Rachmaninov - The Isle of the Dead, Op. 29 (part 1/2)

[Sithdisturber]

Sublime

[jelleepit]

Painting is Arnold Berklins Isle of the Dead.Rach never explained the reason for this piece but I suspect he lost someone close to him just around seeing this painting, if you listen to the end the piece you hear heart beat slow and stop and then solo violin come in like a death bed scene, solo violin is Rach obviously, music is the explanation really.

[0casteloencantado0]

@jelleepit arnold berklin? are you sure?

[stalkerlau]

What's the name of this painting ?

[SertavisSaviPianist]

perfection

[GawdOFVIOLINZ]

Lucky ass Orchstra that go to play this DEVINE Masterpeice

[AlgaMackinac]

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 (C.E.), 7:47 AM (Eastern Standard Time)

[hmbeyle]

I always liked Böcklin' painting. Now I like it more!

Thank you for posting this masterpiece.

[MrPatotepo]

when i listen this song i am a bit scary

[JonLewisFallows]

as good as it gets...years before its time...check my vid and lets change the world

[rawrgDX]

Phantasmagoric! Romantic music is my favorite! And people, please don't feed the trolls. XD

[Rasterius]

@nequillim maybe if you tried studying a classical instrument for a few years you would immediately appreciate the classical world. Even then it takes time and learning to appreciate more complex music, seemingly dissonant and distanced from human emotions. Ignorance is bliss, sure, but you will have a lot to benefit from a music education. I too enjoy pop music but I don't try to lower the value of classical because it is not 'cool'.

[laxur1312]

@nequillim go back to your fucking bridge you freaking hipster piece of crap

[theNRS1993]

Ladies and gentlemen. Please don't feed the trolls.

[DafniElissa]

Bocklin disse, spiegando il significato di questo dipinto: "un'immagine onirica: essa deve produrre un tale silenzio che il bussare alla porta dovrebbe fare paura".

[fikradas]

@nequillim You must be thinking right ow that I'm just another elitist and complaining guy. Actualli not, I've just turned out 15 a few months ago, and have discovered classical music since about 3 years now, it had open my eyes. I won't annoy you any longer than that, the important thing is that you have pleasure to listen to the music, and not being caught in a kind of mass-effect. If you like JB or LG, fine, I wish you to enjoy. But don't be mistacken about "classical" music.

Best regards.

[fikradas]

@nequillim But if you want to listen to music for the guy who's singing more than for what he sings, no problem, but I prefere listening to the music itself. To quote Steve Hogarth, singer of Marillion, a prove that there still real artists on earth: How am I supposed to be moved by "baby baby baby ohhhhhh!"? ) I don't know... But you make me realise that it's maybe not the purpose. Music is gone to something more commercial than expressive in my opinion, but if you're fine with that...

[fikradas]

@nequillim Second point: ofr all those artist whom you call "void of personnality and feelings" you'll see that if you read their biographies, you're wrong. Their personnality and feelings had a big impact on their compositions. Liszt was showy, Chopin introvert, Rachmaninov anxious... If you don't konw all that, it's because music then was just for some elite, and they didn't have to expose their life to get famous, music was enough: putting music above youself is the sign of true musicianship.

[fikradas]

@nequillim Plus, I understand what you mean for "their personnality and talent". You forget to important points: first, the current pop music is for 90% the same thing: same structures, same chords, same "message". Having a nice look or "personnality" is necessary to stand out. Everybody is focused on the look nowadays, it's sad because if you watch JB first videos, when he was a small kid, he had some serious skill, although it was not more than any kid who finishes studying at a music academy.

[SunSerenity]

@fikradas Although I don't think you had to bother yourself with explaing something to the poor soul (Rachmaninov mainstream? ha ha), I loved every word you wrote. So much truth in those words. Thanks.

[fikradas]

@SunSerenity You're welcome :)

It's indeed fun to call Rachmaninov "mainstream" since all the composers of his time (like Stravinsky) reproched him to not following enough the musical evolution of the 20th century... Actually they were more "mainstream" than him haha...

[SunSerenity]

@fikradas Exactly! I always felt it must have been difficult for him when he felt like being too of the "old-fashion" - especially compared to Stravinsky, and he couldn't do anything about it because it just wasn't in him, but nevertheless I love his music more than anything else ever created in the field of music

[fikradas]

@SunSerenity Oh I don't think it bothered him that much: Rachmaninov used to say that his music was what came from his heart and that he didn't care about the music evolution. He also called Schoenberg and friends "futurists" and predicted that they would be forgotten within a century: he was not totally wrong, since people nowadays listen far less to them than to Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, or... Rachmaninov.

