Cocktail Party Fact: The only classical concerto used during the talent competition of the Miss America pageant–in a three-minute arrangement for piano solo. The contestant didn’t win.

Commitment Factor: 25 - 30 minutes

Vital Statistics: Romantic Period (1868). A three-movement concerto in post-classical form (in other words, the soloist dominates throughout, right from the beginning).

What to Listen For: The opening, with its drumroll leading to the piano entrance, is one of the most famous in all classical music. Compare this to Schumann’s piano concerto (usually on the same CD), which is a clear inspiration. Perhaps the most interesting moment in the entire concerto occurs at the very end–Grieg alters the third note of the finale’s second theme (first heard on solo flute), and this little touch gives the tune a depth and impressiveness that the original version never even suggested. When Liszt saw it, he was blown away.