-paced and very energetic, generally dealing with knights, kings and heroes, but he also comes out with soft and romantic themes (Pearl Harbour) or very sad and breath-taking parts (Parricide and Pirates of the Caribbean)
- King Arthur Suite RMX (2004)
- Tennessee from Pearl Harbour (2001)
- Main Theme from Crimson Tide (1995)
- The Battle and Patricide from Gladiator (2000)
- Pirates of the Caribbean Suite RMX (2008) : The best soundtrack for one of the worst movies ever produced !
- The Dark Knight Rises Suite RMX from Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy (2012) with James Newton Howard
- Tennessee from Pearl Harbour (2001)
- Main Theme from Crimson Tide (1995)
- The Battle and Patricide from Gladiator (2000)
- Pirates of the Caribbean Suite RMX (2008) : The best soundtrack for one of the worst movies ever produced !
- The Dark Knight Rises Suite RMX from Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy (2012) with James Newton Howard
Miscellaneous
- Jack The Giantslayer Suite (2013) composed by John Ottman : The opening and ending are absolutely fabulous !
- Main Theme from Spiderman (2002) / Main Titles from Black Beauty (2010) and Oz : The Great and Powerful (2013) composed by Danny Elfman
- Arthur and Gwen Theme Song from the Merlin series (2008-2013) by Bob Lane and Rohan Stevenson
- Main Theme from Departures / おくりびと Okuribito (2008) by Joe Hisaishi, who composed many of Miyazaki's Films Scores
- Peau d'Âne Suite (1970) by Michel Legrand
- Game of Thrones Suite (2013) by Ramin Djawadi : The Main Titles and Finale are the most interesting. The rest is rather boring !
- Shooting Star and The Coronation from the Stardust Suite (2007) written by Ilan Eshkeri : The coronation bit at the end is adequately kingly. Superb !
- Butterflies in the Subway for the fun bit and Goodnight Dear Void or Remember for the emotional bit from the movie You've Got Mail (1999) written by George Fenton
- Now You See Me (2013) by Brian Tyler
- The Enchanted Cottage (1945) by Roy Webb (1888-1982) performed by Max Rabinowitsch and directed by Constantin Bakaleinikoff : Skip to 2:00 directly and enjoy from 2:10 onwards !
An Hommage to Great Performers
Philipp Sear
- The Dream of Olwen adapted from the score of 1947 British film While I Live composed by Charles Williams aka Isaac Cozerbreit (1893-1978)
- The Grey Waltz adapted to piano solo from the score of 1937 French film Carnet de Bal directed by Julien Duvivier and composed by Maurice Jaubert (1900-1940)
- Legend from the 1959 film scored by Robert Docker
- Laura from the 1944 film scored by David Raskin
The Piano Guys
Jon Schmidt & Steven Sharp Nelson
Classical music is such a big part of who we, The Piano Guys, are. You can hear it in everything we write. We love pairing it with the music of today.
DON'T ONLY PRACTICE YOUR ART.
BUT FORCE YOUR WAY INTO ITS SECRET.
FOR IT AND KNOWLEDGE
CAN RAISE MEN TO THE DIVINE.
Ludwig van Beethoven
- From the movie The Mission (1986) : Gabriel's Oboe (Iguazu Falls) written by Ennio Morricone, combined with the praise hymn How Great Thou Art.
From the series Wonder of the World.
Wonder no. 1 : The Christ Redeemer of Rio.
The Mission is a movie that powerfully depicts the lives of men that lay down their lives for others. It was also filmed at Iguazu Falls. How Great Thou Art praises God and all that He has done for His children on this Earth. The two melodies harmonize so beautifully with each other, both musically and thematically. As Jon and Steven played these pieces in front of the Christ Redeemer Statue and Iguazu Falls, they said they 'felt an overwhelming sense of wonder, peace, and joy'. I hope you will feel it too, listening to this breath-taking and peaceful music.
- Kung Fu Piano : Cello Ascends. Inspired from from the Kung Fu Panda Sountrack written by Hans Zimmer and based on Frederick Chopin's Prelude Op. 28 No. 20 in C Minor.
From the series Wonder of the World.
Wonder no. 2 : The Wall of China
- Arwen's Vigil : original song written by Jon Schmidt & Steven Sharp Nelson
When Aragorn was abroad, from afar Arwen watched over him in thought. (Lord of the Rings)
Inspired from the themes written by Howard Shore.
- Titanium written by David Guetta combined with Fauré's Pavane
- A Thousand Years written for Twilight by Christian Perri
- O Come, Emanuel (traditional song). Arranged by Marshall McDonald and Steven Sharp Nelson. Also Where are you Christmas featuring Sarah Schmidt.
- Bring Him Home from Les Miserables as written by Claude-Michel Schönberg with words by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil.
Realizing how much military families sacrifices for duty and their country, The Piano Guys dedicated this song to these heroic families.
From the series Wonder of the World.
Wonder no. 1 : The Christ Redeemer of Rio.
The Mission is a movie that powerfully depicts the lives of men that lay down their lives for others. It was also filmed at Iguazu Falls. How Great Thou Art praises God and all that He has done for His children on this Earth. The two melodies harmonize so beautifully with each other, both musically and thematically. As Jon and Steven played these pieces in front of the Christ Redeemer Statue and Iguazu Falls, they said they 'felt an overwhelming sense of wonder, peace, and joy'. I hope you will feel it too, listening to this breath-taking and peaceful music.
- Kung Fu Piano : Cello Ascends. Inspired from from the Kung Fu Panda Sountrack written by Hans Zimmer and based on Frederick Chopin's Prelude Op. 28 No. 20 in C Minor.
From the series Wonder of the World.
