Alexis Weissenberg plays Rachmaninoff Sonata 2 Part 2

This upload is for my father who helped me this month beyond words can describe and his friend Reece. Recently I think dad told me she was into the music of Rachmaninoff so here goes....

I know I usually upload 99% violin videos here but here is a little solo piano for you all! What first attracted me to the sound of Mr. Weissenberg was the recording of the Brahms Violin Sonatas with Anne Sophie Mutter, how amazing and expressive his playing was and how disapointeed I was with her sound, but he impressed me enough to investigate more of his music.

I can still remeber the first time I heard this sonata, it sounded like a hurricane swirling faster and faster like a tornado and ever since I have desribed it as "a hurricane culminating into a whirlwind" and also another borrowed phrase when I praised the the 4 seasons written by vivaldi " exploding with genius" but also applies to this composition, and of course I have always said the 4 best things to ever happen to music are bach chopin and rachmaninoff (bill evans may be number 4) well this is the pice that put rachmaninoff on the map for me (along with the concertos he wrote and variations on a theme of corelli and chopin) ...the older I get, it is the harmony that seems to excite me the most in music i have discovered!

In addition to this video you are watching, please be aware someone put up a video of Horowitz playing this piece (to which this is a video response) and be aware that a recording of George Bolet plays Rachmaninoff Variations on a Theme of Chopin, will shortly follow the upload of this video (will be posted as a video response to this video), I also recommend the video upload of Argerich playing Rachmaninoff 3, and various videos uploads of Rachmaninoff's Variations on a theme of Corelli here at you tube, I would also encourage anyone to get the 10 cd box of Rachmaninoff, the complete recordings...

I have uploaded rare out of print and unreleased recordings that are difficult to find, I hope you like them.

Since they are so difficult to find no one should mind me uploading them, if you have issues with me uploading them please send me a message and I will remove them.

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\_/ cheers
scott

Category:

Music

Tags:

• weissenberg
• rachmaninoff

[sagalat]

Superb Weissenberg! His sheer power at 2:00 and 2:16. I know many object to his heavy mechanical touch but...their loss. Also, listen to how he finishes the Rach 2 Concerto (Second Movement). HUGE!!!!

[rareviolintreasures]

im curious to hear any recording out there that is as good as an alternate recording, any clues?

[TheCrazyHairPianist]

The over tone series at 3:34 is just scary...

[nixonburgers]

Anyone else think the theme at :30 and 2:00 sounds a bit like Ravel's Pavane pour une Infante Defunte?

[fledgehog]

@rareviolintreasures if you want to hear an absolutely mindblowing rach b-flat minor, listen to Alexei Sultanov. he plays the horowitz transcription, and i daresay he plays it with more fire and drama than horowitz himself did! if the rach 2 even has a rightful owner, i'd award the title to Sultanov in a heartbeat.

[Choltik]

This part of the sonata is just beautifull! One of the most beautifull pieces from rachmaninoff

[scepticthinker]

Simply the best- what more can be said? Masterful playing!

[TheBulgarianThunder]

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

[RichardMartin2]

And when you've done those, John Ogdon & Lydia Jardon. Happy listening!

[RichardMartin2]

Also Cliburn. Both recordings have the additional advantage of being live so that the audiences go berserk at the end (more so in Horowitz' case).

[RichardMartin2]

Oh, Horowitz, on RCA Victor coupled with the Rachmaninov D minor (Chicago SO/ Reiner, 1951).

[billyguns2]

Fabulous!