I love how sarcastic and very often quite soft he plays this... you can tell hes got nothing to prove to anyone.. i often sit there and play as loud as the piano will go, while sometimes i get the urge to play the piece lightly and romantically... there is no right and wrong, just a message expressed in different ways
He did not regret composing anything.Stop making up stories about him.The problem with Op. 3 No. 2 (Prelude in C# minor) was that people would always ask for it at concerts and he grew tired of playing and listening to it, but he loved it nonetheless. He mentioned that when the inspiration for the song came to him he felt he HAD to write it down. The emotions he felt when composing this piece were overwhelming.
As for Op.23 No. 5, it is a very played piece due to its complexity and amazing feel.
Rachmaninoff relaly hated this piece and hated playing it, greatly regretted that it was the composition of his that became most popular. Someone who knew him told me he wuld refer to this piece as "IT" with a sneer.
@krisspaddy Absolutely, totally agree, you make a great comment :-)
"The man was the greatest pianist who ever lived"
On prelude 23/5, only Moiseiwitsch, Gilels and Horowitz came close to Rach's onslaught on emotions, the overpowering and immense darkness, yet still absolutely lyrical and cantabile :-)
@alterI4 Rachmaninoff had a habit of changing things every now and then. Considering how many times he placed this piece at request, I have no doubt he improvised a few measures or notes
if only they had a machine to truly capture the sound....only in live performance can we actually "listen" to the music. i wish we could still experience rachmaninoff himself playing this!
although I love the way he plays the lyrical middle section I find the rest of it curiously flat and lacking in shape - except perhaps in the final page.
I think in some cases we can't necessarily trust the composer's performance. The op 23 preludes were written in proud imperialist russia, but by the time he was recording his country was transformed and his home gone. Not to wallow in sentimental despair he probably opted for a more detached and perhaps apathetic approach to this imperial march. Not the grand testament to russia it was surely meant to be.
I think this just proves that anyone can play it whichever way they damn well please haha. seriously. a lot of classical music fans are tyrannical/notorious in shoving their personal preferences down other's throats in a way that makes the whole genre seem daunting and uninviting, completely unfriendly (on youtube, at least, which of course means in real life as well). but you still have people who don't take a liking to even Sergei's performance. playing it the way YOU want is key
It is worse than how you describe some "classical fans", these people write fiction and create soap operas of Rachmninoff's life! Too many youtube "experts" !
I would humbly suggest any such "yarns " (bs that is) about Rach be voted as spam :-)
If Liszt said that, then I'm sure he was one of the best organists ever, as Liszt himself is thought of to be the greatest pianist ever. Sometimes Wikipedia is right, sometimes wrong, but in this particular case, I'm willing to bet it's wrong. Learning all of Beethovens 32 Sonatas by heart (probably 800+ pages of music) by age 11 seems an impossible feat for the human brain, genius, prodigy, savant or other.
@tdennison22 I dare to bet he didn't know them by memory, but that he could play every Beethoven Sonata.
Liszt was incredibly good in sight-reading. I thought when he was 5, he was working already through most of the works of previous composers. I doubt if he could anything by memory, but he could play them with the sheet music.
@nmvdw Yes, I can believe that. I, too, have read that Liszt had an uncanny ability to sight read music. I once read that Chopin would get frustrated when Listz would sight his Etudes when presented to him. So knowing them by memory @ that age, not believable, but 100% believable that he could play them at such a young age.
@tdennison22 I bet I could memorize all of Beethoven's sonatas in one year. As a kid, in half a year. 5 pages a day is not that much, and not much at all if you are passionate about it. But to play like these guys, the whole life is not enough for one...
i saw a lot of people commenting that rachmaninoff does not play the ``hard version´´ but the thruth is he does: the recording doesnt really shows it at first but if you listen carefully you can hear how he often changes dynamics from fast but soft to equally fast but hard. its a pretty cool combinaton of valentina lissita´s sort of dancing interpretation and gilels´almost literall attack to the piano
How interesting that Rachmaninoff does not play this like his own score! So we get both composer and pianist in equal doses here... thank you so much for posting. It's so rare to be able to hear the composer's thoughts articulated at a piano
I love the way he plays it. (Composer himself!!) And yet we do have silly interpretations out there..
I wish we could have recordings of Liszt or Chopin playing , but still and composer like Rachmaninov , is enough! He was great and like one user said , its such a delicate piece but we hear so many heavy interpretations that make this sound very dramatic and other things.
Thank you for posting this , its great to have recordings of such a master like Rach!!
@ClassicMusicOnly My favourite interpretation ... i often imagine too how great it would be to have recordings of Liszt or Chopin, their technique was probably incredible... but what really makes me want to cry is that we have no recordings of beethoven, who was famous for his improvisations... sigh
I agree. Having recordings of Chopin and Liszt would be so amazing , we could hear how the composers and really the two largest outstanding figures of Romantic piano music play their compositions.
I personally do not engage myself in much of Beethovens music has I play the piano only (I know Beethoven played the piano) but his music does not seem to fit my taste. Chopin (Obviously I'm Polish:)) , Liszt and Rachmaninov fit my taste the most.
@ClassicMusicOnly I don't know much of Chopin (yet) because i don't know much about classical yet. I also love Liszt, btw Rachmaninoff makes my favourite hungarian rhapsody n°2. The reason i think i like beethoven so much is because his music is so... epic. I couldn't describe it more because i'm not english but i think "epic" is the idea.
