In the twentieth century, composition and performance became more specialised disciplines, which meant that modern piano concertos have largely been performed by professional pianists, and not by their composers. Since the conclusion of World War II, notable piano concertos include: Piano Concerto (1962) by Samuel Barber, premiered by John Browning; Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1988)by György Ligeti, premiered by Anthony di Bonaventura; and Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1988) by Witold Lutosławski, premiered by Krystian Zimerman. Lyell Cresswell’s first Piano and Concerto and De Pledge’s compelling performance undoubtedly hold their own among this international field of modern piano concertos.
The fact also remains that, due to financial restraints and lack of public interest, orchestras in New Zealand tend not to programme or commission piano concertos from their own composers. Out of the 15 works from the current century, four were written out of intrinsic motivation (unpaid), while seven were commissioned by the soloist or private entities.
Most New Zealand piano concertos have not received repeat performances despite being one of the strongest bodies of works from this country – two of the 13 performed/recorded works have received the country’s highest award in composition, while others have been very well received by the audience and critics alike. Other works such as Michael Norris’s Violin Concerto and John Psathas’ View from Olympus represent other ‘pinnacles’ of New Zealand concertante works.
So what are some practical steps that researchers can take to encourage the (re)performance of New Zealand piano concertos? Historically, undertakings by composers such as Vincenz Lachner[1] involved him in producing arrangements of the five Beethoven piano concertos for piano, violins, viola, cello and double bass. His intention was to make these large-scale pieces accessible for a small ensemble, as live orchestral concerts were relatively rare compared to chamber music performances. Beethoven himself approved of a piano trio[2] arrangement of his Second Symphony, for the same reason.
Recently, Shai Wosner’s[3] piano trio arrangements of Beethoven’s Symphonies have been performed and recorded, receiving positive feedback from the public. There has also been recent research published by Nathan James Arch titled Konchakovna’s Cavatina from Aleksandr Borodin’s Prince Igor: A Transcription & Arrangement for Piano Trio. Furthermore, NZTrio co-founder Sarah Watkins agrees that NZTrio’s past performances of orchestral transcriptions have been quite effective in concert (S. Watkins, personal communication, October 3, 2025).
In my opinion, NZTrio is the ideal ensemble to present arrangements of New Zealand piano concertos. They continue to demonstrate their commitment to contemporary New Zealand music, recently participating in a 2+ hour composition workshop[4] where they workshopped eight new student compositions. Their 2025 season actually features a work[5] by Lyell Cresswell, as well as transcriptions of orchestral works[6]. Furthermore, Bathurst & Williams (2014) recognised the following defining characteristics of this award-winning group:
- Their ability to form communities
- [Their] ability to create collaborative partnerships beyond their own organisation
- [They] have reached into the audience to form a much wider community of NZTrio followers
What the piano trio lacks in uniformity of sound and portability, compared to, say, a string quartet, it makes up for in terms of volume and instrumental range. What it lacks in fullness of sound of a quintet or sextet, it makes up for in reduced production and logistics costs. Extended investigation and workshopping of arrangements, however, will be necessary to maximise the various sonorities and effects available. The prudent arranger must keep in mind that:
“The essential problem in writing music for strings or winds with piano is immediately apparent: the sonorities do not readily mix. Stringed… instruments naturally produce sustained sounds, whereas a piano note decays from the moment it is struck… Hence, the expressive possibilities of the instruments are different and often contradictory; and as increases in virtuosity made their capabilities more specific, these differences become more pronounced” (Kaplan, 2000, p. 127).
In writing about Ravel’s Piano Trio, Dowling (1990) detected that the composer was well aware “…of the disparate sonorities of piano and strings…” and that Ravel “…often achieves balance between the piano and strings by putting the treble part of the piano line between the string parts, which are spaced two octaves apart.”
Further research could also look at the feasibility of adding extra performers to the lineup to increase the scope of the arrangement. Woodwinds, brass or percussion could add an extra layer of excitement and expressivity to the performance.
[1] German composer and conductor, 1811–1893
[2] Consisting of violin, cello and piano
[3] Israeli pianist and composer, b. 1976
[4] August 29, 2025, at the School of Music, The University of Auckland
[5] Moto Perpetuo
[6] Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht and R. Strauss’ Vier letzte Lieder
