Yeah I agree, you don't need to have training to appreciate any music. If it moves you, that's enough. And yes, I agree, getting drunk does heighten your appreciation of things from time to time!
We are really, really lucky to hear a piano god such as Rachmaninov playing his own masterpiece. He's the best pianist I ever heard! His tone is so clear and beautiful.
What is it that separates the Rach and Tchaikovsky concertos which get played thousands of times a year in concertos from ones like Pierne, Sinding, Massenet, Hiller, etc. that haven't been played publicly since they were premiered??? Is it just the mystique of the composer, or the history surrounding its creation, or is it that you can listen to the Rach 2 all day without getting bored while you cannot get through one hearing of the Sinding, for example, without turning the CD off??
I remember winding up the old Victoria, and putting this heavy, 3/8" record on and listening to it over and over. This and Korsakov's Scheherazade made a little boy's imagination soar. Obviously some of us were made more after God's image than others.
If theres a so much a Big connection with this stuff...then why do we get Lost finding it !!! No i aint Angry.... More Appresiable of Classical Music and this Mans presence.
What disgusts me is when Artur Rubinstein and other elite pianists belittle this work as hackneyed movie music, after making tons of money playing it over the decades.
History's verdict:
Rachmaninoff's 2nd is still being played every day. Rubinstein is largely forgotten.
I tell you: those Romantic composers could really bring it!!! And Stokowski: if ever a person was created to play a conductor in a movie, it would be him-Also, conducting an orchestra with Rachmanifoff playing his concerto No. 2, and being able to sleep with Gloria Vanderbilt, too!!
I wish I knew composition and a better trained ear to appreciate more, to truly feel a sense of rapture. As it stands, I can only feel a pleasant tickle when I listen to classical music. :[
@Tucknrollgrampa You don't really need too much knowledge, just listen to the same piece many times, and listen carefully to the little parts of it(instrument changes), and hum the melodies, and feel it. That's how I got into classical music.
@Tucknrollgrampa I'll tell you a secret. As a child I was transported into heaven by Mozart and Ezio Pinza. I was a baby and knew nothing but sheer ecstacy. Later after three degrees ( Juilliard ruined me) I could no longer feel that emotion. I was analyzing everything, The speed, the dynamics ... My joy was ruined, Now after years of meditation and clearing of my mind, I can soar again like a child. Go into that "pleasant tickle" .. it's there. I promise,
@nikkitytom Alexis Weissenberg, a fellow Juilliard grad, passed away yesterday January 8, 2012. Alexis was one of the greatest masters, who performed in the tradition of Rachmaninoff with immense artistry and musicality. His recording of Rach's 2nd with Karajan/Berlin Symphony in one of he best ever.
@Tucknrollgrampa I played this in Orchestra last year at college and it was such a powerful piece. Close your eyes and just listen and try to make a story out of it. All music has a plot line behind it is the listeners job to decided what that plot is based on how YOU hear it.
@Tucknrollgrampa haha, this'll probably be the hundreth reply you got for this post. Best advice is to just listen to a lot of classical, or abstract music for that matter. IIt's all abstract emotions, not in words, something you have to listen within the melody. It took me a couple weeks, but now I can enjoy classical pieces decently.
@Tucknrollgrampa Try to get drunk. I'm musically trained and i can feel great differences when i'm arriving late at night, my senses are just sharper. Worth a try.I'm not saying to get accustomed to alcohol, but from time to time it's a pleasant thing to experience, to detect things you woldn't otherwise.
@dani101011 This piece is about many complex things. Simply, though, this piece is about the incredible emotion a piano can evoke. You must listen to a decent recording that's in tune, then come back, and hear the master on his keys, albeit on a terrible recording.
I first heard of this piece of music when I watched "The Seven Year Itch" lol. I loved it and to me it's so unique and interesting, as though it has almost ambiguous feelings connected to it. Hard to describe. Amazing piece!
I think this piece felt quite soulless. By no means am I an expert on classical music, but I failed to understand what this piece is all about. It just felt detached and alienated. But hey, who cares about the opinion of your average modern teenager on a composer he's never heard of.
@gc0619 this incredible piece has little to do with the spirit of Russia and everything to do with the broken spirit of a great artist. One might even say, the very reason for that spirit to have been broken, was the malicious spirit of Russia.
@lucasiskewl Great artists mostly seek perfection, even if they know it's unachievable, which is why most of them is never satisfied with their work even though it's a masterpiece - they feel it could be better, it could be perfection. Luckily, us mortals, can enjoy their work without such a gloom thought consuming us :)
what retard could compare this to modern music ?.Im a huge fan of all things electronic not pop .But this is Rachmaninov if you cant hear the qaulity youre deaf.One likes Rach for his edgy style never heard anyone like him.
I love this concerto the most,and to see Rachmaninoff play this by himself is truly amazing,although that's not my favorite interpretation (too fast). This man is the most gifted musician ever...to create such a beautiful dramatic concerto gives a great food to the soul !
When in The Brothers Karamazov Dostoevsky talks about each Karamazov brother (most easily seen in Dmitri) has a deep sensuality to their hearts, and that it is just the definition of Russia... I can hear it here too. I guess I know what he means now.
