[KenL]

I love a lot of sub-genres for different reasons. Examples: seeing Bruckner 4 live has turned me onto “big” symphonies, so I’m devouring performances of his and Mahler’s cycles. I’m also a life long choir singer and fan, so I’m always on the lookout for harmonic brilliance in choral music.

One of my favorite recent addictions is also second/slow movements of great piano concertos - for whatever reason I’m finding these to be some of the most outright beautiful music I’ve ever heard. A few that have recently moved me a lot:

• Beethoven’s Emperor concerto, mvmt 2
• Rachmaninoff’s 2nd and 3rd concertos, both 2nd movements
• Ravel’s piano concerto, mvmt 2
• Chopin’s 1st concerto, mvmt 2
• Shostakovich’s 2nd concerto, mvmt 2

You get the gist - the slow, romantic, beautiful stuff. Help me discover or re-discover more like these, please. Suggested listening? I want to be moved to tears by utter beauty. Thanks in advance.

PS bonus points for not only recommending a piece, but also a favorite recording of it.

 

[Phil loves classical]

Barber's and Korngold's violin concertos, 2nd movement
Kalinnikov's Symphonies 1 and 2, 2nd movement
Arensky's Symphony 1, 2nd movement
Ivanov's Symphonies 2 and 3, 2nd movement
Respighi's Airs and Dances, Suite No. 1,Villanella
Sarasate Zigeunerweisen, middle section

 

[Kreisler jr]

Fairly obvious choices would be the remaining piano concertos from the composers whose works you already like.
A few more piano concertos to consider: Grieg, Schumann, Brahms, Prokofiev #3, Mozart #17,18,20,20-27.
Also the famous violin concertos (or their slow movements): Bach double, Mozart 3+5, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Bruch (esp. #1 and Scottish Fantasy), Brahms, Saint-Saens #3.
Cello concertos by Dvorak, Schumann, Elgar, Saint-Saens.

 

[Ulalume!Ulalume!]

I love all the works you shared, so I'll add a few I love just as much, though mostly violin-centric
I've added conductor alongside performer, since perfomers often have more than one recording of the same piece

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major by Wilhelm Backhaus/Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Beethoven: Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano in C Major by Oistrakh, Rostropovich & Richter/Herbert von Karajan
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D Major by Ruggiero Ricci/Sir Adrian Boult
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major by Wilhelm Backhaus/Karl Bohm
Brahms: Double Concerto for Violin and Cello in A Minor by David Oistrakh & Pierre Fournier/Malcolm Sargent
Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Major by Fritz Kreisler/Sir John Barbirolli
Bruch: Scottish Fantasy by Arthur Grumiaux/Heinz Wallberg
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor by David Oistrakh/Lovro Von Matacic
Grieg: Piano Concerto by Arthur Rubinstein/Alfred Wallenstein
Khachaturian: Violin Concerto in D Minor by Ruggiero Ricci/Anatole Fistoulari
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in D Minor by Yehudi Menuhin with the RCA Victor String Orchestra
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor by Jascha Heifetz/Charles Munch
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sviatoslav Richter/Stanislaw Wislocki
Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen by Jascha Heifetz/Sir John Barbirolli
Schumann: Cello Concerto in A Minor by Pierre Fournier/Malcolm Sargent
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major by Mischa Elman/Sir Adrian Boult
Wieniawski: Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor by Mischa Elman/Sir Adrian Boult

 

[REP]

 

[SONNET CLV]

Since Rachmaninoff is on your list, along with "big symphonies", don't overlook the Adagio (third movement) of that composer's Symphony No. 2 In E Minor.

Too, consider all those other Russian Romantics who wrote big symphonies and/or lyrical orchestral music: Kalinnikov, Glazunov, Borodin, Balakirev, Myaskovsky, Arensky, Taneyev, Lyapunov, Lyatoshinsky .... There are so many. I won't get into specific pieces and movements, because you have to do the exploring. But that's where all the fun is anyhow!

-- I will say this: I am currently listening to movement 2 (Andante Sostenuto) of Sergei Lyapunov's Symphony No. 1 in B minor, and the lyricism of that piece fits the bill, I'm sure. Gorgeous stuff.
Too, I recall that Lyapunov has his Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 represented on a Hyperion disc, number 30 in "The Romantic Piano Concerto" series. Much of the music on this disc is lyrical stuff, especially the two Adagio non tanto movements in Concertfo No. 1 in E flat minor. Maybe I'll listen to that disc next.

 

[Nawdry]

One of my favorite recent addictions is also second/slow movements of great piano concertos - for whatever reason I’m finding these to be some of the most outright beautiful music I’ve ever heard. ... You get the gist - the slow, romantic, beautiful stuff. Help me discover or re-discover more like these, please. Suggested listening? I want to be moved to tears by utter beauty. Thanks in advance.

