Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,

Subject: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 12:32 AM

OK, this may go into the dumper faster than that three month old celery you just found at the back of the crisper...but I'm feeling pretty good about gettin' the new VCR workin' (Thanks one more time for Mudcat help and kindness) and I just saw ddw's mention of Vladimir Ahshkenaz's playing of the #2 Concerto.

Any fans Of Mr. Rachmaninoff around? My mom used to play SOME classical music on piano when I was young, but she absolutely LOVED to play various LPs (remember them?) and entertain me with made up stories to go along with them. Although she was as wasp as could be, she could transport me to the Russian Steppes in about one minute flat.

Our recording of the C#m was done by Artur Rubenstein, and lordy, lordy, I got to SEE the great man (at Massey Hall in Toronto) shortly before he died. WHAT an experience! He did a whole program of Chopin, and I like to have died. Two nights later, I went to the same place and saw Pete Seeger. Yikes, what a week!

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: ddw
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 12:44 AM

I think you're backing me up here, Rick. You can listen to Rubenstein or Seeger or anybody and they can be fantastic musicians, but when you get to see their showmanship it takes on a whole other dimension. And it's not always anything dramatic like dancing around the stage or ripping off shirts or smashing guitars that makes somebody a showman. It can be subtle body language, the way an instrumentalist does a little hand flourish at the end of passage — it can be a million things, but when you see it you know it and it makes an enormous difference.

david

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Devilmaster
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 12:48 AM

I have Piano Concerto #2, wonderful piece of music. Just scanning my classical section now for any other pieces.

For a quick moment I was about to say 'I agree, and his score for Alexander Nevsky was brilliant too.' when I realized I was getting Rachmaninoff confused with Prokofiev.......

Have you ever heard of Prokofiev? Or perhaps seen Sergei Eisenstein's works? Criterion Collection has released a box set with Alexander Nevsky and Ivan The Terrible parts 1 and 2 on DVD. I know, a little off topic....Sorry Rick.

Steve

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: GUEST,Mickey191
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 12:51 AM

Rick, Please correct me if you can. About 40 yrs. ago,there was a movie called Story of three Loves. One was about a ballerina (Moira Shearer) who, knowing her heart would fail, danced to a theme by Rachmaninoff. It was her gift to her love. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever sen or heard. The music is played often in love scenes. What was the piece if you know? Thanks

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Devilmaster
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 12:58 AM

According to a fan on IMDB, (Internet Movie DataBase) she danced to his 18th Variation of the Paganini Rhapsody.

Web page for this movie is here.Story of Three Loves

Steve

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: JenEllen
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 01:10 AM

Sweet Sergei? You bet. The Elegiac Trio is probably my favourite. Ranks right up there with Berlioz's Les Nuits D'ete. Some mighty fine stuff.

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 01:13 AM

I'm a great fan of Rachmaninoff's choral music, especially his Vespers. One day, a few of my friends and I went to Valhalla, NY, and found his grave, and we stood around singing one of the movements from his Vespers. Great music transcends categories.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: GUEST,Mickey191
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 01:25 AM

Steve, was ready with my mea culpa, but did a search which gave credit to Sergei Rachmaninoff as the composer of non-original music. I think Paganini Toyed with it a bit-ergo the variation notation.Thanks.Mickey191

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 02:25 AM

Ivan one, Ivan two, Al Nevsky? Bet yer samovar I have steve. Wonderful scores.

I even remember sitting through that crashing bore "Elvira Madigan" just for the music. One flick that really stands out though was Disney's "Fantasia"...and ya know what? I've never seen it again. Gotta rent it this year.

Back to Sergei for a moment. Are there any pianists here who can tell me if #2 is considered (for whatever reasons) a particularily HARD piece to play? I ain't gonna learn it...just curious.

Rick

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 06:45 AM

I like his piano concerto NO.2 in C minor.

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: WyoWoman
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 07:56 AM

I have a scrumptious recording of his piano concerto #3 played by Alexix Weissenberg, and also Bartok's piano concert #2 in my computer at work, which I listen to several times a week. I also have many Mozarts, but tend to return to the Rocky 3 over and over. I should expand my collection.

The thing that I find daunting about buying recordings of classical music is actually knowing which ones to choose. I have listened to some performers play classical music that might be technically proficient but that lacks any fire at all. This is so deeply irritating to me -- all music has to be played with soul, whether or not there are notes on a page, and when it isn't, it's so sad.

But I do love Weissenberg's Rachmaninoff. Mmmm-mmm good.

ww

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 08:08 AM

Wywoman-you should listen to BBC Radio 3, even if you are in America you can hear it on the internet.

