Rachmaninov: Symphony No 2; Vocalise

Advantages: Romantic, passionate and beautiful
Disadvantages: Unless you have a heart of stone absolutely none whatsoever

...the conductor Josef Stransky and supposedly approved by the composer himself. Leslie J. Rogers asked Rachmaninov whether he wanted cuts made, to which the composer had responded that he had no objections about cuts being made if it was thought that it would improve the work, although he himself would probably have presented the symphony complete. It is also well known that Rachmaninov himself often made cuts to his own works like the Third and Fourth Piano Concertos, the Second Piano Sonata, as well as many other works, so his passiveness about the Symphony's many cuts can well be understood. The new harmonic innovations made by his fellow countryman Alexander Scriabin in the 1910s and the complete dismissal of Rachmaninov's music in the progressive 1920s and '30s as "old-fashioned" (which of course is true when compared with the really progressive... Read review

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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 Piano Concerto 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... Read review

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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: Piano concertos, solo piano music Its also worth reading a bit more about his background as he had an interesting life. ---Piano Concerto 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... Read review

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