I just heard Kissin play the opening chords, then went to this performance by the composer to compare. This performance is a full 1/2 step higher in pitch! Hasn't the standard always been A 440? Did the old timers tune to A 444? Anyone know what's going on? Reminds me of Ashkenazy's old trick recording Chopin Etudes then "cranking" the recording's playback, pushing the pitch up. This orchestra and piano are definitely higher in pitch.
I just heard Kissin play the opening chords, then went to this performance by the composer to compare. This performance is a full 1/2 step higher in pitch! Hasn't the standard always been A 440? Did the old timers tune to A 444? Anyone know what's going on? Reminds me of Ashkenazy's old trick recording Chopin Etudes then "cranking" the recording's playback, pushing the pitch up. This orchestra and piano is definitely higher in pitch.
One advantage Russians have is that for centuries their lives have been full of tragedy. (Thanks to the Mongols, Stalin, Hitler et al.) This deepens the soul, which is reflected in the music.
(This also explains the depth of soul of American blues singers.)
This concerto has been my favorite piece of music since I was 3 years old (I'm now 52). As I got older, and became aware that Rachmaninoff wrote this after recovering from a serious depression, it meant even more to me, because I've battled depression most of my life. This piece could calm my troubled soul when little else could. To hear it played by the man himself is an amazing experience. Thanks so much for posting this!
Wow. What can one say about something as beautiful as this. Lenin once said that he sometimes thought naively how wonderful it was that humans are capable of such profound expression when he heard Beethoven's 'Appassionata' Sonata. I feel the same when I hear this. To hear the great man himself play is a treat to say the least. This is elite super expressive music at it's best. Let's not utter cliches like the word 'romantic' please. BRAVO Rach... BRAVO!!!!
You can feel strong Tchaikovsky's influence in this piano concerto. In my opinion, Rachmaninov's first piano concerto is about his own experience, this second is about his Russian homeland, and the third is a bit of mix.
It IS Russian, as Rachmaninov was...but its spirit lies in his Western experience and the loss of Russia and its great history/empires. The music speaks with clarity of both grief and of what future lies ahead. It is so poignant its hard to listen sometimes.
I have this recording on vinyl both as an album of 78rpm records and as a single 33. Just happened upon the album of 78s at a local Goodwill, and thought "oh, that's cool!" - I had never really listened to Rachmaninov much up until then. What a surprise I had when I listened to it! Amazing piece, and performance.
I used to listen to my mom play this when I was growing up while I was doing my homework. I'm so glad that someone put this on youtube with Rachmaninoff playing this himself. It's truly beautiful.
How does one even begin to create such expression, such melody, depth and sincerity through every note? It's just perfection. Yet we fail to create a tenth of this with a plethora of technological "advancements"... It makes me think that if you want to create a masterpiece, you're far better off being alone with your piano and mind, than using ipod's, stereo's, synthesizers and god knows what else!
@dentestable Indeed. I know where it came from, however, what I am saying is how does one conceive such a masterpiece? It is true that he has been inspired by traditional music; from which he came. I myself am familiar with my tradition and founding of Great Britain's music, but that's not to say one could compose as Rachmaninoff has.
@ACPerformances It takes years of practice just to be able to play this piece. At least it did for me. I agree with your view. It is more about cultivating creativity than technology.
@ACPerformances Agreed. But perhaps there must also be a measure of suffering, unto introspection. We are immensely blessed with gadgets and comfort; but woefully poor in terms of depth and perspective, Methinks.
@geoped1 And my opinion is technology has encompassed this. Let's look at the inception of the radio, at first we saw truly decent music. Yet over time this has been manipulated and has manifested into a pop frenzy. Obviously there are various types of radio stations, however, they're generally pop orientated. We no longer listen with our ears, we now listen with our eyes.
It's got very little to do with the technology. If such artists as these had access to that sort of technology, one can only imagine the possibilities. Personally, I think it's mainly commercialism that's lead to the lack of creativity we see today. Record companies set a lower standard...the lower the standard of creativity, the more money they make.
@ACPerformances Just because many of the good producers of music today are relatively unknown does not mean that they don't exist; the view that modern music as a whole is inferior to classical seems too broad of a generalization for anyone to make. Remember that there is FAR more music being made than the garbage on the Top 40's list. And, for the record, I do not see any difference between composing a masterpiece using synthesizers and using the piano, unless you happen to be technophobic.
@stupidguy97 It's not being technophobic, you've totally misconstrued the point and shown your level of comprehension. Listen to the quality of the music, please.
@ACPerformances It's ironic how, after completely failing to understand the main idea of my comment (i.e. that there are far better genres of modern music than pop, and that as a result, one cannot generalize that classical is inherently superior to all modern music), you choose to respond with a childishly condescending reply about my "level of comprehension". As you seem unwilling to even address my point (which technophobia obviously isn't), I see no purpose in wasting my time. That is all.
@ACPerformances I'm well aware of what your point is. I'm simply disagreeing with it, for reasons that I've mentioned multiple times. Once again, as I have no interest in dragging out a conversation where no real ideas are being presented against my arguments (aside from primitive comments that are essentially saying "you've missed the point, my view is better"), I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree and leave it at that. You'll have no further response from me, as my time is wasting.
