The Rach Concerti

Tie with No. 1 (the 2nd movement is wonderful) and No. 2. I've never cared for the 4th all that much, and the 3rd, I don't really care for it as much as others do. It's kind of overplayed, anyway.

 

hmzz second is more overplayed than the 3 and so what you need to listen to the melodies not to listen to the thing that it is overplayed :idea:

 

I think we all should listen to this:

http://gmlile.brinkster.net/rach/wattsossia.mp3

and the cadensa which he combined with the ossia that man is crazy

http://gmlile.brinkster.net/rach/wattscad.mp3

 

Holy crap the first one is insane! I'd have a heart attack trying to play those octaves so fast! :shock: And the Cadenza is crazy as usual... Rachmaninoff is totally awesome...

 

For the first time ever I just listened to the 2nd Concerto, and I was blown away!!! The whole thing was so brilliant, especially the 2nd movement. I think that the Adagio Sostenuto is probably the prettiest piece of music my ears have ever had the pleasure of hearing. I can't believe I haven't started listening to the concerti earlier.

 

I agree. The 4th has always been my favorite. I learned it for some big competitions some years back against my teacher's advice, he said the choice would work against me. I didn't win in those contests but none of the panel comments indicated that they thought the piece was poor, in fact a couple jurors complimented me on my choice of a lesser played concerto.

 

i like the 3rd the best and the first mvt of the second only i never knew he had a fourth... :?

 

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a performance of his 2nd. To see it live was an experience and a half. It was the first piano concerto I'd ever had the opportunity to see live, so it has a special place in my heart. I went out and purchased a recording of it by Vladimir Ashkenazy recently, and have listened to it many times through already. It moves me every single time. I've loved it since I was a little girl and had a recording of the third movement on a 'piano favourites' CD I owned. =)

 

3rd is my favourite if it is played by Horowitz.
I love the 2nd one as well.
It will take me years to learn them