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 08:20 AM

Yes I like Rachmaninoff, but why stop there ?
I often sing classical music in Folk Clubs such as a piece by DVORAK (the D is silent - like the Pee in Bath).

The tune is called Humouresque, but I don't think he wrote the words, which go:

Gentlemen will please refrain
From urinating while the train.......

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: M.Ted
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 08:29 AM

Russian composers, I love Russian composers!

Rachmaninoff is especially appropriate for folk music people, since many of his melodic themes were developed from folk melodies--as to Alexandr Nevsky, saw the film, a number of years ago, with the Philadephia orchestra playing the score, live--it was wonderful!

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 08:46 AM

Sorry to quibble, but I think you'll find the music for "Nevsky" was written by Serge Prokofiev.

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 08:52 AM

Being the hopeless romantic that I am I love Rachmaninov's music. (He was a 20th century composer having died in 1943.) One year I played his Prelude in g minor in a piano recital AND WENT TOTALLY BLANK toward the end. At least I got through the soaring middle part. My poor teacher was standing backstage jumping up and down screaming D minor chord! That only happened to me once in my life, but it made a lasting impression. It took a long time to get over the fear of floodlights.

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: masato sakurai
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 09:45 AM

Rachmaninov #2 reminds me of the scene in THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH, where it is followed by CHOPSTICKS. Listen to it HERE.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 10:14 AM

I downloaded the entire Real Audio file that Masato linked to, but then it wouldn't play. It said it was not a Real Audio file. Does anyone know what causes this? I've had the message before. I think my RA is an updated version.

Also, Rick, whether or not #2 is difficult to play...I couldn't tell exactly from listening...but I don't think it is. There are lots of big chords, but they didn't seem to be extremely fast or jumping around a lot. I think Liszt was the one who wrote music that required large hands...a tenth instead of just an octave. Some of Chopin's trills and intricate rhythms are harder for me. Or shall I say "were." My MS has severely limited my dexterity.

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Kim C
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 10:23 AM

I played a Rachmaninoff piece as a classical student... I don't remember what it was now, I think it was one of the Etudes. Anyway, it was a lovely piece, challenging to play, and I enjoyed it very much. Rachmaninoff was somewhat ahead of his time - used chord/melodic changes that no one else was using.

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 10:55 AM

Trouble with playing Rachmaninoff is that he had huge hands, and composed accordingly. My hands are long and slim for a woman's, but not as large as his, and I have to roll some of the larger chords he intended to play all at once. Butch Thompson (from A Prairie Home Companion) solved this one year by "inventing" a special glove with two extra fingers to the side of each pinkie, just for playing particuarly difficult Rachmaninoff and Chopin compositions. It was a hilarious "ad". ;-)

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Midchuck
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 11:34 AM

Wasn't he a welterweight champ in the late '50s or so?

P.

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: JenEllen
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 11:45 AM

Yeah Kim, Rachmaninoff was ahead of his time all right. I remember playing some of his pieces in school as well.

As for technical difficulty? Who knows, I don't suppose he is any better/worse than any other composer, that's always such a matter of taste. You know it done well when you hear it. There is a huge difference between dexterity and virtuosity; anyone can learn to pick the notes from a piece of paper, but very few can play them like they were meant to be heard.

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 11:58 AM

Maggie, take a look at this link for a reduced size keyboard. Just what we needed! (Did you read my comments on the restringing a piano thread that referred to my large piano from Vienna?) It was fun to play octaves after I got a standard-sized keyboard.

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 12:30 PM

Mary, that's interesting. Since I can reach an octave plus two notes I've never felt particularly handicapped at the keyboard. I think some composers automatically wrote to show off their own skills, intentionally adding in a difficulty factor. Playing pieces with chords that large usually involves more practice to get them right because the entire work is more sophisticated, and taking more concentration to understand what the composer intended. Where is this thought going? Just to the point that so far my reach hasn't exceeded my grasp. ;-D

The dexterity playing gives my hands (when I play regularly) translates to a very fast typing speed (accuracy is pretty good also at the higher speed). Of course, since the computer (generated from the typewriter) keyboard was probably designed for women, reach has not been a problem. I wonder if someone will suggest a larger keyboard for large-handed typists?

Maggie (ducking under the piano for cover)

Subject: RE: Rachmaninoff..I know he ain't folk, but,
From: wildlone
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 02:45 PM

Reading this reminded me that the music to the song John of Dreams uses part of Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony.
dave