@KramerMcB If we're going to ask for recordings of composer/pianists from before the recording era, I would like to add Mozart to that list, as he was also known for his improvisations and pianistic skills. And J.S. Bach, who was accounted one of the great organists of his time, was involved in evaluating some of the very first pianos and making suggestions for their improvement.
@philipvanlidth Camille Sain Seans was super awesome too, Liszt called him the greatest organist alive, and apparently when he was like 11 he gave a concert and as a encore he offered to play any of the 32 beethoven sonatas.
That's impossible, even if he was a prodigy. Some of those sonats are 30+ pages and you're telling me he knew them all by heart at age 11? Sorry, I don't believe it for a second.
@tdennison22 Thats just what Wikipedia told me so take it or leave it, I think wiki wrote that he was ten actually, anyways Liszt still thought him to be the greatest organ player of his time, that was in the Walker biography.
@uhartchristian very true but this piece is very hard to play even when played heavily playing this piece so softly is something only the great Rachmaninov could do
he never charted it. its romantic era so its reliant on your own ability. any sheet music you get with pedal markings has been added in by someone else, which is pretty much meaningless.
the piece played by composer himself only shows its the real emotion and purpose, other interpretations have more personal perspective but still are wonderful if played with quality
Velocity is not that important, it seems. That, probably comes with practice. The musicality is obvious, when although the speed none of the notes is neglected neither in phrasing nor tone (sound). He is a master.
for myself, the fact that we have R himself playing it in a time-capsule of a recording changes the landscape a little; he was the equal of anybody in technique, anybody, but more important he has a structural perspective (middle section tempo, for instance) that no one else seems to have thought of. This sounds more like dance than a forced march across the steppes, and has a lot humor and variety; I'm modeling my performance on his.
A composer spends his life perfecting the CREATION of music, while a musician spends his life perfecting the INTERPRETATION and PLAYING of that music.
Just because a composer can play his piece the originally intended way does not necessarily mean he can play it the BEST way, which some other musician might come up with.
@imdafoo your comment is interesting but not relevant in the case of Rachmaninoff.... he did both struggle for good compositions and for good interpretation....
This is much better than the Ampico piano roll that he made... the improvisatory rubato is great. Mark the tempo relationship of the middle, the prominent countermelody, and the way he gets back to tempo I. and the cool 'alternate' ending.
To hear him play his own, as Kreisler plays his own. Rach does himself justice, and his inner voices so deftly brought out to hear (as was Horowitz talent too) in the middle sec... brilliant interp.
dead people can't play concerti. otherwise it would be good.
More seriously this old recording has a lovely middle. So many pianists just think "stress the right hand play the left hand quiet" without listening to themselves or the actual voices in the music. Rach's is much sexier especially near the end.
Amazing! Some utter NOBODY is actually criticizing the piano playing of SERGEI RACHMANINOFF! May you be forgotten as long as Sergeivitch is remembered!
Rachmaninov had the right to criticize himself. It's the self-proclaimed "experts" on this page who don't. (Until I hear their own superior interpretationshahahaha, that'll happen!)
Just because you don't have a superior interpretation doesn't mean that one cannot criticize. Though, most of these people can't play anything. Mind you, there are a few who can.
Anyhow, this interpretation is incredible, but I do favor Horowitz's. But, there are some cases where I think Rachmaninov was being far too humble. My favorite interpretation of his is Op. 32 No. 5. ABSOLUTELY gorgeous, and only he nails it. His interpretation of that is as perfect as I could imagine.
I like it, but some parts aren't played according to what he wrote on the published sheet music. I know it's his work and he can do whatever he wants with it, but I really like the sheet music "piano"s and "forte"s :P
strange though. i own the prelude book and in the preface it is stated that rachmaninov wished his songs to be played exactly the way it is described in the sheets. in fact he very much disliked his pieces being played in an overtemperated or cheesy way. i wonder why he himself would do exactly that...
can someone post rachmaninoff playing the g flat major recording? opus 23 no 10. it's also one of the few prelude recordings he made in addition to this one.
I do not think this is him. A lot of false information is spread throughout the internet regarding his performances. In fact, there are only very few true recordings of Rachmaninoff. Most of them which are titled with "played by Rachmaninoff" are performed by Horowitz. Such as the piano concertos. These recordings are from around 1930. Rachmaninoff was very impressed by Horowitz when the met in the US
Listen to the 1931 Horowitz of this prelude: he skips beats (0:53, m 29-30) adds a measure (2:51, m 73-74) and makes up his own coda (3;10, and double-time) and makes many note mistakes.
this is not, at least, Horowitz. It is very much like the way Rachmaninoff plays his concerti with Philly.
I see this at other old recordings too. I'm not saying that all his playing MUST be good because he is Rachmaninov. And of course you can say quite a a bit about the music, despite the quality. But be real, if you could hear Rachmaninov playing in good quality it would do wonders.
Amazing to hear him playing his own piece. It's unique and quite a bit different than today's performers play it. To those who are somewhat disappointed by him playing his own piece....have you considered it might also have something to do with the extremely poor audio quality?? :O If you could hear this in good quality it would be (even more) stunning!
I really dislike how so many pianists nowadays take such a romantic approach to Rachmaninov's music. It's interesting to see that he plays it so much differently than what is considered a "good" performance now.
I think rach. version is very good. yes I would play it different but no one knows the work better than it's own master and I belief that if Rach. played like this, it should sound like this. I like it just as it is.
I know I wouldnt be able to say this... But I wouldnt have to if they did...
They should just disable comments for videos like this. I hate people and their stupid criticism. I thought to myself: "Surely noone is going to make a fool of his/herself by criticizing Rach's interpretation of his OWN composition." But here we are... I'm ready to die now...I've seen everything...
Before I have only ever heard the piano roll recording, which I never liked very much. This recording is much better, and I like how understated it is. However I think out of all the versions I have heard it is between Richter's and Horrowitz's for which is the best
Rachmaninoff it is genial in all your works, this recording is very notable, it is an excellent document; I believe that is no good relations in contrast between one and another artist because each one has its kinds talent
You should realize that this recording's run time was limited due to the restrictions of working with 78 rpm discs. In recital he would likely not have used these tempi. In spite of the speed of interpretation, the feeling the composer elicits in playing his own piece is incredible.
every pianist has a different way of interpreting the music, they all have a different feel for it. So no one can play exactly like kissin or rachmaninoff himself.
maybe it was the quality or something or maybe because i watched that crazy fucker Kissin play this before watching Rahmaninov.Kissin impressed me,there is a clip on youtube, watch.
Its fast and clean, yes, but that doesn't make it a good interpretation. I think Gilel's version has more musicality. Actually this version is too fast.
I also think that sometimes he doesn't get the full potential out of the piece.
'Tis rather of an arrogant sort to suggest some performer might better the very author, might somehow know best how to make another's composition what it ought to be - especially when this composer was clearly one of the world's best pianists.
This only proves the change of style of piano performance from the early 1900's. Today is all about technicalities and mechanics, people just want to see fireworks. Not be driven to tears by musicality. Unfortunately.
theres a better version of rachmaninoff playing this. its a piano roll so the clarity and accents are really audible. you can find it on youtube, and i think its worth a look
What about Richter's interpretation of this prelude?
I don't like Rachmaninoff's interpretations of his own pieces. He plays them like he's bored. I mean, he had amazing technique, but I don't enjoy listening to him play his own stuff.
i think it is remarkable that we have the composer himself playin his pieces, it would be great to hear chopin play his, or beethoven play his! and i strongly disagree that he plays like he's bored, problem we have is that everyone plays rach romantically and he wasn't such, he was passionate but not romantic! In his own words!
Rachmaninoff was probably bored of the G-Minor and C-sharp minor preludes because they wanted him to play it as an encore like every concert so likely he was. He may have not been as bored with his other stuff.
ever heard of improvisation? Bach improvised literally everything he "composed", the written sheet music is only a matter of compromise because he simply HAD to decide on ONE version to go to the printing presses. Same did Mozart, Chopin, Liszt, every great jazzer, etc. Man oh man, you rigid purists are killing me. To get a hang-up and fuss about ONE chord???
This is how it goes! Nobody else comes close. Brilliant pianism, colorful, musical, imaginative; Horowitz considered Rachmaninoff to be one of the supreme pianists, and the best technician.
Why.... would anyone want to play this any different than how the actual composer intended it to be??? I'm taking bets that Rach knew what he wanted. Gilels or Kissin....
the chord changes sound like machine guns. So fast and so good. oldie but goodie.
Lugansky's and others could not play that way because they are not Rachmaninov. Only, he knows how the piece goes. It sounds like machine gun chord changes. rock on
Rachmaninov plays a different rythm than he wrote on paper, those three machine gun chords are played by him as 32nd notes but he wrote 16th notes. Other famous pianists from his era played it like him but pianists now always play as written, since aesthetics have shifted.
well actually, this is not an easy piece but its playeble. not that so hard. i vas 17 when i played this in music school. ok i had lot of work in it, but really, its not extremely hard. it sounded quite well under my hands, but of course nearly not as well as under rachmaninoffs
Rachmaninoff's playing is definition. He plays crystal clear, as for some other pianists can pedal too much. (it's all a preference on how you like music)
It's great to hear a legend play. Some of you might like other interpretations, but it's amazing to hear one of the greats do their own music. Not every day do we get to hear Chopin play Chopin, or Liszt play Liszt.
It says 'un poco meno mosso' which literally means "a little 'less fast'"
WarlockShade 2 weeks ago
I love how sarcastic and very often quite soft he plays this... you can tell hes got nothing to prove to anyone.. i often sit there and play as loud as the piano will go, while sometimes i get the urge to play the piece lightly and romantically... there is no right and wrong, just a message expressed in different ways
younix258 2 months ago
this ends at 3:33...Hm
XWilliamyX 2 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
the central part is "un poco meno posso" or what?
he writes such thing and he's the first to don't do it! lol
newFranzFerencLiszt 3 months ago
Comment removed
YifeiShi 5 months ago
@YifeiShi You are a retard. GTFO
Takashikiro 3 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@YifeiShi You are a retard. Get the fk away
Takashikiro 3 months ago
the original... oh, yeah...
gsarci2011 6 months ago
Rachmaninoff played this better than anyone else!!!...
luckykevinful 6 months ago
@luckykevinful IT IS VERY TRUE!