[SunSerenity]

@fikradas Well, good to hear that, I must have read something different somewhere, but it doesn't matter much. It was nice talking to you. Take care and thanks.

[fikradas]

@SunSerenity You too :) Enjoy your listenings!

[fikradas]

@nequillim You must be joking... How on earth would you be on this video if you don't have some real classical music knowledge? I mean, a lot of people who aren't even listening (sorry for the "even") to Lady Gaga&friends don't know that Rachmaninov existed, so looking for his music on youtube... forget it.

[TheVaughan5]

@nequillim Well I guess there is just no hope for some people - Rachmaninov mainstream? I like that!!

[TheVaughan5]

@nequillim Don't worry, one day you just might be intelligent enough to realise that what you now like is just superficial computer generated junk churned out for the millions of morons that inhabit the earth. This music is not, and never has been, for the masses.

[lambd01d]

@TheVaughan5 Whilst I agree that a lot of pop music is superficial and aimed at morons, it is not computer-generated. It may be made on computers, but it still involves human beings to put it together. It has also been proven that it is possible to use computer algorithms to generate music that is equally pleasing to the ear as music composed by some of the finest classical composers, because music has certain rules and applying rules is something that computers are very good at.

[dancingwithfrogs]

Utoya Island ...

[Pooch92893]

Why can't other seventeen year-old people be just a tad like myself and find the ingenuity in music without words? The melody almost always says it all.

[FeatherOfTheWindow]

@Pooch92893

Because they want a ribbon and security with themselves :)

[peterlunow]

great rendition! beautifully transparant, subtile dynamic,pace and with soul !!!!

God ,what a sad piece:-)

[MichaelDPorter]

♫ ♫ Memories are made of this... ♫ ♫

I remember my Dad putting this on the gramophone, sitting me on his knee, and telling me a story about drowned sailors coming out of the sea to look for their lost children. I was FOUR YEARS OLD for God's sake! Is it any wonder I have emotional problems?

[steevyp]

@nequillim I get your sarcasm =)

[VKatze]

Absolutely divine....Thank you so much for the upload...

[mrbrianmccarthy]

@nequillim  Oh,a janitor---LOL.

[mrbrianmccarthy]

@nequillim You poor poor dear. What a shame youre just too unintelligent to appreciate the finer things in life.Oh well---I'm actually glad there are people lke you.We smart people need dumb asses like you to clean floors,make our burgers and wash our cars.  ; . )

[Dillingerman1]

@nequillim I've never seen a greater example of a troll.

[RobotInTokyo]

My mind wanders to paintings by Beksinski. . .

[SunSerenity]

I've always seen this piece as a story of the wanderer in the picture, his fears, anguish, denial and final submission. Perhaps because of this is this piece so captivating - frightening and yet hopeful and somehow you feel relief in the end. Masterwork.

[nedbread1]

@luetin09 the tone poem was inspired by the romantic painting of the same name by russian artist Arnold Bocklin

[Luetin09]

Does anyone know the painting above? I would really like to know the title and artist

[234helenrose]

Makes me think of the Four Last Things.

[ilkinond]

The 5/8 rhythm changes, right? Sometimes 3+2, sometimes 2+3

[CDugan7]

@ilkinond Yes it does change, but not in any certain pattern, it seems....

[MarlitaLinda77]

Rachmaninoff was very amazing... after Mozart, he is my favorite :) he's very good, he's a genious definitely!

[Kilchattan7]

Eh, isn't it just Charon rowing the Styx like????

Penny for your thoughts/eyes!

[PhilippeRR1]

I love the attention to orchestral detail that Marriss Janssons gives to this piece... It gives us a full breath of Rachmaninov's orchestral palate. HEY! Is it just me or has anyone noticed that, in this version of Meister Arnold BOECKLIN's painting the standing soul carried in the skiff HAS A SHADDOW??? So there is life eternal after all... (I don't believe this was an oversight on the part of BOECKLIN).

[MeomariAlionamde]

Refined, dark beauty. Very well done!

[kinoglas]

Magnifique! Merci!

[maestrojimbo]

My favorite recording is the old Philadelphia Orch with Ormandy - truly legendary. I like slower tempos,although I know Rachmaninoff himself took a swifter tempo, but I think it's because the old 78s could only contain a limited amount o time per side.

Thanks for posting.

[MrBirdy7]

Rachmaninov really captured the essence of Bockilin's painting in this piece, it all come's to life in melodic form.

[buffalocrotch]

Hey, WhiteOcean, gotta question for you, I have a recording of this, on cassette, but there is a "Life" Theme at the end of this piece with strings, and I am having a hard time finding that segment out here.

