Great Concerto Music: Piano Book

This collection solves a real repertoire problem: your intermediate-to-advanced pianists need exposure to the major concerto tradition, but full concertos are unwieldy and often unrealistic for student recitals. Mittler's selections focus on the lyrical, introspective movements, slow movements and romances, where young players can actually shine without needing orchestral accompaniment or technical superheroics.

Stepping into the intimate core of works meant for grand concert halls. These movements hold the emotional weight of their parent concertos, whether Mozart's elegant restraint, Chopin's nocturne-like introspection, or Rachmaninoff's lush romanticism, all rendered in settings where a single pianist can fully inhabit the music.

Intermediate to advanced piano students preparing solo repertoire or exploring the concerto genre without committing to a full work. Teachers building a curriculum that honors the classical and Romantic canon while respecting student readiness.

• Start with the Mozart slow movements to establish stylistic baseline; they demand clarity of line and restraint before tackling the Romantic composers' denser harmonies.
• Use the Schumann and Grieg pieces as stepping stones into rubato; these works reward subtle tempo flexibility, but only after rhythmic foundations are solid.
• The Chopin and Liszt selections ask for pedal sophistication you may not have drilled elsewhere; spend time experimenting with how quickly color changes as harmonies shift.

Feature individual movements across multiple recitals to build a thematic concert around "Concerto Slow Movements" or "Romantic Reflections." Alternatively, pair movements from different composers in the same program to highlight stylistic evolution across two centuries.

• Navigating harmonic complexity across Classical and Romantic idioms
• Sustaining lyrical lines without pedal dependency
• Balancing melody and accompaniment in textures that mimic orchestral writing
• Executing rubato and agogic phrasing appropriate to each composer's style
• Managing wide hand spans and arpeggiated accompaniment figures