I was there -- and boy, was it cold! It was an exciting performance, though a little disorienting because Rozsa had made some cuts after the premiere.

I recently learned Dr. Rózsa's Viola concerto. Not so thickly written as this, nevertheless difficult and wonderful. IMO it stands out among the three top Viola concertos ever.

Powerhouse stuff! Surely one of the most impressive concertos of the 20th Century. A real show stopper.

A fiendishly difficult piece alternating between insanity and peaceful interludes. Awesome performance by Mr. Pennario.

Wow! Why isn't this played more often? I'm sure there are lots of pianists who'd love a crack at this concerto. Getting the orchestras to commit is the challenge.

this piece sounds better every time I hear it --thanks so much for posting this fantastic performance.

As most people know, he was a film composer primarily. And when he wasn't scoring films, he was writing instrumental music like this, for various people he knew. This Piano Concerto was written in the mid-1960s for none other than the man performing it in this video. What I find really cool about this piece is that amidst all the staticky passagework is some really nice music, especially in the 2nd movement. It's not a sloppily sentimental 2nd movement, but it's sort of modern-romantic fusion.

Premiered by Mr Pennario in 1967 in Los Angeles under the baton of Maestro Mehta

There is something about Miklos Rosza's orchestration that is unique to my ears. I think it is the brassy backround chords in the low trombones and horns to a thick doubled string forefront. His symphonic work usually sounds like variations to the Ben Hur sound. This was an exciting concerto.

Beautiful!!

Une œuvre puissante dont on reconnait par moment, la couleur orchestrale du compositeur.

Ha - nice quote from Ben-Hur in the second movement of the 'Judea' theme.

Terrific !!!!!!

Great piece and would love to hear it live. Don't think I ever will. Who's going to learn it? Very difficult and Pennario's no longer around.

In the first notes you recognize the handwriting of genius Miklos Rozsa

This is a wild, exciting piece of music. Enjoy... and hold on!

its a wonderful hall---and I oughta know--from Milwaukee. The late great, good looking Mr. Schemerhorn married at one time to the very glamourous Soprano Carol Neblett.

I'm just trying to identify all of the musicians who still play in the orchestra, or who recently retired ... I see a few!

It is really too bad that this piece is probably never to be heard regularly in concert performances, and has not been recorded by more than Pennario and like one or two other people. Actually, the recording of Evelyn Chen is fantastic. The problem is getting the orchestras to commit to learning it and spend enough rehearsal time putting it together. This piece has tons of meter changes and potential ensemble issues - again, it requires commitment. I play the Rozsa Violin Concerto. It's very similar to this as far as character and musical form. It's also quite formidable in the same way - harmonically very dark. The last movement of the Piano Concerto is just wicked, marked only "Vigoroso." The Violin Concerto's finale is a hoedown, and not a happy one at that, but some nice fireworks at the end and like the Piano Concerto, ends quite abruptly. It was written for Heifetz, who was good friends with Pennario despite a large difference in their ages.

The movements are: