Advantages: One of the most Romantic concertos around, full of beautiful melodies and passion Disadvantages: over-recorded
INTRODUCTION
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov was one of the most promising composers emerging from Russia after Tchaikovsky. His early works included the youthfully energetic PianoConcerto in F sharp minor, Op.1, an orchestral fantasia The Rock, the opera Aleko, several songs, piano pieces (including the famous Prelude in C sharp minor, a work that would plague Rachmaninov with its popularity throughout his life) and the First Symphony in D minor, Op.13. Rachmaninov had high hopes for the latter; it was his magnum opus up until that time. However the symphony proved to be the biggest disappointment of his career, causing a tremendous crisis in his creative life. All the critics jumped on the work, most notably César Cui who compared it with the Seven Plagues of Egypt and condemned the work as modernist trash. The effect ...
Advantages: Emotive, dramatic, sombre, (If that's your thing) Disadvantages: The only disadvantages are if you don't like classical music or are not in the mood for over the top dramatical scores.
Rachmaninov Quote - 'I feel like a ghost wandering in a world grown alien. I cannot cast out the old way of writing and I cannot acquire the new'.
For those of you who are not avid listeners of classical music do not shy away from purchasing any of Rachmaninov's music as it provides an alternative mood for you to listen to in your personal music collections.
---Background Information---
FULL NAME: Sergei Rachmaninov
NATIONALITY: Russian
BORN: 1873
DIED: 1943
SPECIALIST MUSIC GENRES: Pianoconcertos, solo piano music
Its also worth reading a bit more about his background as he had an interesting life.
---PianoConcerto No. 2 in C minor---
Like much of Rachmaninov's music this piece is very deep and the mood of the song fluctuates alot. It is sad and uplifting at the same time and goes from slow quiet rhythms to ...
Advantages: None Disadvantages: Poor interpretation, sound only adequate
I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advance copy of this new disc from the Russian virtuoso Arcadi Volodos (UK release date October 2nd 2000). Sadly I was disappointed.
The recording of Rachmaninov's 3rd Pianoconcerto is live and although the sound is perfectly adequate, it lacks the crispness and immediacy of a studio recording. Volodos is technically outstanding, but I feel that he's just going through the motions here, playing the notes with very little thought about what's behind them. It makes for a flat, emotionless and dull performance.
The concerto is coupled with some of Rachmaninov's shorter solo piano pieces, which are better, but still not outstanding.
If you're a huge fan of Volodos, you might want to buy this to add to your collection. If you want to hear a decent recording of Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano ...
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