Added: 3 years ago
From: p1ano
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  • Rachmaninoff was a God. His spirit has been immortalised forever through his music. Thanks for sharing ;-)

  • @182Greedo

    definitely not

  • Comment removed

  • I want this played at my funeral. Too beautiful.

  • ingenious..how an earth a human brain can produce such a fantastic series of sounds

  • this gave me shivers; sounds sublime and took me spiralling upward to the starry night where sleep than took me away to peaceful nothingness...ahh.... classical music how i love thee

  • Just beautiful. And that jazzy feel at 0:32 blows my mind every time I listen to this.

  • how could anyone possible compare rachmaninoff with bieber????

  • @fairyofwind You're nuts in the head. This is one of the best masterpieces ever composed. You must either be a troll with too much time on your hands or you really like this. Either way why don't you leave and go watch your little, tiny Justin Bieber and leave the real music and great composers to us people that know what real music is. Did it ever occur to you that this music and the other classics are 100-300 years old and still loved?

  • @jimmm7339ki3456 .....er...I think somebody was jerking your chain...........and it worked.

  • @FlierFrank172 How do you know if someone was jerking my chain? And it worked my ass! They sounded like a Bieber follower to me. I had to explain to them what real music is. Bieber will be forgotten about shortly unlike the geniouses of classical music.

  • @fairyofwind LOL.... I guess you are deaf ?

  • @fairyofwind honestly, to say it, all music is influenced from the past. Without Rach, Mozart, and Beethoven, Bieber would still be doing disco right now. Without history, there is no future. Without understanding the past, there is no correct judgement. Only dense shallow minorities such like you have the stupidity to declare to the whole world you have no class whatsoever.

  • Dear all Arsenal52100, rkarri05 and seelangay thank you for your kind words, it's goodo to know that there is people in the world that care, I keep coming back to this place because I feel that my father comes and enjoy this beautiful music and is happy know that people care. Thanks again

  • The entire Rhapsody is my all time favorite classical work. This "Love Theme" as it's known to many is so beautiful it sends chills(good ones) up my spine. I had a recording of the whole piece by an artist by the name of William Kapell who sadly died very young in a plane crash in the 50's(I think) that was excellent.. Beautifully played. What can I say about Rubinstein...masterful, beautiful! I love this piece!

  • Merci beaucoup.

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  • I'm going to play this piece with an orchestra and i guarantee that i'm going to cry the first time we play it.

  • I have a 10inch RCA LP of this by Rubinstein, conducted by Walter Susskind. Bought it in 1953 after seeing the movie "The Story of Three Loves" which featured Moira Shearer as a doomed ballerina.

  • goosebumps....pure and simple. Maybe the most gorgeous piece of music ever written.

  • Dear justcallmeE thanks so much for your comment, I still miss him a lot, you're right he's smiling down on me, thank you for you kind words that I need so much at this time.

  • one of the most beautifull thing i ever heard

    

  • @Choltik

    I'm sorry to hear that, friend. Know that he's smiling down on you.

  • I just lost my father on Jul-23-11 I learned to love classical music because of him, this was his favorite, I can feel him near me, I love you Daddy

    Thanks for posting

  • @seshat64 your dad had good taste when you listen he is listening with you,enjoy together.God bless.

  • @seshat64 beautiful post. :)

  • Just wonderful.

  • inmortal melody.....

  • only a complete moron could dislike this wonderful piece of music.I get goosebumps from head to toe every time i hear it.

  • This is absolutely the most relaxing and intense piece of music ever.  It was played at our wedding and at our divorce, which was so moving that my lawyer lowered his fee.

  • @cobalt100 - Pretty decent of him - he must be a rarity - a decent lawyer - that's an oxymoron. But I believe you when you say he was moved by this piece - only it would have made him do so!!

  • @cobalt100 Lowered it, he didn't waive it altogether!

  • Ineffable

    

  • This is the most relaxing piece.... feels like this is going to heaven...

  • The most incredible piece of music in the history of man. Absolutely stunning.

  • My two oldest children at the age of 10 and 9 said they didn't want to listen to this at bed time because it made them feel like someone had died. Three years later it is their favorite bedtime music. This music was played in our wedding when we walked back down in aisle instead of the traditional music. We started a new wave in our friends and they all had it somewhere as part of their wedding. This is my favorite music in the world.

  • @blessingsofamom same story for my parents!

  • mel brooks @2:15

  • How could anyone dislike this piece? It is truly beautiful, I don't think I've ever heard better and it show how high we humans can reach with our music. What a pity we can't treat our fellow humans as well as we can produce music. This piece has scaled the heights

  • legendary perfect match of Rubinstein's poetic and noble character and this Rachmaninov's expressive and lyrical piece

  • I'm generally quite a callous and nearly sadistic person and have literally never cried because of music but this piece just changed that. Absolutely fucking beautiful.

