Concertos for occasional solo instruments.

[Marcus]

Apart from native instruments, such as the balalaika. kantele, hardanger fiddle, pipa, shakuhachi etc, concertos for most orchestral instruments have been written, &  in the past 30 years concertos have appeared for the less likely solo instruments.
One surprise is the Contrabassoon. Kahlevi Aho's  (b1949) concerto was released recently on BIS(CD 1574).3mvts 34'22". It requires a specially developed instrument capable of reaching over an octave higher than the standard instrument. The concerto is surprisingly lyrical, almost a symphony for Contra & orchestra, and in the highest register sound like a heckelphone or saxophone. Aho uses both of these instruments in the orchestra and the work contains duos & trios for Contra with both istruments.
There are many other Contrabassoon Concertos in the catalogue, including those by G.Schuller (b1925) D.Erb (b.1927), V. Muradian (b1921),E.Schuloff (1894-1942), B.Cummings (b1946),M.Doran (b1921), with a number of 18th/19th century concertos transcibed for the Contra.
Susan Nigro, renowned Contra player, has released a number of discs on the Crystal label.
Like the Trumpet, Trombone & Tuba, the Contrabassoon repertoire would be of interest mostly to  bassoon players and those like myself out of curiosity,  and is an acquired taste.
The Aho booklet states that the first Contrabassoon concerto was written by Gunther Schuller in 1978, but according to Oscar Thompson's Cyclopedia, Ruth Gipps wrote hers in 1969.
Concertos for Bass Clarinet are much rarer.The only one I have on disc is the concerto by D.Erdmann (b1917), (MDG) although a number have been written in Scandanavia particularly.
Robert Simpson (1921-1997), has written a Quintet for Bass Clarinet, Clarinet & String Trio. (1983).
I do not know of any Hecklephone concertos, and they are rarely used in the orchestra. (which is a pity, as the instrument has a beautiful mellow sound). Paul Hindemith's Trio for Hecklephone, Viola & Piano (Chandos 9990), demonstrates its qualities very well.
A Xylophone concerto has been written by T.Mayuzumi (1929-1997) (ASV CD DCA 1126), and the only other I know of, was written by K.Pringsheim (1883-1972).
Few concertos have been written for Cor Anglais. Donizetti's is probably best known, but other composers include Wolf-Ferrari,Honneger,Rorem,Vasks & Gordon Jacob (rhapsody)
An unusual concerto worth mentioning, is the Triple Concerto by Don Martino (1931-2005),(Albany Troy 168),  for Clarinet, Bass Clarinet & Contrabass Clarinet, where the composer treats the three instruments as a single instrument. It is in 3 mvts (25'54"), and after repreated hearings, I have grown to like it.
Naxos recently released a disc of Euphonium Concertos.(8.570725)
The extensive use of the Triangle in Rott's Symphony,(particularly the BIS recording), while not a concerto, keeps the Triangle player busy. Later recordings have reduced the triangle part. Liszt used the Triangle extensively in his 1st Piano concerto (3rd mvt), but the extended use by Rott is unprecedented.
There must be many more to add to this list ?
Marcus.

[eschiss1]

The Ruth Gipps work may be her Leviathan for contrabassoon and strings though I don't think she wrote a work called concerto for that combination, for what it's worth.

[John Hudock]

Although neither composer is unsung I would add a mention of Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto and Villa-Lobos' Harmonica concerto, both marvelous works. Also worth mentioning:

Alto,Tenor & Bass Saxaphone (although this may be considered too mainstream an instrument) concertos by Philip Glass, Glazunov, Ibert, Richard Rodney Bennet, Dubois, Villa-Lobos, Karamessini,Henri Tomasi,Yoshimatsu,Torke,Nyman,Roukens,Larsson,Denisov,Dahl + others

In addition to Vaughan Williams there are Tuba concertos by  Aho,Edward Gregson,Roger Steptoe, John Golland,Samuel Jones,John Williams, Oystein Baadsvik, Frederik Norrkoping, Vagn Holmboe

In addition to Villa Lobos there are Harmonica concertos by Arnold and Spivakovsky, Tausky (concertino),Henry Cowell

Trombone (again this may not be considered unusual enough) concertos by Yoshimatsu, Derek Bourgeois, Elgar Howarth, Gordon Jacob, Christopher Rouse, Carlos Chavez, Augusta Read Thomas,Ferdinand David, Alexandre Guilmant, Launy Groendahl, Gunnar de Frumerie,Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, Georg Christoph Wagenseil, Leopold Mozart, Michael Haydn, Nino Rota,Michael Nyman,Borgeois

Other mentions:

Yannato : Contrabass concerto
Dittersdorf & Bottesini: multiple Doublebass concertos
Vasks: Cor Anglais concerto
Vanhal: Doublebass concerto
Tuur: Marimba concerto
Tubin: balalaika (even though this is in your 'apart' list) and Double Bass concertos
Schwantner: Percussion concerto
Shankar: Sitar concerto
Rosauro: Marimba concerto
O'Boyle: Digeridoo concerto
Rauttavaara: Concerto for Birds & Orch
Miyoshi: Marimba concerto
Milhaud: Percussion concerto
Larsen: Marimba concerto
Lake: Banjo Concerto
Klatzow: Marimba concerto
Kernis: English Horn concerto (Coloured Field)
Hovhaness: Sitar concerto
Harrison: Organ & Percussion
Farberman: Jazz Drummer & Orch
Dun: Pipa concerto (again in your 'apart' category)
Cowell: Koto concerto
Cowell: Rhythmicon concerto
Bennet: Solo percussion concerto
Amram: Jazz Quintet


Finally, not really strange instruments but concertos using voice(s) as the 'instrument'
Schnittke: Choir concerto
Gliere: Coloratura concerto
Sumera: Voices concerto
Foulds: voice concerto (Lyra celtica)
Bortinianksy: Choir & Double Choir concertos

[eschiss1]

Vagn (pronounced Vaughan) Holmboe wrote two concertos for flute as well as the trombone concerto already-mentioned, and one for recorder also.  Other concertos of his did feature usual instruments in unusual pairings- oboe and viola, for example.  (Influence of the sinfonia concertante?)
I do wish Hindemith's desire to write a sonata for everything had extended to concertos, too, but he wrote quite a few anyway, including one for the viola d'amore (which I have yet unfortunately to hear.  I have read some criticisms of its orchestral balance but hope to decide for myself of course.)

[Marcus]

Thanks John Hudock & eschiss1 ,
In my post, I listed instruments in the standard symphony orchestra. But judging from your list, some of these instruments are probably becoming more common, including guitar, mandolin etc, and standard orchestras of today, are often supplemented by some of these instruments.
The didjeridoo is an interesting one, but its role is more of an accompaning rhythmic drone, than concerto.There have been other works written featuring this instrument, (George Dreyfus (b1928), Sextet for Didjeridoo & strings)and I wonder what some of the 19th/early 20th century composers would have made of it. I am thinking Wagner (Rheingold) & Stravinsky (Rite of Spring), not that either work requires any improvement, but more the potential of the didjeridoo to portray certain scenarios, with its deep mesmerising drone, and both of these composers could have wrought some magic I am sure.
The Celesta is never mentioned as a solo instrument, and apart from Tchaikowsy's ballet, has been used in works by Mahler, Holst & Chausson, amongst others. The only concerto which I can locate,  is the Concerto no2 for Celesta & Chamber Ensemble, "Beautiful Day " by K.D. Kindred (b1978 USA).
 Marcus.

[eschiss1]

Hrm. A thought only...
Symphonies that involve unusual solo instruments (Brian's Gothic Symphony with its call for many an unusual instrument, starting with alto flute, is coming to mind), are at least a little more common than concertos for unusual instruments, perhaps because to generalize  and overgeneralize --
concertos are written for a known soloist, often on commission if the soloist is not the composer; touring alto flute-only soloists rarely start out for want of non-transcription repertoire, so this problem tends to feed on itself. (That Christian Lindberg has expanded the trombone repertoire speaks well of him, I say...)  Symphonies are also often written for an intended performance or at least a known orchestra, but at least a little less often.
Ah, I need to check if anyone's published to this thread a list of piccolo concertos yet, that makes me wonder, and English Horn concertos? They're not rare instruments, and no longer rare for concertos- but rare compared to flute and oboe concertos (much less violin and piano concertos).   Recently listened to Peter Maxwell Davies' piccolo concerto, which is a good example of the more accessible side of his style, I think, and there are others mostly baroque, modern but I know of few inbetween?
(Likewise for harpsichord concertos - again not all the modern ones are modern_ist_, e.g. Quincy Porter's concerto for harpsichord is maybe more neoclassical- not sure if that describes it well either. Poulenc's and de Falla's concertos are better known, of course.  Concertos from eras inbetween for that instrument- well, again... lack of soloists before Landowska etc.?)
Eric

[JimL]

It is indeed a shame that Moscheles (who in many respects pioneered the period instrument movement, for better or worse) never chose to do anything more with the harpsichord than perform baroque music on it.  An early Romantic-period harpsichord concerto or sonata would probably have been an interesting work, to be sure!

[Marcus]

Thanks eschiss1,
I missed the piccolo. The only one in my collection were the Vivaldi ones, and recently Anver Dorman's concerto on Naxos. (8.559630).I am yet to hear a concerto which exploits the brilliance of the Piccolo as Vivaldi does, but that is a matter of personal taste. I think Liebermann wrote one - haven't heard of the Maxwell-Davies concerto, and will seek that out. As I tried to convey (badly),  in a recent post re Trumpet & Flute concertos, concertos for such instruments as Trumpet, Trombone particularly, to my ears sound better in 18th/19th century music than the modern day idiom. That is just an opinion., from a rusted-on romantic music lover, and while many of these concertos have their adherents, they will never reach the popularity of those for the more conventional instruments.
The Australian composer Barry McKie (b1941) also wrote a Piccolo concerto & a Bass Clarinet concerto in recent times. Not sure if they are recorded, but the Australian Music Centre  web-site will supply those details.
Marcus.

