In recent months you have been focusing on two concertos, Li…

In recent months you have been focusing on two concertos, Liszt’s second and Prokofiev’s second.  Please discuss how these two works fit into the tradition of the virtuosic Romantic concerto, a tradition that was quite new in Liszt’s day, and was well established in Prokofiev’s.  What are some characteristics of the genre that these two concertos exemplify?  I would encourage you to consider in each case the topics of:  the work’s form; its technical demands on the soloist; the relationship between piano and orchestra; and the relationship between the concerto and the solo repertoire of each composer.  How do these works fit into the overall development of the genre?  Can any interesting direct comparisons be made between the works?  Do we have any evidence of direct or indirect influences by Liszt on Prokofiev?