Rachmaninoff is overrated

[giovannimusica]

Hi Gareth,

You must be talking about Salzburg - Yes, it is a town living in the aura created by *Wolfie* Amadei!!!

To the dear members of this forum who find Rachmaninoff's music pessimistic - how would you feel to be in a country that was being torn apart at the seams by the Bolshevik rabble? What about the millions of people killed in the name of the *peace-loving* thought construct written by Marx and Engels?

What about being separated from one of your children and never seeing them again because of *that* brain-less brain-fart Bolshevism? A clue to understanding Rachmaninoff's music is to be found in reading the works of the poets Rachmaninoff used in his art songs (romansy) or (lieder) if you will.

Having performed as accompanist and also having sung many of his art songs has *put me in touch* with the composer who mourns for his country - Nostalghia - that might be a more proper term to use in contemplating Rachmaninoff and his art. We must remember the personal suffering Sergei went through during his early years when *measuring* his early output.

Just some thoughts I respectfully share with the distinguished members of this forum.

Blessed Peace To All,

Giovanni

[acciaccatura]

You can hardly blame Mozart for the extreme commercial abuse of his name two centuries after his death. Unlike Rakhmaninov, Mozart was very much a composer of his time, his work was original and his compositional mastery complete.

I highly doubt that you will be able to buy Rachmaninoff-chocolate-balls in a hundred years' time. By then, no one will ever have heard his name, or even less likely, his music. Well, maybe the 3rd piano concerto...

[giovannimusica]

Who is blaming Mozart for the folly we see today in Salzburg and that which is being exported around the world?

Thank goodness there are no Rachmaninoff Chocolate balls to be found - that would be out of character with the composer. Nah - Sergei is a stiff single Scottish Malt - something like Laphroaigh Ahhhhhhhh - smooth and contemplative

There are things that can only be understood through Faith - You can never understand Russia through your mind, only through Faith. When one contemplates Russia, you must remember that it is a country which stretches across 12 time-zones. It cannot be embraced over afternoon tea and crumpets.

Blessed Peace,

Giovanni

btw - Rachmaninoff will be remembered long after this forum starts pushing up daisies

[Gareth]

I heard excepts of his Piano Concerto no 2 in D minor, they sounded pretty good, but from the sounds of that, they might last if us as classical musicians or partly classical musicians keep playing their music.

[giovannimusica]

Hi Gareth,

Especially his 2nd and 3rd piano concerti are most wanted by a swooning concert public who will pay good money to hear music that will carry them away from their temporal duties if only for a little while. Of course, there have to be musicians willing to practice the keyboard parts - not exactly easy for all pianists.

There must be artists who are willing to practice all the different literature and play it in recitals, otherwise John and Mary Q. Public will settle for recordings of the great piano titans of the 20th century - nothing wrong with that per se but it feeds into the vicious cycle/circle that new artists have to breakthrough to become known.

Blessings,

Giovanni

[oisfetz]

IMO, best Sergey is his Symphonic Dances, his piano solo works and his 2 piano trios.

[giovannimusica]

Yeah, they are awesome works. His trios are a marvel of compositional skill and his Symphonic Dances are wonder of orchestrational prowess. The piano solo works do wonders for one's building of stamina and ability to shape and color piano sound.

Giovanni

[Kromme]

I think both Mozart&Rachmaninov provides some excellent melodic writing and under right baton(Karajan for Mozart&Jansons for Rachmaninov i really like) they are endless to listen

[pizza1512]

I'm not for or against Rachmaninov - But check out his arrangements of Fritz Kreisler's Liebesfreud and Liebeslied... they're so gorgeous...

I don't mind Rachmaninov but sometimes it gets over chromatic and I have to listen to some Dvorak instead...