Kibadda123 6 months ago
personaly i've got the complete recordings,an unfoundable serie of 10 disc in RCA from the 70'
Shostakovichforever 7 months ago
nobody could play it like him
KeDaiv 7 months ago
so cool! the piano master plays his own song
htmlman1 7 months ago
I'm happy that Rachmaninoff is not a "Rachmaninoff specialist" because he plays himself "a tempo"!
classicalmusicbox 8 months ago
Title is redundant. Other than that, no complaint.
zomerzault360 8 months ago
@zomerzault360
The title is not redundant.
colourfulwithaU 8 months ago
@abidoful ahh ok lol you're the first. you speak german?
shwertmorder 8 months ago
@abidoful i mean....im just saying. ive been to a few concerts and id say its a much better experience than youtube
shwertmorder 8 months ago
@abidoful you have to admit that listening to a recording on youtube is nothing compared to actually being there when a person is playing it
shwertmorder 8 months ago
This piece is very sensual because it's very beautifull and powerfull (for me)
MarlitaLinda77 9 months ago
PERFECTION®
sttar1982 9 months ago
Comment removed
monietelnefous 9 months ago
He did not regret composing anything.Stop making up stories about him.The problem with Op. 3 No. 2 (Prelude in C# minor) was that people would always ask for it at concerts and he grew tired of playing and listening to it, but he loved it nonetheless. He mentioned that when the inspiration for the song came to him he felt he HAD to write it down. The emotions he felt when composing this piece were overwhelming.
As for Op.23 No. 5, it is a very played piece due to its complexity and amazing feel.
diab0lik5 9 months ago
Was it not the prelude in C# minor that he regretted composing? I was always told that it was that one.
CD122344 9 months ago
Rachmaninoff relaly hated this piece and hated playing it, greatly regretted that it was the composition of his that became most popular. Someone who knew him told me he wuld refer to this piece as "IT" with a sneer.
dorbarn 10 months ago
Rachmaninoff used the piano the way an F1 driver uses a car - At the Limits!!!
TheDoucheChanel 10 months ago
Utter, total, absolute, complete.... perfection.
Take a listen to his 2nd piano concerto - played also by him.
Same quality.
The man was probably the greatest pianist that has ever lived.
krisspaddy 10 months ago
@krisspaddy Absolutely, totally agree, you make a great comment :-)
"The man was the greatest pianist who ever lived"
On prelude 23/5, only Moiseiwitsch, Gilels and Horowitz came close to Rach's onslaught on emotions, the overpowering and immense darkness, yet still absolutely lyrical and cantabile :-)
Bret6464 7 months ago
I love this piece!!!
MarlitaLinda77 11 months ago
Is it just me or is that last note he plays not in the scores we read present day?!
alterI4 1 year ago
@alterI4 good spot. I believe after the final run there is only on ocatved G. but it does sound like he play it 3 times down the octave.
theorganist 1 year ago
@alterI4 Rachmaninoff had a habit of changing things every now and then. Considering how many times he placed this piece at request, I have no doubt he improvised a few measures or notes
charleshoskinson 7 months ago
if only they had a machine to truly capture the sound....only in live performance can we actually "listen" to the music. i wish we could still experience rachmaninoff himself playing this!
shwertmorder 1 year ago
This is a great piece! I am learning this piece and have uploaded my video. Please feel free to comment and subscribe!
piano0011 1 year ago
although I love the way he plays the lyrical middle section I find the rest of it curiously flat and lacking in shape - except perhaps in the final page.
newgeorge 1 year ago
I think in some cases we can't necessarily trust the composer's performance. The op 23 preludes were written in proud imperialist russia, but by the time he was recording his country was transformed and his home gone. Not to wallow in sentimental despair he probably opted for a more detached and perhaps apathetic approach to this imperial march. Not the grand testament to russia it was surely meant to be.
brosephjames 1 year ago
@brosephjames Sorry but have to totally disagree with you :-)
This is Rachmaninoff, now just any composer, and all of his performances of his works and other's are absolutely surreal and extraordinary.
I think we should listen to Rach's performances and learn!
Bret6464 1 year ago
@brosephjames
very true
I think this performance far from what he wanted to say at that time.
My favorite is Rachmaninoff prelude Op.23 n°5 - Van Cliburn
ifjanna 1 year ago
@ifjanna thanks very good rendition
TheTruthArmy 10 months ago
@TheTruthArmy
I should hope so. It's the man himself. ;p
Omega1987 10 months ago
Comment removed
whateveritsnoyes 1 year ago
@brosephjames
I think this just proves that anyone can play it whichever way they damn well please haha. seriously. a lot of classical music fans are tyrannical/notorious in shoving their personal preferences down other's throats in a way that makes the whole genre seem daunting and uninviting, completely unfriendly (on youtube, at least, which of course means in real life as well). but you still have people who don't take a liking to even Sergei's performance. playing it the way YOU want is key
whateveritsnoyes 1 year ago
@whateveritsnoyes
It is worse than how you describe some "classical fans", these people write fiction and create soap operas of Rachmninoff's life! Too many youtube "experts" !
I would humbly suggest any such "yarns " (bs that is) about Rach be voted as spam :-)
Bret6464 1 year ago
@whateveritsnoyes Well said, I couldn't have put it better.
joshcampbell0 9 months ago
If Liszt said that, then I'm sure he was one of the best organists ever, as Liszt himself is thought of to be the greatest pianist ever. Sometimes Wikipedia is right, sometimes wrong, but in this particular case, I'm willing to bet it's wrong. Learning all of Beethovens 32 Sonatas by heart (probably 800+ pages of music) by age 11 seems an impossible feat for the human brain, genius, prodigy, savant or other.
tdennison22 1 year ago
@tdennison22 I dare to bet he didn't know them by memory, but that he could play every Beethoven Sonata.
