Classical Music Forum banner

Rachmaninoff vs Shostakovich

39K views 537 replies 61 participants last post by  Strange Magic 
#1 ·
I always found the stark contrast between these two very different composers fascinating as approximate Russian contemporaries. One a resident of Switzerland and Beverly Hills firmly rooted in the late romantic tradition favoring emotional melodies. The other enduring a bitter war with Leningrad under siege composing stark and grim socialist realism under duress of Stalin's terror. What very different circumstances.

Interested in thoughts or preferences (if that's possible). Mine more toward Shostakovich realism, despite the darkness of his works.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Characterizing the two as approximate contemporaries is misleading if not outright wrong. All of Rachmaninoff's major works, with the exception of the last six opuses, were pre-revolutionary and were composed before Shostakovich even entered conservatory. Some of the most famous were composed before Shostakovich was born. So, essentially, you are comparing a composer whose composing career all but ended in 1917 with one who composed his last works in the 1970s. As with all such comparisons of composers more than a generation apart, I don't see the point, since the preference is more likely to have to do with ones preference for a given era rather than an individual style.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Yes, their music wasn't composed at the same time. I didn't intend to imply or mislead that they were exact compositional contemporaries, although Rachmaninoff's 3rd symphony was composed in the 1930's for example. My point is that they were Russian native contemporaries (roughly) who lived in vastly different circumstances with opposite styles in a similar time frame.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Perhaps in some parallel universe, but in the current one, Rachmaninoff is considered a top tier composer. Not only that, but he is also one of the composers whose music has been easily accessible for those not as familiar with classical music in general. His music has figured in a major way in many movies (Seven Year Itch, Brief Encounter, Rhapsody, etc.) and has been used in popular songs (All By Myself). Far more people would recognize a Rachmaninoff work than that of Shostakovich.

Also, it is no accident that the Rach 3 has become iconic as a test of the skill of young pianists in competitions.
 
#11 ·
Let's see: Rachmaninoff--essentially a full-time professional pianist earning his daily bread from 1917 on. 45 numbered works. Shostakovich--full-time Soviet composer all his life. 147 numbered works. Percentage of body of works known and loved by millions?? These "comparisons", like the ones pitting one country against another, have the virtue of being easy to start, I'll grant them that, and only that.
 
#14 ·
They are both among the greats. Rachmaninoff had a better way with a melody than Shostakovich, but I dig Shosty for his other merits as well. But yes, it's like saying Beethoven and Liszt were contemporaries. Technically their lifetimes overlapped, but their compositions were generations apart.
 
#15 ·
However anachronistic Rachmaninov was to his time as a composer he gave us some of the most brilliant piano concertos ever written. He was himself a fabulous pianist and composed what he himself wanted to play. Of course, the fact they are wildly popular means they are often dismissed by musical elitists. But I love them!
 
#17 · (Edited)
I agree with Strange Magic in The sense that comparisons are easy to start. As long as everyone take them as a game or an excuse to tell the others which his preferred music is, there's no problem. I take it like that, and I tell everybody Shostakovitch's music is a must for me. I love most of The symphonies, jazz, ballet and film music, concertos...

Sometimes, I'm in The mood for a Rachmaninov symphony or a piano concerto or piece for solo piano.

If It's a game of tastes, Shostakovith without hesitation.
 
#21 · (Edited)
I'm a pianist, so this is a pretty obvious choice for me! Definitely Rachmaninoff. I love his piano concertos, his preludes, and his etudes-tableaux.

As a few other posters have already said, I admire Rachmaninoff for having the conviction to write in a style that felt right to him.
 
#32 ·
I'm a pianist, so this is a pretty obvious choice for me! Definitely Rachmaninoff.
I play the piano now and then, but I'll take Shosty's Op. 87 Preludes and Fugues over anything Rachmaninov composed. I do like Rach's music very much, but the other guy is one of favorites. Also, full-blown romanticism is not in my comfort zone.
 
#37 ·
Rachmaninoff was always popular with listeners, less so with critics and academics. From Wiki: "The 1954 edition of the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians notoriously dismissed Rachmaninoff's music as 'monotonous in texture ... consisting mainly of artificial and gushing tunes' and predicted that his popular success was 'not likely to last'."

He who laughs last…
 
#41 ·
"The 1954 edition of the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians notoriously dismissed Rachmaninoff's music as 'monotonous in texture ... consisting mainly of artificial and gushing tunes"
a remarkably accurate summation, IMO :D

A frequent question we used to ask - <<which do you prefer Rachm'ff PC, or Addinsell's "Warsaw Concerto"??>> lol!!

Addinsell - it's alot shorter!! :lol::devil:
 
#46 ·
Re oeuvre, Shostakovich wins, but that doesn't mean too much to me, since I only collect what I like of a composer. Checking my collection, I see these two composers are about even in discs. Number of different works goes to Shostakovich. Number of repeat works goes to Rachmaninov. The latter is swayed by more interest in solo piano, and this outweighs any other genre for either composer.

Both gentlemen are equally impressive in concerti. Shostakovich is far more versatile, with two each from piano, cello, violin. Though Rachmaninov's PCs 2 & 3 get much of the hurrah, one must listen to Janis for #1 and ABM for #4, to truly see/hear that all are masterpieces.

Love 'em both. Don't have to choose. Jus' sayin'.:cool:
 
#55 ·
Re oeuvre, Shostakovich wins, but that doesn't mean too much to me, since I only collect what I like of a composer. Checking my collection, I see these two composers are about even in discs. Number of different works goes to Shostakovich. Number of repeat works goes to Rachmaninov. The latter is swayed by more interest in solo piano, and this outweighs any other genre for either composer.

Both gentlemen are equally impressive in concerti. Shostakovich is far more versatile, with two each from piano, cello, violin. Though Rachmaninov's PCs 2 & 3 get much of the hurrah, one must listen to Janis for #1 and ABM for #4, to truly see/hear that all are masterpieces.

Love 'em both. Don't have to choose. Jus' sayin'.:cool:
Just about my opinion as well; I like both and would refuse to choose. Why do we always have these Sophie's Choice threads here anyway? :)

I find it interesting that people say they love Shostakovich "despite" the darkness of his works. I like his work precisely because of all that bleak darkness, and find myself less fond of his more upbeat work. And all those oceans of sadness are why I like Rachmaninov too. Both of them dug up their treasures in the graveyard. Perhaps it's a Russian thing? They both liked their ciggies too. :)
 
#49 ·
Question: Does anyone really think that telling somebody who likes the music of A that the music of A is wretched compared to the music of B, is actually going to change somebody's mind? In the immortal words of Judas Priest, "You Got Another Thing Coming!" I get, to some extent, that it's kind of a game--see how big these hands are!--but to my mind it demonstrates a non-productive, hectoring approach to conversing about music and leads to unnecessary Oh Yeah? Sez You! back-and-forth. Great, if that's the goal. Not so great for civil exchange of views and tastes, think I.
 
#50 ·
I love Shostakovich I find his music easy to listen to and seems to me to be a natural follow on from Beethoven.
Rachmaninoff on the other hand is a composer that I have never really liked a lot, I can listen to his works but they don’t grab me at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: adigau05
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top