ABSTRACT
The most prevalent view of our period vis-à-vis the piano concerto is of a very small number of works, containing a very high proportion of masterpieces, a somewhat similar situation to the symphony, but a much smaller repertory. Several reasons are proffered: the lack of interest of composers in more-or-less 'vulgar' 'Romantic' display, the intimate and first-hand knowledge of the instrument necessary to write at this level, the expense of hiring an international soloist as well as an orchestra, the fact that the prime orchestral public vehicle for compositional greatness and self-expression, the symphony, was sufficient, and so on.
