Solo Concertos
2024-03-16 —
Michael Haupt
A piano concerto normally involves, of course, a piano (duh), and then, an orchestra. As nothing is impossible in art, some composers got ideas and wrote concertos for piano solo. The challenge with these is that the pianist has to play the solo part, which is usually complicated enough in concertos, while also emulating the orchestra. That makes for some pretty interesting music.
Meet Charles-Valentin Alkan, French late romantic pianist and composer. His Concerto for Solo Piano is a 50-minute monument of virtuosity. The incomparable John Ogdon here delivers it.
Tags: music