[eschiss1]

Fair enough, though I still recommend the Holmboe concertos for those two instruments for fun (there's much brio and much to remember in the tunes of these two works, I anyway find-- *g* if one's tolerance runs to melodic middle-period Stravinsky, which Holmboe at that time sometimes sounds a little like- a little. Or maybe more like middle-period Bartok? Hrm. Not much harmonic aggressiveness in these particular works, unlike some other works by this composer- at least, not by 1950s standards.) There are three recordings of the trumpet concerto to choose from, too (counting the Surinach-conducted LP).
Apparently Maxwell Davies has written a trumpet concerto too. Not sure how many of these have been recorded commercially; I know the piccolo concerto only from a BBC Radio 3 (that maligned station) broadcast. I see it did receive a Collins Classics recording in 1998 though.
Trumpet concerto, btw, makes me think of Bernd Alois Zimmermann and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I See" (I think?), a work I need and want to listen to, and will soon. Definitely modern but I expect from what Zimmermann I have heard, hardly without point.

No mention of Druschetzky and his concerto for oboe and 8 drums with orchestra? Or did I miss it? Squarely in the Romantic era...

[Hofrat]

Dragonnetti wrote several concerti for the double bass.

[thalbergmad]

There is a concerto for Banjo (my 2nd favourite instrument), but i have not heard it yet.

On reading a rather old Guiness Book of Music, I came across mention of a concerto for soloists that were not allowed to play their instruments.

Modernistic nonsense i expect.

Thal

[peter_conole]

Hi all

As far as I know, only two romantic-era concertos for the accordian or concertina were ever composed. Both by one of the most underestimated composers of the 19th Century, Bernhard Molique  (1802-1869). His Concerto no 1 for Concertina and Orchestra in g, op 46, dates from 1853. It popped up on Australian radio in 2002, possibly because some bright spark realised it was the bicentennary of his birth. A really charming work. Have no idea about the recording details. There is some info about it (and Molique's unresurrected no.2 from 1861) on a couple of instrumental chat sites.

regards
Peter

[John Hudock]

I also excluded harpsichord concertos from my list because it was quite common in the 17th & early 18th centuries, but there are many 20th century concertos for the instrument and in the 20thc it should probably be included in the list of unusual solo concerto instruments. These would include:

Poulenc - Concert champêtre, for harpsichord & orchestra
Elliot Carter - double concerto for piano & harpsichord
Philip Glass - concerto for harpsichord & orch
Schnittke - Concerto Grosso # 1 for 2 violins, harpsichord, prepared piano & strings
Harold Meltzer - Virginal for Harpsichord and Chamber orch
Frank Martin - Petite symphonie concertante, for harp, harpsichord and piano and 2 string orchestras
Michael Nyman - Concerto for Harpsichord & Strings
Vladimir Godar - Concerto Grosso, for 12 strings & harpsichord
Gianluca Bersanetti - Concerto for Four Harpsichords and Strings
Hendrik Bouman - Concerto for Harpsichord and String Orchestra
Manuel de Falla - Concerto for harpsichord
Joseph Dillon Ford Concerto for Harpsichord
Henryk Górecki - Harpsichord Concerto
Bohuslav Martinů - Harpsichord Concerto
Roberto Gerhard - Concerto for harpsichord, percussion and strings
Walter Leigh - Concertino for Harpsichord and String Orchestra
Jean-Jacques Coetzee - Concerti for Harpsichord, Opus 2 and Opus 5

[TerraEpon]

The Celesta is never mentioned as a solo instrument,

The wikipedia article talks about what is supposedly the first work for celesta and orchestra (from only like 2007 or something), with a link an article with a video except. It's a very nice sounding piece and I wish it'd be recorded/released normally, but it's also pretty short...
Since the celesta is one of my favorite instruments, the lack of anything is a bit annoying...

...but not as much as my favorite, the bass clarinet, which as shown by this thread also has a pretty small amount of concerti for it. All I know of (including that triple concerto) are quite modern. Thea Musgrave wrote an interesting piece for it too (It's called Autumn Sonata, but it has orchestral accompaniment) which though modern is still pretty enjoyable.

[eschiss1]

Hi all

As far as I know, only two romantic-era concertos for the accordian or concertina were ever composed. Both by one of the most underestimated composers of the 19th Century, Bernhard Molique  (1802-1869). His Concerto no 1 for Concertina and Orchestra in g, op 46, dates from 1853. It popped up on Australian radio in 2002, possibly because some bright spark realised it was the boicentennary of his birth. A really charming work. Have no idea about the recording details. There is some info about it (and Molique's unresurrected no.2 from 1861) on a couple of instrumental chat sites.

regards
Peter

No, I think there's a third, by Giulio Regondi?