Liszt was incredibly good in sight-reading. I thought when he was 5, he was working already through most of the works of previous composers. I doubt if he could anything by memory, but he could play them with the sheet music.
nmvdw 1 year ago
@nmvdw Yes, I can believe that. I, too, have read that Liszt had an uncanny ability to sight read music. I once read that Chopin would get frustrated when Listz would sight his Etudes when presented to him. So knowing them by memory @ that age, not believable, but 100% believable that he could play them at such a young age.
tdennison22 1 year ago
@tdennison22 Yep, still impressive though, Camille was the man anyways that's my point.
Gargantupimp 1 year ago
@tdennison22 I bet I could memorize all of Beethoven's sonatas in one year. As a kid, in half a year. 5 pages a day is not that much, and not much at all if you are passionate about it. But to play like these guys, the whole life is not enough for one...
andrewpolonsky 1 year ago
i saw a lot of people commenting that rachmaninoff does not play the ``hard version´´ but the thruth is he does: the recording doesnt really shows it at first but if you listen carefully you can hear how he often changes dynamics from fast but soft to equally fast but hard. its a pretty cool combinaton of valentina lissita´s sort of dancing interpretation and gilels´almost literall attack to the piano
TheF1PinkVoltaDream 1 year ago
How interesting that Rachmaninoff does not play this like his own score! So we get both composer and pianist in equal doses here... thank you so much for posting. It's so rare to be able to hear the composer's thoughts articulated at a piano
pianofan24 1 year ago
Oh God, I love this man and all his music!! And I'm totally glad to have an opportunity to play such incredibly beautiful prelude
MissSophieBella 1 year ago
I love the way he plays it. (Composer himself!!) And yet we do have silly interpretations out there..
I wish we could have recordings of Liszt or Chopin playing , but still and composer like Rachmaninov , is enough! He was great and like one user said , its such a delicate piece but we hear so many heavy interpretations that make this sound very dramatic and other things.
Thank you for posting this , its great to have recordings of such a master like Rach!!
ClassicMusicOnly 1 year ago
@ClassicMusicOnly My favourite interpretation ... i often imagine too how great it would be to have recordings of Liszt or Chopin, their technique was probably incredible... but what really makes me want to cry is that we have no recordings of beethoven, who was famous for his improvisations... sigh
KramerMcB 1 year ago
@KramerMcB
I agree. Having recordings of Chopin and Liszt would be so amazing , we could hear how the composers and really the two largest outstanding figures of Romantic piano music play their compositions.
I personally do not engage myself in much of Beethovens music has I play the piano only (I know Beethoven played the piano) but his music does not seem to fit my taste. Chopin (Obviously I'm Polish:)) , Liszt and Rachmaninov fit my taste the most.
ClassicMusicOnly 1 year ago
@ClassicMusicOnly I don't know much of Chopin (yet) because i don't know much about classical yet. I also love Liszt, btw Rachmaninoff makes my favourite hungarian rhapsody n°2. The reason i think i like beethoven so much is because his music is so... epic. I couldn't describe it more because i'm not english but i think "epic" is the idea.
KramerMcB 1 year ago
@KramerMcB If we're going to ask for recordings of composer/pianists from before the recording era, I would like to add Mozart to that list, as he was also known for his improvisations and pianistic skills. And J.S. Bach, who was accounted one of the great organists of his time, was involved in evaluating some of the very first pianos and making suggestions for their improvement.
philipvanlidth 1 year ago
@philipvanlidth Camille Sain Seans was super awesome too, Liszt called him the greatest organist alive, and apparently when he was like 11 he gave a concert and as a encore he offered to play any of the 32 beethoven sonatas.
Gargantupimp 1 year ago
That's impossible, even if he was a prodigy. Some of those sonats are 30+ pages and you're telling me he knew them all by heart at age 11? Sorry, I don't believe it for a second.
tdennison22 1 year ago
@tdennison22 Thats just what Wikipedia told me so take it or leave it, I think wiki wrote that he was ten actually, anyways Liszt still thought him to be the greatest organ player of his time, that was in the Walker biography.
Gargantupimp 1 year ago
when you listen here the way he is dancing this piece you forget the heavy interpretations you can hear so often.....
Its such a delicate play.....
uhartchristian 2 years ago
@uhartchristian
Yes, the semi-quavered chords sound more like (snare) drums in a march than the modern interpretations where they're more individually emphasised.
Oh so snazzy~
TheWanderingNight 1 year ago
@TheWanderingNight
this prelude is very rhythmic, and those "semi-quavered" are often mistaken for melody as you say. they are more like a drum echo.
rubright02 1 year ago
@uhartchristian very true but this piece is very hard to play even when played heavily playing this piece so softly is something only the great Rachmaninov could do
allthenamesrtook 1 year ago
@uhartchristian Yes, when Rach plays it, IT SINGS to you!! cantabile appassionato :-)
Bret6464 1 year ago
grandiosoooooooo
frapepsi 2 years ago
does anyone know of any sheet music with pedal release symbols for this song? thanks
Jocklen8 2 years ago
he never charted it. its romantic era so its reliant on your own ability. any sheet music you get with pedal markings has been added in by someone else, which is pretty much meaningless.
lolturnip 2 years ago
An excellent upload. Many thanks for this Luke, what a treat !!
katsandroses 2 years ago
the piece played by composer himself only shows its the real emotion and purpose, other interpretations have more personal perspective but still are wonderful if played with quality
narek0505 2 years ago
Velocity is not that important, it seems. That, probably comes with practice. The musicality is obvious, when although the speed none of the notes is neglected neither in phrasing nor tone (sound). He is a master.
steliosdimitriadis 2 years ago
you shouldnt judge about people who play other than him. He leaves it up to us: you should play piece the way you feel it
TehWerewolf 2 years ago
I Love how he makes the second melody sing in the meno mosso section, horowitz does the same.
themimes92 2 years ago
I wish i'd see that in real when the Maestro himself is playing
Schmiti123 2 years ago
The best thing here is his revelation to us of the relativity he wants in the B sections melodic elements. Many pianists seem to get this wrong.
