The Rach Concerti

What is your favorite concerto by Rachmaninoff? What is your favorite part. I think that both the Rach 3 and 2 are the most famous and most frequently performed, i don't know about any of the other ones out there. I know that Rach has to be approached very carefully, lol but this is just to talk about their musicality. What are your opinions?

 

Having listened to it so many times, the 3:rd is still my favourite, followed by 2:nd and 1:st. Never really get the hang of his 4:th.

 

Same here, I am absolutely in love with the third one. I am not new i am advanced and can play difficult stuff. I can play excerpts but when i compare what i can play to the prodigious complexity of the piece it makes me want to run away.

 

love the concerto's then the preludes, trio elegiaque (not that famous but soooo beautiful)

 

Really? I've never heard of that trio. I've got to listen to it one of these days!

 

Ahhh...the second concerto. It still makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. The third concerto has always been a piece for which I have the utmost respect; but I've never connected with it.

 

There are 2 trio's. I don't like the one of tchaikovsky. Don't know anything about the other. does someone?

 

I don't know much about his other compositions but i am very familiar with his piano works... Has anybody ever played like and excerpt from one of those monster concerti? I've played the second movement up to where the climax is...

 

second movement of the first,second,third or fourth? I think you mean the second.

I don't play them but When I'm at conservatorium ( i hope this year) than I will try it in about 2/3 years. Starting with the first or second.

 

That's cool, i meant the third. But i can't and shouldn't be playing something with such difficulty. The second movement is so beautiful, i love to hear it! Conservatory? That's cool, i'm a junior in high school right now. Good luck in the conservatory! BTW Try #2 it's not as bad as the first and it sounds much better!

 

don't talk like that. The first is beatifully and higly underestimated. Just listen carefully and with attention. You will love it 8)

 

You know what. You're right. I haven't listened to it nearly as much as i have the 2,3. I should listen more carefully before i judge. But i still think that the second and third are beautiful!

 

haha yeah they are. If you here the 4th the origional you can hear the first,second and third in it. Every passage!

 

You know what? i've never heard the 4th concerto. It's odd, because i've heard 1,2,3. Are you serious, it's really based on 1,2,3? Never heard that before...

 

that's my opinion.

 

The second concerto is probably my favorite. It's the most original and least boring one.

The third concerto is also VERY nice, but it suffers from repeats and too many things based on one single thing. It's structure is less impressive than the second concerto I think.

I like the first concerto too. Don't understand why it's not that famous.

The fouth concerto is horrible, I think...

 

If I had to choose, I would say the 2nd is my favourite. I love everything about it. One of my favourite moments is in the First Movement, when the main theme enters again and the piano is playing march-like counterpoint. Just brilliant. It gives me shivers.

The Third is also awesome. The Finale is so powerful. The first is awesome as well. Come on people, you have to realise that he was 15 when he wrote this. The orchestration is brilliant, and the soloist part is so well written.

I don't understand why everyone gives the fourth a bad rap. It's so different from everything else he wrote. The use of chromatisism, the rhythms, the orchestration... It's all awesome. Nothing compared to the Second and Third, but I don't believe it is crap.

But that's just my oppinion

 

Is there a way that this could be made into a poll? I just want a quick glance at what everyone likes. Surprisingly I've never listened to any of the concerti and I was wondering which one to download (I have barely any room left on my iPod).

 

One of the best and most imaginative things Rachmaninoff wrote, IMO, would probably be the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. I'd place it above his concertos, personally, no matter how much it's been played. Though I'll say his finest piano concerto would probably be his fourth. It's terribly under-listened.

 

No problems.