Prelude in C sharp minor for 2 Pianos - Sergei Rachmaninov - Duo 'Va i Ve' @ Rach. Society AGM 2009

A rare public performance of Rachmaninov's own 1938 transcription for 2 pianos of Prelude in C# minor - performed by 'Va i Ve' (pronounced 'Vah ee Veh' - from the 1st two letters of each of the performers names - Valentina Seferinova and Venera Bojkova) at The Rachmaninoff Society AGM on 26 September, 2009 at Chetham's School of Music, Manchester, UK.
More information on the Rachmaninoff Society at http://www.rachmaninoff.org.
More information on 'Va i Ve' at http://www.valentinaseferinova.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Prelude
• C#
• sharp
• minor
• Rachmaninoff
• Sergei
• Rachmaninov
• rach
• 前奏曲
• 拉赫曼尼諾夫
• ラフマニノフ
• Рахманинов
• 前奏
• Society
• prelidium
• Прелюдия
• Opus3
• Op.3
• No.2
• transcription
• bells
• moscow
• pianos
• VaiVe
• valentina
• seferinova
• venera
• bojkova
• classic
• Morceaux
• de
• Fantaisie
• two
• piano
• duet
• recital
• ashkenazy
• ashkenazi
• chetham's
• school
• of
• music
• big
• hands
• classical music
• rach's
• romantic
• era
• ２台ピアノ
• セルゲイ・ラフマニノフ
• 鐘
• 嬰ハ短調

[derelick8]

Your enthusiasm and the hand gestures you make when describing the development is absolutely awesome. That section really has beauty amongst apparent chaos. Also, love the ashkenazy tag.

[valentinaseferinova]

@derelick8 Many thanks for your comments! Although the 'ashkenazy' tag might seem like a little cheating - at the time of the performance in the video Vladimir Ashkenazy was President of the International Rachmaninoff Society - for whom the performance took place - so I feel a little 'justified' in using it (!!??)

[wevil770]

Oh my gosh.. -.- If his songs keep making me breathless, i'm going to die. lol.

[valentinaseferinova]

Please don't die!

You'll miss out on the pure joy of his compositions!

But many thanx for your positve reaction!!

[MrsSedley]

What a revelation! Beautifully played and nicely presented.

[troutslayer52101]

I'm simply Blown Away! BRAVO! Both of you! BRAVO!

[bradtiscali]

@katchum Hi katchum - read the text under the video; and listen to the performers introduction!! Also see the performers comments further down from this post!!

It's a quite seperately written piece by Rachmaninov specifically for 2 pianos.

Duh!

[bradtiscali]

@katchum Hi katchum.

What 'anger' ?? There never was any anger in the piece - either as a solo- or for 2 pianos.

It's all about melancholia!!

[katchum]

I miss the anger in this piece, possibly because of the elegant hand gestures.

[katchum]

I didn't know you could play this with two pianos? Are there any extra notes being played?

[bradtiscali]

@mikibabyyy  Errr. Yes? What's your point?

[mikibabyyy]

the begining....

[Kaggypants]

Your performance was beautiful. You truly appreciate this piece I can see. =)

[valentinaseferinova]

@charliedontsweat I regret to say that you're 100% wrong. Although the opening section is similar to his original 2 hand solo piano version (circa 1892), Rachmaninov's own transcription of circa 1938 (as above) differs from just before the 'B' section onwards - and was specifically written for 2 pianos. I hope this clears up any misunderstanding you may have.

[bradtiscali]

@RedSpieInTheBase Absolutely spot on! Music, (any music), is just another form of communication (in addition to speech, gestures, etc.) - it's all about getting to the heart (soul) of what the composer was trying to convey.  Too many people today think just playing the notes correctly (without understanding the music) makes them the 'biz'. Playing the notes just isn't the same as 'playing the music with expression' (they captured the piece's wistful nostagia & melancholia perfectly)