Pianophilia

Here's an epic that I think many of you have been interested in seeing - Otto Neitzel's Piano Concerto.


In the world of romantic piano concertos, I suspect it's second only to Busoni in number of pages and probably in length, I certainly can't remember copying anything else as big. Early in his career Backhaus performed it, but does anyone know if it's been performed since WW2? It's the kind of thing German radio orchestras seem to like to investigate and I wonder if there may have been a recording.
As the original score was not mine I would appreciate if, in this case, the scan does not go beyond the bounds of the PP community. In particular, please don't post it on other websites. Sorry if that's against the spirt of sharing here which I normally support, but in this case it's either this or not to have posted at all.

Mike

Great! Thank you!

Neitzel was famous for his "lecture-recitals". He also was an acknowledged "popular" musicologist.

Here is a Concerto by another German composer...but in an entirely different idiom. Herbert Kuster's "Rhythmisches Konzertino" in a 4H-2P score. I apolegize that it is apparently missing the last page of music (just discovered that fact when scanning this score which is a photocopy some 40 years old). I thought it was important enough to add to the archives. Hopefully at some point the missing page can be restored (the original sheet is at the Library of Congress).

Frank

Scharwenka790 wrote:...

Neitzel Op.26 Piano Concerto.pdf

...As the original score was not mine I would appreciate if, in this case, the scan does not go beyond the bounds of the PP community. In particular, please don't post it on other websites...

I do hope members will take note of this request and comply with it. If anyone sees the work posted outside of this website, please report the matter to me and I will persuade my fellow admins to take action against whoever has not complied with the request. Thanks.

rob wrote:

Scharwenka790 wrote:...

Neitzel Op.26 Piano Concerto.pdf

...As the original score was not mine I would appreciate if, in this case, the scan does not go beyond the bounds of the PP community. In particular, please don't post it on other websites...

I do hope members will take note of this request and comply with it. If anyone sees the work posted outside of this website, please report the matter to me and I will persuade my fellow admins to take action against whoever has not complied with the request. Thanks.

Seconded and may I add no mercy will be shown to anyone ignoring this request
Brian

Two interesting concertos here--thanks to Mike and Frank. I must confess to haven't seen anything like that Neitzel concerto before. The amount of padding puts it in a very select group not only in terms of length but in musical meandering. I have been only marginally aware of pieces like this, but it is a curiosity worth an occasional visit if only to provide a point of reference. The Kuster concertino presents a much more interesting and concise harmonic and vigorous rhythmic framework which I find exceedingly interesting. Now that the whereabouts of the last page are known, it's just a matter of time until it is retrieved and the work is complete.

HullandHellandHalifax wrote:Seconded and may I add no mercy will be shown to anyone ignoring this request

How timely. I've just acquired a new axe...

Regards
Fred

Hi fleubis,

Thanks for your comments re. the Kuster Concerto and (on another thread) the Harrison Kerr preludes. I'm really glad you enjoy them and always appreciate your thoughtful feedback!

Here is another German "Novelty Era" concerto; this time by one Rio Gebhardt. An ambitious work!

Enjoy,

Frank

Brilliant work gentleman, I say brilliant.

Thal

Frank, this Gebhardt concerto is indeed BRILLIANT and what a treat! Luscious jazz harmonies with charming melodies.

Anytime a composer writes in the jazz idiom for piano & orchestra we all know the comparisons are always going to between Gershwin's work and Ravel's. Here we have something much closer to Gershwin, but written for Jazz Orchestra with variable instrumentation--something neither Gershwin or Ravel did and it seems to come off brilliantly in part due to the clever work by the orchestrator, Walter Schutze.

These type of short concertos were once very popular even in US, where "The Warsaw Concerto" comes to mind.