@stupidguy97 All my point was is that when Rachmaninoff composed, he composed alone and without technology. You can't compare today to then, and in my opinion the quality is much better. That's all.
@stupidguy97 yes but what modern music shows a mastery of development and form? There are many good themes out there being written by talented musicians yes, but who actually develops those themes to the level that the classical and romantic composers did? I ask this not in attempt to disprove what you say but rather out of curiosity because I would like to hear it for myself!
@WindyFellow That seems a pretty fair point to me, and I agree that classical composers contributed more to theory and orchestrated far more carefully than most modern composers. However, I feel that, as long as the music itself is expressive and enjoyable to listen to, the depth of analysis and theory-driven composition is relatively unimportant. IMHO, the purpose of theory and form is mainly to aid in creating good music, but if the music is already good, theory should not be limiting it.
@littlebearA19 I tend to use larger words when commenting on classical music, as from my past experience, many of the other people who comment on classical music tend to be pretty condescending unless you bombard them with unnecessarily large vocabulary. In here, (for many people I've talked to, at least) your words speak for you, not your ideas: Sophistry ftw.
@stupidguy97 I totally agree with you. Music is but a reflection of life, and no one should say who's life is better as we all have our own unique experience in our life. As for those people, showing the depth of words probably is much easier than showing the depth of thoughts...
@stupidguy97 You generalize too much and obfuscate :-)) No right-thinking person can state that modern music is NOT a huge fall off from Rachmaninoff!
Words are in fact the expression of an individual's beliefs and ideas, ergo you need to stop your sophistry in throwing out a smoke screen. Truth is called the dumbing down of America over the last half-century, the culprits are major media. Can you find a classical music concert on one of the major networks? No!
@Bret6464 Haha, I just saw your first comment now, and I totally disagree (although your second still rings very true to me). My comment on sophistry was sarcasm; no sane person would willingly label themselves as a sophist. As for your first two sentences, you are the one generalizing: I doubt you've listened to ALL modern music, so you cannot just assume that Rach is better than everything out there today (although I admit he is better than most). I'll show you some, if you want. Cheers =)
@stupidguy97 Please do! I would love to hear some great modern music. I haven't yet found a modern piano composer whose music I enjoy (Maybe Ludovico Einaudi, but I enjoy his music in the same way that I enjoy twinkies: sweet and gratifying but not satisfying.
@stupidguy97 Rachmaninoff's music and his performances are the pinnacle in human creation :-) His music makes an emotional impact on the listener, for classical "buffs" and for those who have never heard or liked classical music. The key is having a means of having his music heard - and that's where social media and YT come in. Fact is more people have heard Rachmaninoff and classical music on YT than on the major TV networks over the last 30 years! That is great :-))
@Bret6464 I found out about Rachmaninov from watching University Challenge. Their guess answers to the music rounds always seem to be Rachmaninov so I was like right I must be missing a trick here.
@RelaxItsJustAFlare Don't think they do "university challenge" anymore around here, if they do, they will probably use rap and hip hop in the music rounds :-((
Yeah I agree, you don't need to have training to appreciate any music. If it moves you, that's enough. And yes, I agree, getting drunk does heighten your appreciation of things from time to time!
oldschoolm8 2 hours ago
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This pianist clearly had no idea what the composer had in mind when he wrote it. [/sarcasm]
Daim0th 3 days ago
Comment removed
Daim0th 3 days ago
My passion for music brought me here :) What a genius! Makes me feel proud of my country.
SmoothCriminalClub 4 days ago 3
Feel Like A Sir.
AlexSofwareEngineer 4 days ago
its felt more powerful and beautiful in nodame cantabile. still a magnificent piece though. close your eyes and listen
warkitty250 6 days ago
I'm not here.
Smythe1800 6 days ago
Fairy Tail, of all things, brought me here.
immblueversion 6 days ago 4
i am here, because of music itself.. :)
ricachu0125 1 week ago
The first time I heard this concerto was in the 50s on the movie'' Rhapsody '' with Elizabeth Taylor and I had this music in my head ever since.
I am now 78 and still appreciate this concerto with tears in my eyes. I thank God . Gil
Gilles4140 1 week ago
We are really, really lucky to hear a piano god such as Rachmaninov playing his own masterpiece. He's the best pianist I ever heard! His tone is so clear and beautiful.
Varialli 1 week ago
@Needmore27 This concerto led me to Nodame Cantabile :) I like it, btw. It's a nice anime, but I think Chiaki's performance of the concerto sucked.
Varialli 1 week ago
Starting from around 6:00 always brings me close to tears.. and the shivers. Damn this is good.
kourikage 1 week ago
I'am here because of rachmaninoff himself !,
yassinovo 1 week ago 4
I'm here because of Howard Roark
dlob1 1 week ago
Rachmaninoff was a so great pianist!
samlab0920 1 week ago
What is it that separates the Rach and Tchaikovsky concertos which get played thousands of times a year in concertos from ones like Pierne, Sinding, Massenet, Hiller, etc. that haven't been played publicly since they were premiered??? Is it just the mystique of the composer, or the history surrounding its creation, or is it that you can listen to the Rach 2 all day without getting bored while you cannot get through one hearing of the Sinding, for example, without turning the CD off??
