Andrew’s Reviews > The Concerto > Status Update

A third the way through with examples from 9 composers (Mozart's 15, Schumann and Mendelssohn yet to come), I am up to Tchaikovsky. So far, Bach, Beethoven and Chopin have not disappointed; Brahms and Liszt strangely have; and Saint-Saëns has surprised (I have heard these all several times now). Of the new concertos, Beethoven's Triple Concerto for violin, cello, and piano has come forth as worth pursuing.

My aim with this book is to read a couple of chapters a week and listen to as many of the concertos discussed as I can obtain on second-hand CDs. It will take approximately 10 weeks initially, at 3 a week, an ambitious aim, seeing as I do not read music, but my survey of the concerto is now reasonably advanced in lay terms, and I wish to complete it to at least 60-70% by the end of 2024.

A slow read. A new chapter/composer every week, while listening to examples of concertos given in each. Bach and Haydn done. Mozart next, who has no less than 14 to listen to.