1810to1849 2 years ago
I don't think you can do it as rach wanted and play it as fast as most pianists want to play it today in order to show off
Diomedes22 2 years ago
for myself, the fact that we have R himself playing it in a time-capsule of a recording changes the landscape a little; he was the equal of anybody in technique, anybody, but more important he has a structural perspective (middle section tempo, for instance) that no one else seems to have thought of. This sounds more like dance than a forced march across the steppes, and has a lot humor and variety; I'm modeling my performance on his.
rickypix 2 years ago
totally agree
Thunderflower367 2 years ago
not like i can judge the composer, but i think gilels plays it a little better
bdude100 2 years ago
what about Valentina?
darbet83 2 years ago
Valentina is an amateur compared to Gilels and Rachmaninoff.
morvensky 2 years ago
Not even. lol...
hellomate639 2 years ago
She is a beginner lol
morvensky 2 years ago
No one can play better, that the composer. Because only composer can play it right, how it should be..
ivanUshline 2 years ago
A composer spends his life perfecting the CREATION of music, while a musician spends his life perfecting the INTERPRETATION and PLAYING of that music.
Just because a composer can play his piece the originally intended way does not necessarily mean he can play it the BEST way, which some other musician might come up with.
imdafoo 2 years ago
@imdafoo your comment is interesting but not relevant in the case of Rachmaninoff.... he did both struggle for good compositions and for good interpretation....
uhartchristian 2 years ago
Rachmaninov always said Horowitz used to play the Rach3 and the Sonata better than him.
Rodintube 2 years ago
This is much better than the Ampico piano roll that he made... the improvisatory rubato is great. Mark the tempo relationship of the middle, the prominent countermelody, and the way he gets back to tempo I. and the cool 'alternate' ending.
rickypix 2 years ago
He plays it diferently then the others , more raw.
Its strange , but I think I like how Gilels plays it more than how the actual composer played it.
Cazaq 2 years ago
he looks like a giant playing a mini piano in that pic
Smeagollum86 2 years ago
lol quite right.
gouloum2222 2 years ago
Richter owns it now!
TheAngeldoom 2 years ago
Cool! I can hear the real rachmaninoff play his own song. Thanks! :D
musicclasical 2 years ago
To hear him play his own, as Kreisler plays his own. Rach does himself justice, and his inner voices so deftly brought out to hear (as was Horowitz talent too) in the middle sec... brilliant interp.
gierck1 2 years ago
Even he changed the ending! It's always such an anticlimax after such a big piece.
MajorOlly 2 years ago
hey people!!
who thinks that liszt could play Rach3??
i do..
eltachimetro 2 years ago
dead people can't play concerti. otherwise it would be good.
More seriously this old recording has a lovely middle. So many pianists just think "stress the right hand play the left hand quiet" without listening to themselves or the actual voices in the music. Rach's is much sexier especially near the end.
davus0 2 years ago
:O)))))))))))))))))))))
ERENI10 2 years ago
it's an honor to listen to this
ClassicalH 2 years ago
Amazing! Some utter NOBODY is actually criticizing the piano playing of SERGEI RACHMANINOFF! May you be forgotten as long as Sergeivitch is remembered!
johnp234 2 years ago
Rachmaninov criticized himself... lol...
No one's perfect. Rachmaninov liked Horowitz's interpretation of a lot of his pieces better.
hellomate639 2 years ago
Rachmaninov had the right to criticize himself. It's the self-proclaimed "experts" on this page who don't. (Until I hear their own superior interpretationshahahaha, that'll happen!)
johnp234 2 years ago
Just because you don't have a superior interpretation doesn't mean that one cannot criticize. Though, most of these people can't play anything. Mind you, there are a few who can.
Anyhow, this interpretation is incredible, but I do favor Horowitz's. But, there are some cases where I think Rachmaninov was being far too humble. My favorite interpretation of his is Op. 32 No. 5. ABSOLUTELY gorgeous, and only he nails it. His interpretation of that is as perfect as I could imagine.
hellomate639 2 years ago
Well, I found out that Moisewitsch also nailed Op. 32 No. 5.
hellomate639 2 years ago
hmmm
I like it, but some parts aren't played according to what he wrote on the published sheet music. I know it's his work and he can do whatever he wants with it, but I really like the sheet music "piano"s and "forte"s :P
shaguree 2 years ago
strange though. i own the prelude book and in the preface it is stated that rachmaninov wished his songs to be played exactly the way it is described in the sheets. in fact he very much disliked his pieces being played in an overtemperated or cheesy way. i wonder why he himself would do exactly that...
TimmyIsNice 2 years ago
can someone post rachmaninoff playing the g flat major recording? opus 23 no 10. it's also one of the few prelude recordings he made in addition to this one.
This is rachmaninoff btw, no question about it.
brosephjames 2 years ago
I do not think this is him. A lot of false information is spread throughout the internet regarding his performances. In fact, there are only very few true recordings of Rachmaninoff. Most of them which are titled with "played by Rachmaninoff" are performed by Horowitz. Such as the piano concertos. These recordings are from around 1930. Rachmaninoff was very impressed by Horowitz when the met in the US
TimmyIsNice 2 years ago
i'm sure that this is rachmaninoff...i heard it live,and him played it in this way...
rachmaninovisback 2 years ago
Rachmaninoff died over 70 years ago.