JoeTownley 2 weeks ago
Фантастика! от такой ВЕЛИКОЙ музыки,начинаешь чувствовать себя счастливым
888contessa 2 weeks ago
I remember winding up the old Victoria, and putting this heavy, 3/8" record on and listening to it over and over. This and Korsakov's Scheherazade made a little boy's imagination soar. Obviously some of us were made more after God's image than others.
leefury7 2 weeks ago
my aunt's piano playing brought me here.
bieberbitchhh 2 weeks ago
Rachmaninoff brought me here.....not cartoons or any other bullshit....just Rachy.
dedbusted 2 weeks ago 5
Will I ever be able to play this?
I'm trying to learn it at the moment, it's so difficult, but my dream is to one day play it.
Barnaldomort 2 weeks ago
A meme brought me here.
bcncamelia 2 weeks ago
Rachmaninoff actually preferred other pianist's interpretations of his works you know.
Kitsua 2 weeks ago
Rachmaninoff is the best interpreter of Rachmaninoffs music. also, bros w/ cool stories below me
EyMeng 2 weeks ago
lol thats surely the 2nd concert part 1
liciying 3 weeks ago
Nodame Cantabile brought me here.. :)
Needmore27 3 weeks ago 47
@Needmore27 lol same here:)-
akumu102 3 weeks ago
@Needmore27
me too.I have eclectic taste in music and knows some classic piece but the show made me appreciate classical music more.
winnieanne27 3 weeks ago
Gankutsuou brought ME here :D
PwninKonan 2 weeks ago in playlist Favorite videos
@Needmore27 same here! :D
daintysm 1 week ago
@Needmore27 Reading it AS WE SPEAK! *type*
sparklegirl007 1 week ago
@Needmore27 jaja good serie! you mean the anime or Nodame Cantabile live? i really loved this serie!
92carldiaz 6 days ago
Comment removed
ElidellaGeekAndroid 3 weeks ago
If theres a so much a Big connection with this stuff...then why do we get Lost finding it !!! No i aint Angry.... More Appresiable of Classical Music and this Mans presence.
crimsonvillan 4 weeks ago
Incredible! I started shaking when I heard the beginning..
OCDlin 1 month ago
@OCDlin Go see a doctor for that!
Zeanu 3 weeks ago
Extraordinary !
valeriealmamarie 1 month ago
Thank you very much for the wonderful music teacher only unsuperable Rachmaninoff. 2012 many successes happy his friend BOB:
robertmarro 1 month ago
What disgusts me is when Artur Rubinstein and other elite pianists belittle this work as hackneyed movie music, after making tons of money playing it over the decades.
History's verdict:
Rachmaninoff's 2nd is still being played every day. Rubinstein is largely forgotten.
PacRimJim 1 month ago
I tell you: those Romantic composers could really bring it!!! And Stokowski: if ever a person was created to play a conductor in a movie, it would be him-Also, conducting an orchestra with Rachmanifoff playing his concerto No. 2, and being able to sleep with Gloria Vanderbilt, too!!
DenasMomma 1 month ago
I wish I knew composition and a better trained ear to appreciate more, to truly feel a sense of rapture. As it stands, I can only feel a pleasant tickle when I listen to classical music. :[
Tucknrollgrampa 1 month ago 16
@Tucknrollgrampa You don't really need too much knowledge, just listen to the same piece many times, and listen carefully to the little parts of it(instrument changes), and hum the melodies, and feel it. That's how I got into classical music.
0011486 1 month ago
@Tucknrollgrampa I'll tell you a secret. As a child I was transported into heaven by Mozart and Ezio Pinza. I was a baby and knew nothing but sheer ecstacy. Later after three degrees ( Juilliard ruined me) I could no longer feel that emotion. I was analyzing everything, The speed, the dynamics ... My joy was ruined, Now after years of meditation and clearing of my mind, I can soar again like a child. Go into that "pleasant tickle" .. it's there. I promise,
nikkitytom 2 weeks ago
@nikkitytom Alexis Weissenberg, a fellow Juilliard grad, passed away yesterday January 8, 2012. Alexis was one of the greatest masters, who performed in the tradition of Rachmaninoff with immense artistry and musicality. His recording of Rach's 2nd with Karajan/Berlin Symphony in one of he best ever.
Bret6464 2 weeks ago
@Tucknrollgrampa Listen to less Metallica, Ramones, Pantera, etc.
Smythe1800 6 days ago
@Tucknrollgrampa I played this in Orchestra last year at college and it was such a powerful piece. Close your eyes and just listen and try to make a story out of it. All music has a plot line behind it is the listeners job to decided what that plot is based on how YOU hear it.
kelleypm3 6 days ago
@Tucknrollgrampa search youtube for gilels rachmaninoff g minor prelude. If you're not a classical music fan after 60 seconds, you'll never be.
nerfmyaccount 5 days ago
@Tucknrollgrampa haha, this'll probably be the hundreth reply you got for this post. Best advice is to just listen to a lot of classical, or abstract music for that matter. IIt's all abstract emotions, not in words, something you have to listen within the melody. It took me a couple weeks, but now I can enjoy classical pieces decently.