Wonder no. 2 : The Wall of China
- Arwen's Vigil : original song written by Jon Schmidt & Steven Sharp Nelson
When Aragorn was abroad, from afar Arwen watched over him in thought. (Lord of the Rings)
Inspired from the themes written by Howard Shore.
- Titanium written by David Guetta combined with Fauré's Pavane
- A Thousand Years written for Twilight by Christian Perri
- O Come, Emanuel (traditional song). Arranged by Marshall McDonald and Steven Sharp Nelson. Also Where are you Christmas featuring Sarah Schmidt.
- Bring Him Home from Les Miserables as written by Claude-Michel Schönberg with words by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil.
Realizing how much military families sacrifices for duty and their country, The Piano Guys dedicated this song to these heroic families.
Epic Music
Audiomachine
Audiomachine is a production music company founded in 2005 and producing trailer music composed by Paul Dinletir and Kevin Rix. Their released 5 Public Albums : Chronicles (2012), Epica (2012), Helios (2012), Tree of Life (2013) and Millennium (2013). Private Industry Releases include The Platinum Series I, II, III : Eterna, IV, Existence (2013) and Phenomena (2014) among others.
The overall genre is somewhat repetitive and one couldn't possibly listen to this sometimes very energetic music for hours, but some titles are incredible. Here are some of my favourites :
- Age of Dragons from The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug Trailer (2014) : When did we allow evil to become stronger than us ? (Tauriel)
- Apollo's Triumph from Wrath of the Titans Movie (2012). The movie is by the way one of the worst ever done !
- Army of Kings from The Primes Album (2012) : For God and Country
- Guardians at the Gate from Avatar and How to Train Your Dragon (2012) : The beginning is quite fascinating but then the tension goes loose and it all turns quite tedious.
- Oedipus Rex composed for King Arthur Video Game
- Unfinished Life written by Danail Gaetz
- Platinum Series III : Eterna. The style here is incredibly close to Hans Zimmer
GRV Music (RMX)
Created in 2008, GRV is the producer of Fan Made remixes (RMX) of classical music, epic soundtrack scores and trailer music. GeoRge V remixes in particular TSFH, Audiomachine, Immediate Music, Hans Zimmer and other scores that he considered superb but too short and wanted to extend and develop. In some scores such as Battle of the Worlds and Armageddon, the classical influence especially by Mozart is obvious.
- Calamity and Kara Kul written by Mark Petrie and remixed for the Prelude to Calamity Album (2011)
- Crimson Tide (RMX), Battle of the Worlds, The Dark Knight III, Fallen Army, Grand Battle and Rise and Fall of an Empire mixed by James Dooley for the Bellum Album (2009)
My favourite RMX is definitely Armageddon, written by Hans Zimmer, Trevor Rabin and Harry Gregson-Williams and remixed by James Doodley for the Bellum Album (2009)
- Crimson Tide (RMX), Battle of the Worlds, The Dark Knight III, Fallen Army, Grand Battle and Rise and Fall of an Empire mixed by James Dooley for the Bellum Album (2009)
My favourite RMX is definitely Armageddon, written by Hans Zimmer, Trevor Rabin and Harry Gregson-Williams and remixed by James Doodley for the Bellum Album (2009)
Jeffrey Hayat
One of my lesser favourites. His most interesting titles include Demon Hunter, Of Gods and Kings and King of the Fishermen. Yet somehow it lacks character and rythm. There's no real construction here, no slower or faster movements, which means no surprise, just the overused entrée fuguée of the different instruments and the choir : it rapidly becomes boring in the end.
Immediate Music
Immediate Music is another composition company providing a specialized library of Trailer Music for commercial motion pictures. It was founded in 1992 by composers Yoav Goren and Jeffrey Hayman. In 2007, it receive an Emmy for Outstanding Music Composition. Unfortunately, most of their albums are commercially unavailable to the public.
TSFH (Nick Phoenix)
Here is a Compilation of their best songs from 11 epic albums (2006-2013), including public albums and demonstrating albums aimed at professionals : Nemesis (2007), Dynasty (2007), Legend (2008), Invincible (2010), Illusions (2011), Nero (2011), Archangel (2011), Skyworld (2012), Two Steps from Heaven (2012) and some others :
My favourite scores include :
- Heart of Courage from the Legend Album (2008)
- Protectors of the Earth and Freedom Fighters from the Invincible Album (2010)
- Strength of a Thousand Men and United we Stand, Divided we Fall from the Nero Album (2011)
- Trailer Music from Eclipse (2010)
TSFH is a Production Music Company founded by Nick Phoenix and Thomas J. Bergersen. This compilation is a tribute to their great works. All rights belong to the respective owners.
The Best of Video Game Music
As surprising as it may seem, video games are also an occasion for great composers to demonstrate their talent, worthy of any film for the most brilliant of them. Here is a mix of the best scores : Part 1 and Part 2 as performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Thomas Bergersen : Cry from the Album Sun (2013)
Not all of them are worth listening to but the overall genre and styles are as varied as you can get. Once again, the influence of Classical and film music is quite obvious at times.
Religious Music
POLYPHONY
Gabriel Faure
- Cantique de Jean Racine sung by the Cambridge Singers (2009)
It's so beautiful it hurts and just leaves me crying about my own inadequacy...
- Requiem op.48 performed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus (2013) with Judith Blegen and James Morris, and directed by Robert Shaw
George Fredric Haendel
- Zadok the Priest sung by he Choir of King's College, Cambridge with the Academy of Ancient Music (2012)
It's a very emotional and beautiful piece for organ solo as well. I played it for my best friend's wedding. I got inspired by the wedding of Mary and Crown Prince Frederick of Danemark in 2004.
Felix Mendelssohn
- Psalm 42 by the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris dir. by Philippe Herrewhege : I hold this one very dearly because I worked on it as an accompanying pianist.