  • this sounds like the best dream ever.

  • There are 3 deaf idiots on the t'interweb.

  • @petemcclelland100 Peace be unto you, my dear friend. In 1986 I found a girl that loved this theme as much as I, but I had not the courage as she to commit. But in 2007 I found her once more and forever more. We are now just past our 3rd wedding anniversary. Have ye faith and remain strong....

  • I wonder what Paganini would have thought of this piece, after someone had told him it's a variation on a theme of his. Probably would have been pleased, although it's not quite his style, obviously.

    Paganini on the Violin, and Rachmaninoff on the Piano, both were great composers and performers - each for his own instrument.

  • What kind of idiots actually could dislike this music???

  • I hear that this is what they play in the formal dining room in Heaven?

  • Thanks for posting this, I first heard this in Groundhog Day with Bill Murray, Im very glad you have have put this up. Its simply beautiful.

  • Ha,I just realized this is what Phil attempts to play in "Groundhog Day".

  • I wish we could vote for more than one. I love the Rachmaninov, the Chopin, Mozart and Debussy, all of them are wonderful.

  • This gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

  • @DeathEaterSpy goosebumps for you and me, and add some tears of joy. This music is etherally beautiful!!

  • Yeah, I agree with the friend below, and LUV this music too.

    I've a thing for this kind of music... and I'm happy cause I'm not alone.

  • I agree, the most celestial music ever written... together with rachmaninov 2° piano concert theme and debussy claire de lune...

  • Rubi hit it on the head!!!

  • beautiful

  • it's very beautiful,

  • superbus maximus.

    perfect end to shitty week, hey ho hum

  • @Kenentigern7 There you are :) :) :) yes,superbus maximus. Better weeks, there have been. Now to tomorrow. Looking for the goodness and warmth one can gather to fill a soul. "What are you like?" Freyja :) :) :x

  • all my stars ,,,my friend ,,,smiles ,hugs and god bless you for your magnificent post ,,,,simply stunning and irresistable ,,,pianio is my very fav and its rare to get to enjoy this ,,,kind of ,,fabulous ,,,music ,,,,smiles ur bro

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  • Just sublime

  • this is so beautiful; I could cry.

  • absolutely pristine

  • lol ... Part of this is in Tales of Phantasia. o_o

  • ... any place in any time forever :)

  • Simply beautiful. I am going to analyze this song in my music project.

  • @olladyrocks FYI The 18th variation is in retrograde inversion of the theme. Very Smart of Mr. Rachmaninoff. See Retrograde_inversion in wikipedia. The other variations hold their own little mysteries, too. Good luck with the analysis.

  • one justin bieber's fans did'nt like this beautiful pice! i hite them so mach...

  • one word..........BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!­!!!!

  • Perfect! In many versions of this piece, the orchestra drowns out the solo piano as they crescendo toward the middle of the piece. Once again, Rubinstein reigns supreme in his rendition. If you really want to learn how a piano piece is supposed to be played, Rubinstein will be the first place to start.

  • Someone needs to put the Victor Borge version up. His piano playing was better. Such a beautiful song.

  • absolutely breathtaking and beautiful thank you for posting

  • If there is no heaven I don´t mind. I can enjoy this piece.

  • i'll never forget when one of my first music teachers played this one for the class. CRAZY!!!

  • This piece of music transcends time and forces us to look back nostalgically at all of the past hurts and failures we have endured while all at once allowing us to glimpse to the hope of the future and all the love we shall be able to give and receive. It transcends time not because of nostalgia or hope for the future, but because of an understanding and appreciation of the deep complex beauty of the human condition!

  • @tstewbo1 : It sure does!

  • @tstewbo1 *Wow*! That statement says it all, doesn't it, folks? Very profound, just like Rachmaninoff's music that Rubinstein is playing here. Love the juxtaposition in this! ✿♫♪¤♫♪✿

  • Rachmaninoff being performed by Rubinstein in 1956.Beautiful!

  • This great piece of music, my #1 Favorite piece or song of All-Time. was performed by Lang Lang at Washington, DC on the 4th of July. He did an awesome job. He also did "Stars and Stripes Forever" which was also unbelievable. I can see why he gets alot of fans to his concerts. I was impressed!

  • This was one of the most beautiful songs I've heard.

  • It's the tops, dude..!