WykiLoki 5 days ago
@Tucknrollgrampa Try to get drunk. I'm musically trained and i can feel great differences when i'm arriving late at night, my senses are just sharper. Worth a try.I'm not saying to get accustomed to alcohol, but from time to time it's a pleasant thing to experience, to detect things you woldn't otherwise.
enemydown999 1 day ago
@Tucknrollgrampa That's all you need. If you can feel music don't bother trying to understand it; just enjoy it.
MarcAmAlb 12 hours ago
@dani101011 This piece is about many complex things. Simply, though, this piece is about the incredible emotion a piano can evoke. You must listen to a decent recording that's in tune, then come back, and hear the master on his keys, albeit on a terrible recording.
mwaler 1 month ago
Maravillosooooo,is amazing!!
DOOCHIMAL 1 month ago
some arrangements and performances move us more than others - this happens to be one of the best
looneybineastman 1 month ago
I first heard of this piece of music when I watched "The Seven Year Itch" lol. I loved it and to me it's so unique and interesting, as though it has almost ambiguous feelings connected to it. Hard to describe. Amazing piece!
Yusuf1187 1 month ago
I think this piece felt quite soulless. By no means am I an expert on classical music, but I failed to understand what this piece is all about. It just felt detached and alienated. But hey, who cares about the opinion of your average modern teenager on a composer he's never heard of.
dani101011 1 month ago
@dani101011 Why did you even care to leave a comment....? (Rhetorical question)
vivelavidarocka 1 month ago 2
This is the most amazing piece of music I have ever heard, no mater what I'll ever hear, this piece will always move me to tears.
HulloKat 1 month ago
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I'm just soo happy to her Mr. Sergei Rachmaninoff play his own piano concerto. This is my Xmas present roght here lol
chrisclr 1 month ago
Rachmaninoff or Rachmaninov?
BedsideGnome 1 month ago
@BedsideGnome Rachmaninov obv. Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninov. Ol' good american retarded way to write "off" instead of "ov" in russian surnames.
vrnkuso 1 month ago
@vrnkuso Rachmaninoff wrote it like 'Rachmaninoff' himself..
TheNWOtruth 2 weeks ago
Magestic! Belissimo!
unclebobny1 1 month ago
3:39- 4:00
betolala 1 month ago
Every note represents the bloody history on that broad land, ..., wars won by the unsung heroes; the theme echoes the pride of Russian spirit.
gc0619 1 month ago
@gc0619 this incredible piece has little to do with the spirit of Russia and everything to do with the broken spirit of a great artist. One might even say, the very reason for that spirit to have been broken, was the malicious spirit of Russia.
krahwful 1 month ago
Never get tired of hearing the Second Piano Concerto!
nobumsteer 1 month ago
Beautiful
somusheelan 1 month ago
Back when people composed and played their own fucking music.
majav15mg 1 month ago
If I ever composed something this beautiful I'd be very proud. I wonder why great artists are so hard on themselves sometimes...
lucasiskewl 1 month ago
@lucasiskewl In order to be successful in life, you have to have high standards. I'm sure Rachmaninoff thought that way to some degree.
pianoman469 1 month ago
@lucasiskewl Great artists mostly seek perfection, even if they know it's unachievable, which is why most of them is never satisfied with their work even though it's a masterpiece - they feel it could be better, it could be perfection. Luckily, us mortals, can enjoy their work without such a gloom thought consuming us :)
Ambrozija13 1 month ago
I love it! I am so sorry that there is no video.. I would like to see Stokowski conducting and Rachmaninov playing the piano
mary09romania 1 month ago
Semplicemente meraviglioso...
NICOLETTAFILELLA82 1 month ago
This is passion pure passion.
monktrane325 1 month ago
It shakes me, it quakes me, it makes me feel goosepimpley all over! I don't know where I am, or WHO I am, or what I'm doing!
Tripicality 1 month ago
Now that is a masterpiece in every single way.
ShootPianist 1 month ago
ラフマニノフの、ラフマニノフが好きです！
mari09121 1 month ago
Lindo!
cosmicjets 1 month ago
what retard could compare this to modern music ?.Im a huge fan of all things electronic not pop .But this is Rachmaninov if you cant hear the qaulity youre deaf.One likes Rach for his edgy style never heard anyone like him.
joebstarsurfer 2 months ago
quiet delight
jenjko 2 months ago
Pure magic...
AnotherFanOfLife 2 months ago
Beyond ecstasy...!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sgtlzy 2 months ago
This is a bitch to play
B004017 2 months ago
Maravilloso! Mágico! Gracias por compartirlo...
olguitai 2 months ago
malakies....
MrKokos69 2 months ago
I love this concerto the most,and to see Rachmaninoff play this by himself is truly amazing,although that's not my favorite interpretation (too fast). This man is the most gifted musician ever...to create such a beautiful dramatic concerto gives a great food to the soul !
tisho91 2 months ago
@Bret6464 Amazing! Glad to hear about your Romanian grandfather.
That's life!
