Thread: Sergei Rachmaninoff

His Vespers is very beautiful.

Thank you for this marvellous article

Do we know if Rachmaninoff's plans for the opera ESMERELDA were ever developed? Are there any sketches or completed scenes? I like ALEKO, but it's rather sombre and caught-up in the Russian pseudo-patriotic style of its time (the political atmosphere of the day rather dictated this requirement). It would be nice to know what Rachmaninof imagined possible for The Hunchback?

Thanks for posting this article trojan-rabbit, I found it very informative.

The "rushing" showed at the end, and the use of a spellchecker might be advisable next time, but I learned a lot about Rachmaninoff from reading this.

Originally Posted by Edward Elgar

Just a question - has anyone heard Rachmaninov's recordings of his piano concertos with the Philladelphia Orchestra? They are really exiting! I used to think that Rachmaninov was a writer of pop classical, but now I am starting to see him as one of the great composers.

Yes. I possess his rendition of his first and fourth piano concertos with Philadelphia orchestra under Eugene Ormandy - the historical RCA edition along with his Paganini variations. It is truly a gem in my collection!

Thanks for the detailed biography. It is good hard work on your part. Rachmaninov stays very close to my heart.

Rachmaninov is one of my very favourite composers.
Just a few words to add - he had to leave Russia, because he was of noble origin, and the revolution had started. He was very homesick and depressed, although he had a tremedous success in America. His house in Calfornia was almost a replica of his house in Russia, he employed only russian servants, invited russian guests and maintained a russian lifestyle (as much as this is possible in California). Rachmaninov was naturally out of favour with the communist regime in Moscow, nevertheless, after Germany attacked the Soviets in 1941 he donated all his honorars for performing concerts to the Red Army.

just discovered a fantastic video on youtube, the 2. concert, Herbert von Karajan and Alexis Weissenberg!

I love Rachmaninoff's "Romeo and Juliet". I hope to receive my new Rachmaninoff CD next week.

Tchaikovsky wrote Romeo and Juliet.

Originally Posted by Bach

Tchaikovsky wrote Romeo and Juliet.

You're right. I confused Rachmaninoff with Prokofiev, who wrote a score for Romeo and Juliet in 1935.

There are orchestral scores for Romeo and Juliet by two different composers.

haha Kabalevsky made a Romeo & Juliet incidental music suite too. All them Russians going after Shakespeare!

I love Rachmaninoff's "Romeo and Juliet". I hope to receive my new Rachmaninoff CD next week.


Sorry, many composers composed about Romeo and Juliette but as far as I know not Rachmaninov.
Dargomizhsky composed Esmeralda (Victor Hugo), not Rachmaninov.
He composed nice operas though but all of them very short. I bought 3 months ago an opera never published before, very interesting, Mona Vanna.

Spakoie noche

Martin Pitchon

A really, really great adaptation. The trombonist obviously thought so too.

just close your eyes.

Martin