  • I doubt if there is a person alive that would not be moved by this piece. Just for the fun of it, I had my 11 year old grand daughter listen to this, her first time hearing it. When it was over, I asked her what she thought. She was so moved that she had a hard time conveying her thoughts. She then asked to hear it again? Now, it is in her iPod, and she plays it for all her friends!

  • @cranez006 and its russian!

  • @cranez006 - Thank you for that very touching story.

  • @cranez006 That's a wonderful story!

  • @benjaros2 Correction; take every soldier in the world, make them learn this variation, then take every politician, religious figure, or world leader in the world, tie them to chairs, and make them listen to it.

    Then duct-tape their mouths shut for good measure, just in case one was legitimately tone-deaf.

  • his playing "looks" so modern, so of today's.

  • Now there it is..... ahhhh ;]

  • I also think this is the most beautiful piece of music ever. Ever!

  • jesus this piece brings chills down my spine every time

  • Rubenstein looks very much like Frank Lloyd Wright

  • Invert caprice 24 and you sort of get this. Gorgeous either way in my opinion.

  • R's recording with Reiner was made in 1956 one of the earliest stereo recordings -still available & one of the best. it's generally coupled to the Rach #2 also a great performance -however this Rach Variations recording is generally considered to B one of the truly great ones. R didn't record much of Rach so we are lucky to hear this; everyone should hear the whole recording (23min) it is a real stunner. The video is an abridged & different version - R and Rach both had enormous hands

  • Bella!

  • The 18th variation is always the one that stands out. It just gives me goosebumps.

    Who's the conductor?

  • Fritz Reiner is conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in this 1999 recording.

  • 1999? impossible.

  • 1999? impossible. He was dead 17 years in 1999.

  • @hjf71670 Sorry. Rubinstein recorded the Paganini Variations 1956 as frogmanpiano pointed out. This recording was later digitally remastered in 1999.

  • @hjf71670 Yea I was gonna' say....

  • @hjf71670 He didn't die, God asked him for Piano lessons

  • @hjf71670 He was dead 36 years in 1999! :P

  • One of my favorite classical pieces. It brings tears to my eyes, so beautiful.

  • Great performance! Thank you for uploading.

  • great!!!!!!!!!

  • @benjaros2 That's an excellent comment. Every child, every one should learn music and arts and develop their sensitivity. They would hesitate a lot before going to war and kill people.

  • Pour un ami, bonne chance à toi, toujours!

  • Lindo, maravilhoso, beautiful, wonderful, magnifico, de enlouquecer! Thank you!

  • Make all POLITICIANS listen to it once a day!

  • best comments ever!

  • A pianist of transcendent genius !!

  • such a beautiful piece. this is what keeps me sane lol

  • is everyone aware this was the common thread piece of the movie "Somewhere In Time" ?

  • @toddk911 yes , I like the movie , it is quite cute.

  • Why can't more orchestral music have melodies like this?

  • It's called "impressionism".

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  • makes me cry - i love reading everyones feelings on here glad im not alone

  • most beautiful heartbreakin music ever composed!!!!

  • This is too much to bear.

  • I know. It touches something inside almost like a key fitting perfectly in a lock then entering into a room filled with memories of the past.

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  • There are many lovely renditions of this, but none seem so "right" as Mr. Rubinstein's. He was such a treasure.

    For another blissful experience of this Variation, also accessible on YouTube, I loved hearing Michael Rabin play it on violin.

    Both recordings are heavenly.

  • Rubinstein made two unequaled recordings, IMO: this, the Paganini Variations with Reiner, and his 1957 recording of Chopin's Barcarolle. Nobody comes close, proving that Rubinstein could turn in great performances.

  • This is a beautiful recording of truly diving music...

    I'm playing this in december (on e.h.)...and i can't wait!

  • Splendido...

  • In my opinion, the most beautiful piece of music ever written.

  • only after Sir Edward Elgar's "nimrod" it is.both pieces of music can quite easily reduce me to tears and as for the goosebumps!!!!!!!!

  • I TOTALLY agree w/ you on that one!

  • I find this and Debussy's "Clair de Lune" to be the two most haunting piano pieces ever composed.

  • you may want to search chopin

    but i basically agree

  • I can't believe you posted that. These are my two favorite pieces ever.....

  • @soundqcar I concur.

  • rachmaninov himself premiered it. theres a few recordings out there

  • Thanks

  • Does anyone know if there is an original piece played by Rachmaninov?

  • I have a cd that is called 25 Classical Favorites and it is on it. It says

    Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme vy Paganini (Variation No. 18)

  • i think he does a great job.

  • rubinstein is a great pianist for sure, but he's never a favorite for rachmaninoff to me..

  • It goes so deep... cant stop listening...