CeciliaLucretiaBadea 2 months ago
When in The Brothers Karamazov Dostoevsky talks about each Karamazov brother (most easily seen in Dmitri) has a deep sensuality to their hearts, and that it is just the definition of Russia... I can hear it here too. I guess I know what he means now.
FrozenFourthSeason 2 months ago
@FrozenFourthSeason Dmitri&Grushenka means passion. The Brothers Karamazov is the best novel in the world.
CeciliaLucretiaBadea 2 months ago
40 people played this video without the sound on.
a6282 2 months ago
Belleza .
Isidroprada 2 months ago
@Bret6464 Thank you. I admire Slavic person. I am a Romanian, but I can say I am a quarter Slavic. My maternal grandfather was a Bulgarian.
CeciliaLucretiaBadea 2 months ago
@CeciliaLucretiaBadea :-)) So was my maternal grandfather and he lived in present day Romania for a while, small world :-)
Bret6464 2 months ago
Russian composers and writers are my favourites.
Some of you told about the Slavic soul. You are right. They are very sensitive and passionate.
CeciliaLucretiaBadea 2 months ago
@CeciliaLucretiaBadea You are absolutely and totally right - and I am Slavic :-))
Bret6464 2 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I just heard Kissin play the opening chords, then went to this performance by the composer to compare. This performance is a full 1/2 step higher in pitch! Hasn't the standard always been A 440? Did the old timers tune to A 444? Anyone know what's going on? Reminds me of Ashkenazy's old trick recording Chopin Etudes then "cranking" the recording's playback, pushing the pitch up. This orchestra and piano are definitely higher in pitch.
lorphano 2 months ago
I just heard Kissin play the opening chords, then went to this performance by the composer to compare. This performance is a full 1/2 step higher in pitch! Hasn't the standard always been A 440? Did the old timers tune to A 444? Anyone know what's going on? Reminds me of Ashkenazy's old trick recording Chopin Etudes then "cranking" the recording's playback, pushing the pitch up. This orchestra and piano is definitely higher in pitch.
lorphano 2 months ago
@lorphano Look to Kissin not having listened to how Rachmaninoff performed his 2nd.
Bret6464 2 months ago
One advantage Russians have is that for centuries their lives have been full of tragedy. (Thanks to the Mongols, Stalin, Hitler et al.) This deepens the soul, which is reflected in the music.
(This also explains the depth of soul of American blues singers.)
PacRimJim 2 months ago 10
@PacRimJim This is very true, the harder the life, the more deeper the explanation; whether that be through music, art etc.
ACPerformances 2 months ago
@PacRimJim well i havent heard about deep Somalian music. Believe me their lives are sortof tragic.
christostheologou 2 months ago
Low tech = high art.
Youssef51 2 months ago 5
I am simply amazed at the quality of this recording for a 1929 vintage.
npceditor 2 months ago
The seven year itch brought me here! ;)
lifeonmarssucks 2 months ago in playlist lifeonmarssucks's favourites
Belíssimo!!!
mariogantois1 2 months ago
This concerto has been my favorite piece of music since I was 3 years old (I'm now 52). As I got older, and became aware that Rachmaninoff wrote this after recovering from a serious depression, it meant even more to me, because I've battled depression most of my life. This piece could calm my troubled soul when little else could. To hear it played by the man himself is an amazing experience. Thanks so much for posting this!
ldmcfate 2 months ago 2
40 dislikes? I'm now a little bit more dissapointed of the human being T__T
nvsmp 2 months ago 5
the opening chords perfectly imitate the sound of church's bells in a Russian village late in the afternoon...
MozartK365 2 months ago
Rachmaninoff is so good at playing Rachmaninoff.
deathwillfuckuup 2 months ago 79
My dear, sweet Lord, praise be unto you for a glimpse into Paradise. The clarinet of the Adagio surely must be the music of the spheres.
joeofthemountain 2 months ago
Wow. What can one say about something as beautiful as this. Lenin once said that he sometimes thought naively how wonderful it was that humans are capable of such profound expression when he heard Beethoven's 'Appassionata' Sonata. I feel the same when I hear this. To hear the great man himself play is a treat to say the least. This is elite super expressive music at it's best. Let's not utter cliches like the word 'romantic' please. BRAVO Rach... BRAVO!!!!
bootheven 2 months ago
Wow, this is just wonderful!
LisaMackXx 3 months ago
You can feel strong Tchaikovsky's influence in this piano concerto. In my opinion, Rachmaninov's first piano concerto is about his own experience, this second is about his Russian homeland, and the third is a bit of mix.
leeyue47 3 months ago
@leeyue47 What about his fourth piano concerto? Don't forget that one. ;-)
belegSJ 2 months ago
It IS Russian, as Rachmaninov was...but its spirit lies in his Western experience and the loss of Russia and its great history/empires. The music speaks with clarity of both grief and of what future lies ahead. It is so poignant its hard to listen sometimes.
chosenonz 3 months ago
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baronesbc 3 months ago
In late 19th and 20th century, Russian music was the best because there was Rachmaninov. (Of course there were others)
apluspianist 3 months ago
simplismente...
Gênio! adoro Rachmaninov!