You might explore:
Shostakovich: Piano Quintet
Piston: Piano Quintet
Ravel: Piano Trio
Martinu: Tri Ricercari (prominent piano part)

Above are particular favorites of mine, but I suspect my CD recordings are no longer available ...

 

[KenL]

Barber's and Korngold's violin concertos, 2nd movement
Kalinnikov's Symphonies 1 and 2, 2nd movement
Arensky's Symphony 1, 2nd movement
Ivanov's Symphonies 2 and 3, 2nd movement
Respighi's Airs and Dances, Suite No. 1,Villanella
Sarasate Zigeunerweisen, middle section

Thank you so much for these - will be mostly new material for me, other than Kalinnikov (whom I love!). Much obliged for the recommendations.

Fairly obvious choices would be the remaining piano concertos from the composers whose works you already like.
A few more piano concertos to consider: Grieg, Schumann, Brahms, Prokofiev #3, Mozart #17,18,20,20-27.
Also the famous violin concertos (or their slow movements): Bach double, Mozart 3+5, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Bruch (esp. #1 and Scottish Fantasy), Brahms, Saint-Saens #3.
Cello concertos by Dvorak, Schumann, Elgar, Saint-Saens.

Many thanks for prodding me toward the violin concertos - listed all of these in my queue to pay attention to the slow movements. LOVE Grieg and Schumann's second movements, and Brahms' concertos are so good all the way through that almost every movement is as good as the rest. Had forgotten about some of those good Mozart second movements, too, so thank you again for all these great recommendations.

I love all the works you shared, so I'll add a few I love just as much, though mostly violin-centric
I've added conductor alongside performer, since perfomers often have more than one recording of the same piece

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major by Wilhelm Backhaus/Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Beethoven: Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano in C Major by Oistrakh, Rostropovich & Richter/Herbert von Karajan
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D Major by Ruggiero Ricci/Sir Adrian Boult
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major by Wilhelm Backhaus/Karl Bohm
Brahms: Double Concerto for Violin and Cello in A Minor by David Oistrakh & Pierre Fournier/Malcolm Sargent
Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Major by Fritz Kreisler/Sir John Barbirolli
Bruch: Scottish Fantasy by Arthur Grumiaux/Heinz Wallberg
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor by David Oistrakh/Lovro Von Matacic
Grieg: Piano Concerto by Arthur Rubinstein/Alfred Wallenstein
Khachaturian: Violin Concerto in D Minor by Ruggiero Ricci/Anatole Fistoulari
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in D Minor by Yehudi Menuhin with the RCA Victor String Orchestra
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor by Jascha Heifetz/Charles Munch
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sviatoslav Richter/Stanislaw Wislocki
Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen by Jascha Heifetz/Sir John Barbirolli
Schumann: Cello Concerto in A Minor by Pierre Fournier/Malcolm Sargent
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major by Mischa Elman/Sir Adrian Boult
Wieniawski: Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor by Mischa Elman/Sir Adrian Boult

Fantastic list, queued up every one to listen (or re-listen and pay more attention, if I've heard them before). Definitely will be some stuff that is brand new to me - Bruch for sure, I've barely scratched the surface, Saraste, Khachaturian, and Weiniawski I have never listened to at all, so checking into all three of those for sure. Much appreciated for the time you put into giving me such a great list.

Thanks so much for some great ones AND the links! The Copeland is a piece I hadn't heard - absolutely stunning - and the choral piece is just jaw-droppingly beautiful - that whole album seems like an absolute trove of great pieces. Appreciate you!

Since Rachmaninoff is on your list, along with "big symphonies", don't overlook the Adagio (third movement) of that composer's Symphony No. 2 In E Minor.

Too, consider all those other Russian Romantics who wrote big symphonies and/or lyrical orchestral music: Kalinnikov, Glazunov, Borodin, Balakirev, Myaskovsky, Arensky, Taneyev, Lyapunov, Lyatoshinsky .... There are so many. I won't get into specific pieces and movements, because you have to do the exploring. But that's where all the fun is anyhow!

-- I will say this: I am currently listening to movement 2 (Andante Sostenuto) of Sergei Lyapunov's Symphony No. 1 in B minor, and the lyricism of that piece fits the bill, I'm sure. Gorgeous stuff.
Too, I recall that Lyapunov has his Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 represented on a Hyperion disc, number 30 in "The Romantic Piano Concerto" series. Much of the music on this disc is lyrical stuff, especially the two Adagio non tanto movements in Concertfo No. 1 in E flat minor. Maybe I'll listen to that disc next.

Appreciate you picking out my natural slant (as of late) toward the Russian composers and giving me a lovely list of new ones to dig into. I have listened to Kalinnikov at length, as well as some Borodin and a lot of Balakierev - but the rest are mostly new names, so I am chomping at the bit to dig into them all. Thank you so much!