TimmyIsNice 2 years ago
Comment removed
rachmaninovisback 2 years ago
no he died in 1944
PeRvYsAgEbOmB 2 years ago
... it depends on what calender you are using, seeing as he is russian they use a different calender, and 66 years ago is only 4 off 70 years ago.
ljoekelsoey4 2 years ago
Listen to the 1931 Horowitz of this prelude: he skips beats (0:53, m 29-30) adds a measure (2:51, m 73-74) and makes up his own coda (3;10, and double-time) and makes many note mistakes.
this is not, at least, Horowitz. It is very much like the way Rachmaninoff plays his concerti with Philly.
rickypix 2 years ago
I see this at other old recordings too. I'm not saying that all his playing MUST be good because he is Rachmaninov. And of course you can say quite a a bit about the music, despite the quality. But be real, if you could hear Rachmaninov playing in good quality it would do wonders.
tweriovnzxclb 2 years ago
Amazing to hear him playing his own piece. It's unique and quite a bit different than today's performers play it. To those who are somewhat disappointed by him playing his own piece....have you considered it might also have something to do with the extremely poor audio quality?? :O If you could hear this in good quality it would be (even more) stunning!
tweriovnzxclb 2 years ago
Beautifully said SAP13NS
I seldom read comments any longer on classical music.
ipmoic 2 years ago
я играла это произведение) Рахманинов гений) нечего не скажешь!
BGirlAA 2 years ago
if ONLY we could here Chopin studies by himself.................. We're really priviledged to be able to listen to that!
luvxl 2 years ago
I really dislike how so many pianists nowadays take such a romantic approach to Rachmaninov's music. It's interesting to see that he plays it so much differently than what is considered a "good" performance now.
tough0crowd0eh9 2 years ago
I was very surprised to see how simple was his interpretation .
I wish i could hear beethoven ..... sigh
elbartorowitz 2 years ago
that would be the best recording ever made!
Mozartstavanger 2 years ago
I'm not sure Beethoven could handle this.
CodyNelsonMusic 2 years ago
He just had to learn a totally new way of playing and a new interpretation. But I think that L.v. Beethoven could done that
BUT, of course, he could not play it like the master of this piece, Rachmaninov him self
Mozartstavanger 2 years ago
If he could do it, it would be something like Evgeny Kissins interpretation.
CodyNelsonMusic 2 years ago
I think rach. version is very good. yes I would play it different but no one knows the work better than it's own master and I belief that if Rach. played like this, it should sound like this. I like it just as it is.
TikiFury 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
rachmaninoff was such a talented dude!!
This work esp is so russian-ish haha
crystaltee93 2 years ago
how weird. i'm standing right in front of the spring of this prelude and strangely it's not my favourite interpretation :o
it didn't expect him to play like that . it remains very amazing to know the "absolute version".
tchebinai71 2 years ago
I know I wouldnt be able to say this... But I wouldnt have to if they did...
They should just disable comments for videos like this. I hate people and their stupid criticism. I thought to myself: "Surely noone is going to make a fool of his/herself by criticizing Rach's interpretation of his OWN composition." But here we are... I'm ready to die now...I've seen everything...
SAPI3NS 2 years ago
Before I have only ever heard the piano roll recording, which I never liked very much. This recording is much better, and I like how understated it is. However I think out of all the versions I have heard it is between Richter's and Horrowitz's for which is the best
JimJamRazzMaTaz 2 years ago
have to agree
ralph0057 2 years ago
when was this recorded?
miketiek1 2 years ago
He signed the contract with RCA Victor in 1920, so we can guess it was around or after that time.
LaRoza77 2 years ago
Rachmaninoff it is genial in all your works, this recording is very notable, it is an excellent document; I believe that is no good relations in contrast between one and another artist because each one has its kinds talent
jorgelaguerenne 2 years ago
This is a great recording
IT IS NOT TOO FAST, this is about the speed written in the manuscipt of crotchet=108
nicholasjohngraham 3 years ago
funny that
JimJamRazzMaTaz 2 years ago
Have you heard Valentina Lisitsa playing this? A little like Richter, but perhaps even more passionate...
PuptoPetra 2 years ago
You should realize that this recording's run time was limited due to the restrictions of working with 78 rpm discs. In recital he would likely not have used these tempi. In spite of the speed of interpretation, the feeling the composer elicits in playing his own piece is incredible.
drummerguy1956 3 years ago
this is crazy good! man no one would really be able to play like this... not even kissin!
micromae 3 years ago
every pianist has a different way of interpreting the music, they all have a different feel for it. So no one can play exactly like kissin or rachmaninoff himself.
geshanev 2 years ago
wow Rachmaninoff sucked at playing his own shit.
but hey..
killabilla 3 years ago
lolwut?
this is the best recording of this piece I have heard. no one plays it so clean and fast.
Rachmaninoff's recording of his piano concerto's are better than 95% of the ones out there, as are his recordings of his own pieces.
Did you even listen before posting?
VikingBerserker 3 years ago
maybe it was the quality or something or maybe because i watched that crazy fucker Kissin play this before watching Rahmaninov.Kissin impressed me,there is a clip on youtube, watch.
killabilla 3 years ago
Its fast and clean, yes, but that doesn't make it a good interpretation. I think Gilel's version has more musicality. Actually this version is too fast.