Coisas9 3 months ago
rachmaninoff was once a parishioner at my church. :)
schnisha95 3 months ago
Magnifico!!
lirica2011 3 months ago
Watch Flight of the Bumble Bee played with Pencils >>>>
Go to Sunset Office Supply on youTube
neighborhaber 3 months ago
I have this recording on vinyl both as an album of 78rpm records and as a single 33. Just happened upon the album of 78s at a local Goodwill, and thought "oh, that's cool!" - I had never really listened to Rachmaninov much up until then. What a surprise I had when I listened to it! Amazing piece, and performance.
poetaslokys 3 months ago
Pure genius,The world is a better place for having composers like Rachmaninov.
philmixer 3 months ago in playlist philmixer's favourites 2
Do not thank god for this man's magnificent music!
HladnorukiLuka 3 months ago
I used to listen to my mom play this when I was growing up while I was doing my homework. I'm so glad that someone put this on youtube with Rachmaninoff playing this himself. It's truly beautiful.
cmf4321 3 months ago
His rendition sends chills down my spine. It makes me cry every time.
shussya 3 months ago
he is fast
lizard4217 3 months ago
so beautiful and solid ... sergei Rachmaninoff is one of the greatest composers i've ever heard
amshg21 3 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Watch Rachmaninoff's Flight of the Bumble Bee played with pencils ....
Go to sunset office supply / bumble bee song on youTube
neighborhaber 3 months ago
How does one even begin to create such expression, such melody, depth and sincerity through every note? It's just perfection. Yet we fail to create a tenth of this with a plethora of technological "advancements"... It makes me think that if you want to create a masterpiece, you're far better off being alone with your piano and mind, than using ipod's, stereo's, synthesizers and god knows what else!
ACPerformances 3 months ago 65
@ACPerformances YOU ARE CORRECT SIR!
SIROFNOBLERECORDS 3 months ago
@ACPerformances it's came from traditional folklore russian song and music.
dentestable 3 months ago
@dentestable Indeed. I know where it came from, however, what I am saying is how does one conceive such a masterpiece? It is true that he has been inspired by traditional music; from which he came. I myself am familiar with my tradition and founding of Great Britain's music, but that's not to say one could compose as Rachmaninoff has.
ACPerformances 3 months ago
@ACPerformances It takes years of practice just to be able to play this piece. At least it did for me. I agree with your view. It is more about cultivating creativity than technology.
trs119 3 months ago
@ACPerformances I definitely agree with alot of what you said. But sythesizers. I am sure Rachmaninoff could get loads out of one.
RhaegarTargaryen1884 2 months ago
@ACPerformances
Instruments are merely tools.
rushnerd 2 months ago
@rushnerd What's your point?
ACPerformances 2 months ago
Comment removed
TheCriticsAreRaving 2 months ago
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@ACPerformances It's because he was standing on the shoulders of giants.
TheCriticsAreRaving 2 months ago
@ACPerformances Sorry for double post. New here.
lorphano 2 months ago
@ACPerformances Agreed. But perhaps there must also be a measure of suffering, unto introspection. We are immensely blessed with gadgets and comfort; but woefully poor in terms of depth and perspective, Methinks.
geoped1 2 months ago
@geoped1 And my opinion is technology has encompassed this. Let's look at the inception of the radio, at first we saw truly decent music. Yet over time this has been manipulated and has manifested into a pop frenzy. Obviously there are various types of radio stations, however, they're generally pop orientated. We no longer listen with our ears, we now listen with our eyes.
ACPerformances 2 months ago
@ACPerformances
It's got very little to do with the technology. If such artists as these had access to that sort of technology, one can only imagine the possibilities. Personally, I think it's mainly commercialism that's lead to the lack of creativity we see today. Record companies set a lower standard...the lower the standard of creativity, the more money they make.
Kperson123 2 months ago
@Kperson123 I disagree with your opinion. Video killed the radio star my friend.
ACPerformances 2 months ago
@Kperson123 Amen.
stupidguy97 2 months ago
@ACPerformances well said
SFsFinest1 2 months ago
@ACPerformances I really love you comment! Thank you!!
bonniemultik 2 months ago in playlist Jazz&
@bonniemultik You're welcome.
ACPerformances 2 months ago
@ACPerformances Just because many of the good producers of music today are relatively unknown does not mean that they don't exist; the view that modern music as a whole is inferior to classical seems too broad of a generalization for anyone to make. Remember that there is FAR more music being made than the garbage on the Top 40's list. And, for the record, I do not see any difference between composing a masterpiece using synthesizers and using the piano, unless you happen to be technophobic.
stupidguy97 2 months ago 54
@stupidguy97 It's not being technophobic, you've totally misconstrued the point and shown your level of comprehension. Listen to the quality of the music, please.
ACPerformances 2 months ago
@ACPerformances It's ironic how, after completely failing to understand the main idea of my comment (i.e. that there are far better genres of modern music than pop, and that as a result, one cannot generalize that classical is inherently superior to all modern music), you choose to respond with a childishly condescending reply about my "level of comprehension". As you seem unwilling to even address my point (which technophobia obviously isn't), I see no purpose in wasting my time. That is all.
stupidguy97 2 months ago
@stupidguy97 You've missed the point is all I'm saying here. My point was that classical music IS superior to modern music.