    Thx p1ano that we all can share this beautiful Music.

  • this is one of my favorite songs :)

  • This is one of my favorites also... Have you ever seen the '70's movie with Christopher Reeve "Somewhere In Time". Most of the movie revolves around this song and many other that are similar in emotion and feel. It is, by far, my favorite soundtrack and it's mostly because of Rachmaninoff's Variation on a Theme by Paganni. If you love this music...you will absolutely love the movie.

    "Somewhere in Time". Trust me!

  • I have seen it a few times and just love it.

  • I have an acquaintance who is totally blind and is always saying things like "ill see you tomorrow" and ""...the way I see it" etc. So I assume that you are probably deaf.

    ho ho ho

  • timeless, expresses what my heart wants to say

  • Fabulous treatment - the BEST I've heard - with passion and delicacy at the same time! Why don't we get new music today of this quality?

  • Education! Young people today equate money with success. Thus someone who can rap a hip-hop tune and make a lot of money from it is considered a success and talented. In times past, talent was an invention of the heart not the wallet. In every field of endeavor, standards have been lowered by ever decreasing educational standards. It is like my father use to tell me, "It is not talent if everyone can do it." The only "art" appreciation today is spelled with 3 letters; POP.

  • I completely agree. It's rather sad... our culture today.

  • @jongolding Because we live in an age of half doing things, and not caring for the little things in life. We live in an age where we want it now, and have no time or patience for anything else. So, the majority of people do not want to sit down and listen to this music because they are too impatient and do not care for the little things in life, it is all very sad in a way.

  • @supernole100 You are exactly right. One example I have a door opener from 1980, and it still works fine. My other door opener I replaced 2 times allready. That shows things back in the 80's were built better. Now society is just like throw it away and buy a new one. How many people fix tv's anymore? Not many where I live in Wi. People want things done yesterday. No time to wait. I'm like that a little bit, just because I live in society and it rubs off but I'm not that bad.

  • @jongolding haven't you heard the new lady gaga?

  • so beautiful it makes me cry

  • Beautiful music! I had a friend who was a music teacher and had two pianos in her studio. We used to play this as arranged for two pianos--quite a challenge, but we enjoyed it so much.

  • this music is pure heart

    mmmmmmm love it

  • Amazing, wonderful, heartbreaking.. that piece lasts forever

  • Lindaaa

  • it makes me cry.. ;( so beautiful.. i love it..

  • stunning, this passage of music make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

  • Underneath the extravagance of mechanical dexterity and exhibitionist technique, there is, after all, a musical depth hidden in the works of Paganini. Thanks to Rachmaninov.

  • i somehow find myself listening to this every night before bed

  • Done that for years! Plan to continue! I love this song. The song of my heart

  • It's not a song. :)

  • I feel guilty just listening to the 18th over and over...

  • Exquisito, busque esta pieza aqui mucho tiempo esta es simplemente la mejor interpretacion de la 18° variacion de rapsodia de Rachmaninoff.

    EXELENTE "p1ano are a genius ; )"

  • One of the best recordings on youtube.

    Rachmaninoff was a true genius.

    And just think what other beautiful music was

    going on in his head.

    VERY VERY VERY AMAZING MUSIC!!!!!!

  • Beauté et émotion!

  • Every time I listen this so beautiful music makes me feel sad and nostalgic I love it and the end I finish crying.

  • A Masterpiece, BEAUTIFUL, INSPIRING, Many Words to Describe this Music!!

  • think words are not enough to describe it ;)

  • This is so beautiful! Especially from Rubinstein... Really appreciated.

  • Este movimiento de : Rapsodia sobre un tema de Paganini lo escuché hace 53 años como música de fondo de una película : Tres amores. Me impresionó. No sabia quien era su autor y al cabo de 30 años , y después de oírlo varias veces en distintas emisoras de radio, por fin pude descubrir al autor. Hoy día me sigue impresionando. Para mi es uno de los fragmentos musicales mas bellos que escucho

  • This is from my favorite recording of the Rhapsody, IMO never surpassed, and one of Rubinstein's greatest efforts; just listen to how he and Fritz Reiner make this gorgeous music come o breathtaking life! Can you name any other performance that captures the soul of this music as they do? Not even the composer's matches this!

  • Thank God for the gift of beautiful music and

    extreme virtuosity of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Every time I hear this composition, I am consumed by its'intense beauty.

  • if only we all could take a step back in time. the music is a masterpiece, allyx

  • I think of somewhere in time every time I hear it. Sad and happy at the same time...this is a timeless piece. I miss the days of real music...

  • hi there john24 im ally by the way, what a masterpiece, i sup