[whiteocean78]

@buffalocrotch This is the first half of the recording. Scroll up to the top of this page and see the first video on the right. That's the part 2/2. I had to divide this piece in two because Youtube did not accept any video longer than 10 min.

[hellomate639]

I've seen that painting in person. I specifically requested to see it from one of the staff at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and he told me where to find it. It was quite amazing seeing a painting that Rachmaninov gazed at himself.

This piece gives me visions of rowing down the river Styx in a dark cavern, phantoms drifting about.

[buffalocrotch]

@hellomate639 - I like how how you describe Rachmaninoff himself looking at the picture, and it just makes me wonder, how someone can write one of the most beautiful orchestral pieces, and how his mind worked to just put it all together, truly an amazing composer, and the painter was also so talented and amazing.

[RichardMartin2]

@buffalocrotch

Agree entirely, but there's so much more. If you thought (rightly) that any one of the following pieces is amazing, what do you say to the fact that they were written consecutively?

Op 27 (Second Symphony), 28 (First Piano Sonata), 29 (Isle of the Dead) and 30 (Third Piano Concerto).

Truly a mindblowing progression, which is why Rachmaninov is one of my favourite composers. I know Alfred Brendel disagrees, but too bad.

[conradin1000]

When I was about four, my father who was home on leave from the war put this piece on the gramophone, sat me down and told me a story about drowned sailors coming out of the sea and climbing up a beach to look for their lost children.

Can you imagine a four-year-old listening to THIS being told THAT? The passage beginning at 7:50 can still fill me with absolute horror...

Come on, Dad, I loved you lots, but FOR PITY'S SAKE!

*goes and sits in a corner, sobbing his little heart out*

[84Fish48Fish]

Ah, don't you just love Rachmaninoff.

[SunSerenity]

@84Fish48Fish definitely!

[Epechy]

The english horn solo beginning at 4:49 has got to be one of the most beautiful places in all of Rachmaninov's music. The way it changes the mood from the hopeful string melody to something far more somber with it's simple counter-melody is pure genius.

[PhilipLu3]

@Epechy all of rachmaninoffs horn solos are beautiful

[TheGuyWhoJustShotYou]

@Epechy I have to disagree. I think the french horn solo from his piano concerto no. 2 1st movt is way better. its just the horns with tremolo strings under it. you should look it up!!! :)

[ThaSchwab]

I really love the beginning of the piece. When you think of what it was meant to convey (Charon's oars moving through the water as he ferried the dead across the River Styx), you realize it was conveyed well.

[MrBirdy7]

LJB SASHA, I stand corrected, Rachmaninov saw the picture in Paris in 1907, and composed the piece in 1909, thanks for correcting me!

A dark work indeed, but still beautiful, and gave us a real insight into the type of music Rachmaninov would compose in later years.

[mrmolinodelahoz]

I realize that Bocklin´s imagery for death is seperation. Seperation from man and perhaps from God by an island with no humanizing or devine communion.

An eternal rock of isolation and lonliness.

Both painting and music are brilliant indeed.

[MrBirdy7]

Superb piece based on Bocklins picture which Rachmaninov saw in Paris in 1918, he wrote this in 1919.

[LJBSasha]

That's 10 years too late (by then he had to turn his career ambitions upon his pianism due to his having to flee Russia). The dates are 1908 and 1909 in all likelihood.

[Kevincygnus]

al principio no me gusto, pero como toda obra de Rachmaninov me queda gustando cuando lo escucho por segunda vez ¿porque sera??

[mavrilmavrilo]

because he is a genius

[mrmolinodelahoz]

I first saw this painting 40 years ago in the Metropolitan museum, NYC. It´s the perfect artwork for the perfect music.

I find this performance very evocative and rich. The crossing of the river Styx is a very cold trip indeed. What would anyone else expect?

[SuperPetrarka]

which painter?

[whiteocean78]

Arnold Böcklin

[LJBSasha]

@mrmolinodelahoz: Try Ashkenazy or Prévin: they are no less terrifying in this piece, but they also allow the music to breathe, to shine in its late-Romanticism and its accompanying visions of death and trouble. Compared to them, Mariss Jansons is just a 3rd-rate Kapellmeister!!

[LJBSasha]

Janssons is very cold and detached with this piece (as with his Chaykóvskiy - likewise disliked here!). That, plus a speed faster than I'd prefer, deprives the Saint Petersburgers the chance to really shine (although it's obvious they're a very fine orchestra indeed - particularly of note is the oboe-tone as well as of the muted horns and strings).

I'll dare say that Mr. Janssons is over-rated in this repertoire, sad to say - I had hoped for better things from him based on his reputation.

[MsCoralline]

@LJBSasha Agreed, totally. I can't speak to any of other Janssons' recordings, but this one is too fast.