ACPerformances 2 months ago
@ACPerformances I'm well aware of what your point is. I'm simply disagreeing with it, for reasons that I've mentioned multiple times. Once again, as I have no interest in dragging out a conversation where no real ideas are being presented against my arguments (aside from primitive comments that are essentially saying "you've missed the point, my view is better"), I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree and leave it at that. You'll have no further response from me, as my time is wasting.
stupidguy97 2 months ago
@stupidguy97 All my point was is that when Rachmaninoff composed, he composed alone and without technology. You can't compare today to then, and in my opinion the quality is much better. That's all.
ACPerformances 2 months ago
@ACPerformances I concur although i would say classical music is superior to the majority of popular music. However i am obsessed with the piano...
cmednc 2 months ago
@cmednc It's great to hear your opinion. Keep loving the Piano! :)
ACPerformances 2 months ago
You're totally missing the advantages in this day and age, as opposed to back then. The quality of the music is vastly superior.
ACPerformances 2 months ago
@stupidguy97 yes but what modern music shows a mastery of development and form? There are many good themes out there being written by talented musicians yes, but who actually develops those themes to the level that the classical and romantic composers did? I ask this not in attempt to disprove what you say but rather out of curiosity because I would like to hear it for myself!
WindyFellow 1 month ago
@WindyFellow That seems a pretty fair point to me, and I agree that classical composers contributed more to theory and orchestrated far more carefully than most modern composers. However, I feel that, as long as the music itself is expressive and enjoyable to listen to, the depth of analysis and theory-driven composition is relatively unimportant. IMHO, the purpose of theory and form is mainly to aid in creating good music, but if the music is already good, theory should not be limiting it.
stupidguy97 1 month ago 3
@stupidguy97 you sound like my physics professor LOL "depth of analysis" "theory-driven composition" =P
littlebearA19 1 month ago in playlist Classical
@littlebearA19 I tend to use larger words when commenting on classical music, as from my past experience, many of the other people who comment on classical music tend to be pretty condescending unless you bombard them with unnecessarily large vocabulary. In here, (for many people I've talked to, at least) your words speak for you, not your ideas: Sophistry ftw.
stupidguy97 1 month ago 2
@stupidguy97 I totally agree with you. Music is but a reflection of life, and no one should say who's life is better as we all have our own unique experience in our life. As for those people, showing the depth of words probably is much easier than showing the depth of thoughts...
kkarl78 1 month ago
@kkarl78 Thanks! It's good to know that at least someone understands what I'm trying to say...
stupidguy97 1 month ago
@stupidguy97 You generalize too much and obfuscate :-)) No right-thinking person can state that modern music is NOT a huge fall off from Rachmaninoff!
Words are in fact the expression of an individual's beliefs and ideas, ergo you need to stop your sophistry in throwing out a smoke screen. Truth is called the dumbing down of America over the last half-century, the culprits are major media. Can you find a classical music concert on one of the major networks? No!
Bret6464 1 month ago
@Bret6464 Haha, I just saw your first comment now, and I totally disagree (although your second still rings very true to me). My comment on sophistry was sarcasm; no sane person would willingly label themselves as a sophist. As for your first two sentences, you are the one generalizing: I doubt you've listened to ALL modern music, so you cannot just assume that Rach is better than everything out there today (although I admit he is better than most). I'll show you some, if you want. Cheers =)
stupidguy97 1 month ago
@stupidguy97 :-)) I was generalizing on purpose - fun discussion in any case.
Bret6464 1 month ago
@stupidguy97 Please do! I would love to hear some great modern music. I haven't yet found a modern piano composer whose music I enjoy (Maybe Ludovico Einaudi, but I enjoy his music in the same way that I enjoy twinkies: sweet and gratifying but not satisfying.
pianoforte611 1 month ago
@pianoforte611 Sure. I'll send it to your inbox.
stupidguy97 1 month ago
@stupidguy97 Rachmaninoff's music and his performances are the pinnacle in human creation :-) His music makes an emotional impact on the listener, for classical "buffs" and for those who have never heard or liked classical music. The key is having a means of having his music heard - and that's where social media and YT come in. Fact is more people have heard Rachmaninoff and classical music on YT than on the major TV networks over the last 30 years! That is great :-))
Bret6464 1 month ago 36
@Bret6464 Yep! You said it =).
stupidguy97 1 month ago
@Bret6464 I found out about Rachmaninov from watching University Challenge. Their guess answers to the music rounds always seem to be Rachmaninov so I was like right I must be missing a trick here.
RelaxItsJustAFlare 1 month ago
@RelaxItsJustAFlare Don't think they do "university challenge" anymore around here, if they do, they will probably use rap and hip hop in the music rounds :-((
Bret6464 4 weeks ago
@Bret6464 one of the many pinnacle's
quaecky 1 month ago
@Bret6464 i agree
grizzlyfoot 4 weeks ago
@stupidguy97 excellent reply. Well thought out and argued points.
kyonist 1 month ago
@kyonist thanks!
stupidguy97 1 month ago