You might explore:
Shostakovich: Piano Quintet
Piston: Piano Quintet
Ravel: Piano Trio
Martinu: Tri Ricercari (prominent piano part)

Above are particular favorites of mine, but I suspect my CD recordings are no longer available ...

Thank you so much - great suggestions! The Martinu will definitely be new, so I've added that to my list. Getting some fantastic stuff from the replies, much obliged.

 

[golfer72]

Elgar Violin Concerto Slow movement. The whole concerto is excellent

 

[Aries]

I love a lot of sub-genres for different reasons. Examples: seeing Bruckner 4 live has turned me onto “big” symphonies, so I’m devouring performances of his and Mahler’s cycles. I’m also a life long choir singer and fan, so I’m always on the lookout for harmonic brilliance in choral music.

Then I recommend to also try Bruckners masses. Good recordings are imo: Missa solemnis - Borowicz; Mass No. 1 - Jochum; Mass No. 2 - Rilling; Mass No. 3 - Barenboim

 

[hammeredklavier]

Beethoven’s Emperor concerto, mvmt 2

the slow movement of No.4, K.516

 

[RandallPeterListens]

Well, if you don't like the andante of Brahms' Second Piano Concerto, then you're probably not a Romantic (with a capital "R"). Any of the Emil Gilels' recordings are good. Ashkenazy with Haitink is also quite good.

 

[LKB]

Well, if you don't like the andante of Brahms' Second Piano Concerto, then you're probably not a Romantic (with a capital "R"). Any of the Emil Gilels' recordings are good. Ashkenazy with Haitink is also quite good.

Another vote here for Ashkenazy with Haitink and the VPO on Decca. It features Robert Scheiwein in the cello solos, and his playing is unsurpassed.

 

[KenL]

Well, if you don't like the andante of Brahms' Second Piano Concerto, then you're probably not a Romantic (with a capital "R"). Any of the Emil Gilels' recordings are good. Ashkenazy with Haitink is also quite good.

I love the entire Brahms piano concerto #2 - second movement is no exception Ashkenazy has done my favorite version of it that I've heard so far, so can't argue with that.

 

[KenL]

Another vote here for Ashkenazy with Haitink and the VPO on Decca. It features Robert Scheiwein in the cello solos, and his playing is unsurpassed.

Yes, I absolutely love Ashkenazy's version of that. It's pretty difficult to find a recording of him playing something that I DON'T love - he's definitely an all time favorite.

 

[KenL]

the slow movement of No.4, K.516

Beautiful! Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[KenL]

Then I recommend to also try Bruckners masses. Good recordings are imo: Missa solemnis - Borowicz; Mass No. 1 - Jochum; Mass No. 2 - Rilling; Mass No. 3 - Barenboim

I am definitely going to dig into his masses - his work has been a home run for me since I started really paying attention to it. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[KenL]

Elgar Violin Concerto Slow movement. The whole concerto is excellent

Added to the list, thank you so much for the suggestion

 

[Coach G]

Help me find more beauty?

I first got into classical music as a teenager back in the 1980s. In those thrilling days of LP recordings I was the classical music version of your typical teenage boy: I wanted the music to be fast and loud. Give me the 1812 Overture, the William Tell Overture, Ride of the Valkyries, and later I found Richard Strauss' Zarathustra and Stravinsky's Rite to blow the roof off the house. But I remember the first time a slow movement really struck me. It was a recording of Sibelius' Swan of Tounela and in my mind I could just picture the swan slowly gliding over the water and through the marsh. And I thought it was beautiful.

I know that you've already been bombarded with enough suggestions that it has become overwhelming but to my ears here are the most beautiful and lyrical favorites of mine:

Beethoven's Symphony #6 "Pastorale" (It shows that when Beethoven wasn't out there shaking his fist at fate; he could also be very mellow. The Symphony #6 "Pastorale" is a happy nature hike, and utterly joyful, even if it has a brief thunder storm in it.)

Wagner's Siegfried Idyll (As a teenager, I thought is was the height of boredom until years later when I revisited it, I was moved by it's gentle and yet powerful undercurrent.)

Mozart's Clarinet Concerto (It is so well-crafted; seemingly seamless; as if the music composes itself, also relaxing and meditative without being ambient).

If you are new to classical music, you may have yet to learn how to enjoy vocalists in classical music. it's an acquired taste. What, at first, may sound like very loud moaning and groaning, will later sound like such heaven. Whether you are already there, or are on your way; then I might suggest Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915, and Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings; both exquisite.

...and then there is always The Swan of Tounela.

 

[joen_cph]

Hamilton Harty Piano Concerto, 2nd Movement

You'd probably like exploring the tradition of English music for strings in general; here's

Vaughan Williams' Tallis Fantasia ; The Lark Ascending could be next.

Hamilton Harty In Ireland

Glazunov's 4th Symphony /Rozhdestvensky, USSR Ministry Culture SO. His most catchy symphony-piece, IMO