I also think that sometimes he doesn't get the full potential out of the piece.
thaman090 3 years ago
'Tis rather of an arrogant sort to suggest some performer might better the very author, might somehow know best how to make another's composition what it ought to be - especially when this composer was clearly one of the world's best pianists.
lamorlayefrance 2 years ago
Look up "death of the author"
Jamesdude2000 2 years ago
Oh my God...
SAPI3NS 2 years ago
This only proves the change of style of piano performance from the early 1900's. Today is all about technicalities and mechanics, people just want to see fireworks. Not be driven to tears by musicality. Unfortunately.
TheCrazyHairPianist 3 years ago
theres a better version of rachmaninoff playing this. its a piano roll so the clarity and accents are really audible. you can find it on youtube, and i think its worth a look
yunalasca 3 years ago
That one is god-awful compared to this. It doesn't sound anything like the way he plays it.
I don't understand how you can think that one is better if it is the one I have heard.
VikingBerserker 3 years ago
What about Richter's interpretation of this prelude?
I don't like Rachmaninoff's interpretations of his own pieces. He plays them like he's bored. I mean, he had amazing technique, but I don't enjoy listening to him play his own stuff.
OrangeSodaKing 3 years ago
I personally like Richter's better because he puts more emotions into it, i guess. ehh, but then we are all entitled to our own opinions
RoyalPriesth00d 3 years ago
i think it is remarkable that we have the composer himself playin his pieces, it would be great to hear chopin play his, or beethoven play his! and i strongly disagree that he plays like he's bored, problem we have is that everyone plays rach romantically and he wasn't such, he was passionate but not romantic! In his own words!
foxyjohnuk 2 years ago
Rachmaninoff was probably bored of the G-Minor and C-sharp minor preludes because they wanted him to play it as an encore like every concert so likely he was. He may have not been as bored with his other stuff.
morvensky 2 years ago
Whoa this seems to be a half tone flatter than the rest of the recorded versions on youtube LOL It was jarring.
cantante189 3 years ago
This one hasn't been remastered, that's wy. I like it this way, it has a certain feel of authenticity over it.
muesk3 3 years ago
why the last chord?? thats not in the revised notes
Mysdir 3 years ago
why not??
Lukecash12 3 years ago
ever heard of improvisation? Bach improvised literally everything he "composed", the written sheet music is only a matter of compromise because he simply HAD to decide on ONE version to go to the printing presses. Same did Mozart, Chopin, Liszt, every great jazzer, etc. Man oh man, you rigid purists are killing me. To get a hang-up and fuss about ONE chord???
12rosebud12 3 years ago
This is how it goes! Nobody else comes close. Brilliant pianism, colorful, musical, imaginative; Horowitz considered Rachmaninoff to be one of the supreme pianists, and the best technician.
billyguns2 3 years ago
I have never heard a better performance of this.I have heard many performances of this great piece,but this is really the best.
ArturoAlejandroS 3 years ago
you never heard a better performance because Rachmaninoff plays Rachmaninoff of course you never heard any better.
64wulf 3 years ago 9
You have all the reason!Have you heard his performance of the concert nº3,third movement?Too amazing and beautiful.
ArturoAlejandroS 3 years ago 3
Why.... would anyone want to play this any different than how the actual composer intended it to be??? I'm taking bets that Rach knew what he wanted. Gilels or Kissin....
No one gets near the original composer.
It is superb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
barokajin 3 years ago
Why wear different color clothes when we can wear the same color? The composer gives us a blank shirt, people give it color.
aminlikestits 3 years ago 10
красивый!
Mysdir 3 years ago 2
for the people that don't understand Russian.
"Beautiful!"
joaharu 3 years ago 3
Youtube didn't categorize my statement. uuhhh
Kracivui is beautiful in Russian. uhhhh
joaharu 3 years ago
only Rachmaninoff plays it like this...i've never heard anyone else play it quite like he does...hardly any pedal compared to others!
jblue2pro 3 years ago
the chord changes sound like machine guns. So fast and so good. oldie but goodie.
Lugansky's and others could not play that way because they are not Rachmaninov. Only, he knows how the piece goes. It sounds like machine gun chord changes. rock on
joaharu 3 years ago
Rachmaninov plays a different rythm than he wrote on paper, those three machine gun chords are played by him as 32nd notes but he wrote 16th notes. Other famous pianists from his era played it like him but pianists now always play as written, since aesthetics have shifted.
pianiplunker 3 years ago
thankyou for clearing that up. Need brush up on Rach history.
joaharu 3 years ago
well actually, this is not an easy piece but its playeble. not that so hard. i vas 17 when i played this in music school. ok i had lot of work in it, but really, its not extremely hard. it sounded quite well under my hands, but of course nearly not as well as under rachmaninoffs
Xqwrtz 3 years ago
that's true, when you hear it seems almost easy to play, but its quite hard
paganiniGOGO 3 years ago
Rachmaninoff's playing is definition. He plays crystal clear, as for some other pianists can pedal too much. (it's all a preference on how you like music)
It's great to hear a legend play. Some of you might like other interpretations, but it's amazing to hear one of the greats do their own music. Not every day do we get to hear Chopin play Chopin, or Liszt play Liszt.
Keemz0h 3 years ago
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!
zetangie 3 years ago
jeezes that piano is out of tune!!!!!!
ljoekelsoey4 3 years ago 4
Its the recording T.T
iluvS2music 3 years ago
is a ghost hehihi
goldberg72 3 years ago