| Search | Login/Register
   Home » Musical Discussions » Today: Rachmaninoff in America (5 posts, 1 page)
  Print Thread | 1st Post |  
Page 1 of 1 (5 items) Select Pages: 
   Target    Threads for related reading   Most recent post in related threads   Forum  Replies   Views   Started 
  »  New  The Rachmaninoff's large hands...  The Rachmaninoff's large hands....  Musical Discussions  Forum     0  13231  02-22-2008
  »  New  Rachmaninoff, PC 3; Kondrashin/Van Cliburn..  (VERY) Belated Lhevinne response...  Musical Discussions  Forum     4  33293  06-15-2008
  »  New  Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.5..  The Russian Premiere....  Musical Discussions  Forum     2  29987  01-18-2009
  »  New  Getting Started with Myaskovsky..  Myaskovsky Orgy...  Musical Discussions  Forum     35  302834  09-18-2006
  »  New  The today’s take on Rachmaninoff’s Third...  Trophy Piece...  Musical Discussions  Forum     1  21434  09-22-2009
12-18-2004 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
Romy the Cat


Boston, MA
Posts 10,049
Joined on 05-27-2004

Post #: 1
Post ID: 400
Reply to: 400
Today: Rachmaninoff in America

cialis generico forum

tadalafil teva click

Today, December 18 many years ago, a Russian refugee running form the Red Plague and after spending some time in Northern Europe was forced to make living by playing piano. By the today’s concert that took place in Providence RI, Sergey Rachmaninoff in 1918 opened his concert session in his New World, the session lasting for two and a half decades. 

It is a deep night December 18 2004 and I decided to celebrate the night by playing the Rachmaninoff’s Third. Today my pick was “different”, not to say “bizarre”. Among the hundreds performances of The Third I am playing now the strangest one. It is a live performance on Franz Vorraber with Philharmonic Orchestra of Wurzburg under the conducting of Daniel Klajner. This is VERY strange performance –sometimes they do something that I would not particularly appreciate but sometimes they do so stunning things that I never heard from any other performance. The most remarkable in thier play are poses. They may stop and hang the tempo in the very mingle of “nothing” (sort of) and they hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it, and hold it, almost painfully long but it is all of organically imbedded into the material of composition and perfectly musically justifiable. Pretty much all-slowest parts of the concerto they done fascinatingly wonderful!

***********   ... wrote at anniversary of the Rachmaninoffs’ death   ***************

Sergei Vassilievich Rachmaninoff  1873 (April 1)  - 1943 (today)

Some years ago I found myself at the site of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s grave. It was a cold and icy day. There were no visitors at the cemetery and the snow-covered landscape appeared remarkably Russian. I parked right next to His grave. All windows of my car were open and cemetery’s air was filled by sounds of His second movement of the Third Concerto played by Horowitz … Who beside Horowitz was entitled to carry out this mission?

Some things Rachmaninoff wrote should not be just listened to… they should be lived with. To me, some of Rachmaninoff’s musical phases portray a musical picture of Universe more fulfilling that any other composed music. I do know what Rachmaninoff said in his music, and I remember how the World sounded being reflected by the Rachmaninoff’s thoughts….

Wherever I travel I listen Rachmaninoff’s music. I remember how Rachmaninoff’s Third danced around the noises of Boston’s downtown fighting with sounds of the automobile sirens, industrial blasts and international chatter. I remember how the Third fought among the moisture of Bavarian forest with the German musical anal-retentive intellectualism. I remember how the Third neurotically ran through the narrow, covered-in-plastic bicycle-streets of a tiny Fiji’s atoll and eventually broke through out, filling the width of the Pacific Ocean.  I remember how the Third proved its rights to live among the lifeless Middle Eastern desert.  I remember how the Third matured among the semi-busyness of a Paris’ hyper-chic. I remember how the Third burned the grass in a garden of a Kyoto monastery. I remember how the Third cured the loneliness in Alcatraz. I remember how the Third sustained me both in the happiest moments of my life, and when I did not want to live…

That drizzly day I was playing Rachmaninoff’s Third to the Master at His grave. It was a different “Sound” and I understood that the Third never would “sound” the same…

While I was there I found in my car a disposable plastic photo camera that had been sitting there for years, and despite the fact that I don’t like pictures, I decided to take some shots. Now, years later, I ask myself why I did it. All my life I looked at the World through a prism of viewfinder, but I never released shutter if it was Unnecessary. Were those pictures necessary? Were they necessary as a fact of writing this essay or publishing it at this near-musical forum? I do not know the answer…

Rachmaninoff said in his last days, “Here are my fingers. They will never touch a keyboard again.”  Fingers do not play Music. Life plays Music. Composers just bring it out for the rest of us. For us, who do not hear the Music “as is”… Do you write your own Music that deserves life? Does your life deserve Music? The answer is not pending for Rachmaninoff but for us, who still live. Rachmaninoff created Music that could fulfill numerous lives, and His Music might require numerous lives to realized what is in fact hidden behind those “three simple notes”…

There is no such thing as an anniversary of birth or death. There is a calendar that defines life and there is life that defines a calendar…

Rachmaninoff’s music… A lot of yet-uncomprehended and to-be-discovered “simple notes”…. Have a peaceful rest, the Master. Have a wonderful journey, the listener.

Thank you, Sergei Vassilievich.

3/28/2002 1:05:32 AM

Rgs,
Romy the Cat


"I wish I could score everything for horns." - Richard Wagner. "Our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts." - Friedrich Nietzsche
04-01-2007 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
Romy the Cat


Boston, MA
Posts 10,049
Joined on 05-27-2004

Post #: 2
Post ID: 4124
Reply to: 400
The Rachmaninoff Birthday… and the event...

Ok, who do not play Rachmaninoff toady? I kind of dived today into the Rachmaninoff’s liturgy and even went so far as span an album of Nina Koshetz songs… :-)  BTW, for the East Coast falks if you are interested:

The International Rachmaninoff Society (www.rachmaninoff.org ) is pleased to announce the 2nd-ever Rachmaninoff Society Retreat in NYC/Westchester “RACHMANINOFF RECREATED" April 15-16, 2007, a 2-Day Program for Rachmaninoff Society Members and Interested Russian Romantic Music Aficionados. 2007's Focus is on Opus 30, the 3rd Piano Concerto of Serge Rachmaninoff.


Sunday April 15th Session - NYC & Westchester
Attendees Register, Meet and Greet at Russian Samovar Restaurant (www.russiansamovar.com ) , Manhattan, travel by hired bus to Kensico Cemetary in Westchester to visit the gravesite of Serge Rachmaninoff with The Spirit of Orthodoxy choir (www.spiritoforthodoxy.com ) in late afternoon, elegiac ceremony with a capella singing under the direction of ALEKSEI SHIPOVALNIKOV with FATHER JOSEPH LICKWAR, Chancellor of the Orthodoxy Church in America’s Diocese of Washington and New York, Celebrant. Ceremony will be followed by dinner at Spiga Restaurant in Scarsdale (www.racanellirestaurants.com) , with the group returning to Manhattan in mid-evening.


Monday April 16th Session, Steinway Hall (www.steinwayhall.com) NYC
Retreat begins at noon, performances and lectures by Elizabeth Wolff (www.elizabethwolff.com) , Dr. Jasmin Cowin (www.operalectures.com) , Soprano Liora Michelle (www.LioraMichelle.com ) , Pianist Vladimir Leyetchkiss, Master Class by Seymour Bernstein (www.seymourbernstein) . Gala Dinner (www.passionategourmet.net ) followed by Gala Concert includes Lecture by Radio Personality and Author David Dubal(www.daviddubal.com) , Pianist Jung Lin (www.junglin.com) , Pianist Sandro Russo (www.sandrorussopianist.com ) . Grand Finale by Pianists Adam Golka (www.adamgolka.com ) & Joseph Liccardo re-creating the historic meeting of Vladimir Horowitz and Serge Rachmaninoff when they played the 3rd Concerto together with Rachmaninoff himself on 2nd piano at Steinway Hall.

Per Person Retreat Seats
Full 2-day Participation - $275
Monday April 16th at Steinway Hall including Gala Dinner & Concert $150
Monday Evening Gala Dinner & Concert - $100
Monday Evening Gala Concert Only - $50

Seating is extremely limited. As of March 28, 2007, there are 20 Retreat Seats available. Advance Registration with Payment Only will hold a Retreat Seat(s). Please email your interest to: rita.mariallc@gmail.com
Checks payable to The Rachmaninoff Society and mailed to:

Mrs. Rita Hamilton
Rachmaninoff Society Committee Member
11 West 81st Street
Penthouse B
New York, NY 10024 USA


"I wish I could score everything for horns." - Richard Wagner. "Our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts." - Friedrich Nietzsche
04-02-2008 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
Romy the Cat


Boston, MA
Posts 10,049
Joined on 05-27-2004

Post #: 3
Post ID: 7072
Reply to: 400
Happy Birthday, Sergei Vasilievich
I was attending on Monday concert with former Svetlanov’s Orchestra and the idiot Danis Matsuev playing the Third Conserto. I hoped it would be a good gift but it was not, though the attentive slow cadenza that become so much popular among the contemporary Russian players was done extremely nice by Matsuev. I just only hope that if Matsuev did not use a junk “silent” piano it would be perhaps different. Anyhow, the 135th birthday today… It is time to play some Rachmaninoff's music….

The caT


"I wish I could score everything for horns." - Richard Wagner. "Our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts." - Friedrich Nietzsche
02-12-2009 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
Romy the Cat


Boston, MA
Posts 10,049
Joined on 05-27-2004

Post #: 4
Post ID: 9725
Reply to: 400
Boston. Gabriela Montero plays Rach 3 this week with BFO
fiogf49gjkf0d

I am not a big fun of Gabriela Montero, she has too much pop semantic in her play, and this week she will be playing with Zander’s Boston Philharmonic the Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3

http://bostonphil.org/BPO/

I still debate if to go even I never miss local Rachmaninoff performance. Anyhow, the Bostonians, it is in Sanders Theatre this week.

The Cat


"I wish I could score everything for horns." - Richard Wagner. "Our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts." - Friedrich Nietzsche
03-06-2009 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
Romy the Cat


Boston, MA
Posts 10,049
Joined on 05-27-2004

Post #: 5
Post ID: 9959
Reply to: 400
The Corelli’s Variations and sense of humor.
fiogf49gjkf0d
I did not know that Rachmaninoff had such a great sense of humor and such great send of … justness. Well judge yourself. Here is the WGBH's  Ron Della Chiesa’s introduction to today’s Rachmaninoff concert.

http://www.mediafire.com/?1xtgs3mzztu

(a few meg mp3 file)

The Cat


"I wish I could score everything for horns." - Richard Wagner. "Our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Page 1 of 1 (5 items) Select Pages: 
   Target    Threads for related reading   Most recent post in related threads   Forum  Replies   Views   Started 
  »  New  The Rachmaninoff's large hands...  The Rachmaninoff's large hands....  Musical Discussions  Forum     0  13231  02-22-2008
  »  New  Rachmaninoff, PC 3; Kondrashin/Van Cliburn..  (VERY) Belated Lhevinne response...  Musical Discussions  Forum     4  33293  06-15-2008
  »  New  Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.5..  The Russian Premiere....  Musical Discussions  Forum     2  29987  01-18-2009
  »  New  Getting Started with Myaskovsky..  Myaskovsky Orgy...  Musical Discussions  Forum     35  302834  09-18-2006
  »  New  The today’s take on Rachmaninoff’s Third...  Trophy Piece...  Musical Discussions  Forum     1  21434  09-22-2009
Home Page  |  Last 24Hours  | Search  |  SiteMap  | Questions or Problems | Copyright Note
The content of all messages within the Forums Copyright © by authors of the posts