Top 5 Favorite Rachmaninov Works

Started by Mirror Image, June 02, 2015, 09:01:30 AM

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Karl Henning

Quote from: ChamberNut on November 17, 2015, 10:06:11 AM
This will likely change as I continue to explore his music:

Piano Trio Elegiaque No. 1
Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 31
Symphony No. 2, Op. 27
Isle of the Dead, Op. 29
Symphonic Dances, Op. 45

I dunno . . . that' s a strong set of five there, mon cher  :)
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Brahmsian

Quote from: karlhenning on November 17, 2015, 10:28:30 AM
I dunno . . . that' s a strong set of five there, mon cher  :)

Indeed, Karl.  However, I'm still going through the 'complete works' of Rach set, and so there are many works I have yet to hear.  For example, one "heavy hitter" that I have yet to hear is the highly popular Trio Elegiaque No. 2.   :o

Brahmsian

Quote from: ChamberNut on November 17, 2015, 10:06:11 AM
This will likely change as I continue to explore his music:

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 31


I see I'm the first to mention this in their Fav Five.   :(

Karl Henning

Quote from: ChamberNut on November 17, 2015, 10:38:51 AM
I see I'm the first to mention this in their Fav Five.   :(

If it's any consolation, I've been listening to it a great deal over the past few weeks. Of course, it is exquisite!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

North Star

Quote from: North Star on June 02, 2015, 09:06:39 AM
All-night Vigil
Piano Concerto no. 3
Symphonic Dances
Isle of the Dead
Etudes-tableaux Op. 39

Well, the Corelli Variations, Symphony no. 2, Symphony no. 1, and the songs aren't there, but I'm still pretty happy with this list.

Quote from: karlhenning on November 17, 2015, 11:05:16 AM
If it's any consolation, I've been listening to it a great deal over the past few weeks.
And I will be, in a few weeks. . .
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

Karl Henning

Quote from: karlhenning on June 05, 2015, 06:01:23 AM
A great fan, indeed . . . my problem would be, which five?

This problem remains in force  8)

Quote from: khSo . . . I shall elide the problem by going with the first five which come to mind:

«Всенощное бдѣніе» (All-Night Vigil), Op.37
«Остров мёртвых» (Isle of the Dead), Op.29
Piano Trio in d minor, Op.9
Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op.42
Романсы (15 Songs), Op.26

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

vandermolen

Just bought the Maazel and Pletnev sets of the symphonies (both DGG) very inexpensively. The Pletnev sets has the Bells and other works. Have been enjoying Symphony 2.

Today's list of favourites:

Isle of the Dead (I love the doom-laden painting by Bocklin on which it is based too)
Symphony 1  (love the way it finally plunges headlong into the abyss at the end)
The Bells (his masterpiece I think)
Symphony 2 (finally I chose an uplifting work 😀) - it was my mother's favourite so has a personal meaning for me too.
Piano Concerto 4 (I genuinely prefer this to the more popular 2 and 3 but I like those too).
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Karl Henning

I like The Bells a great deal, now.  At first (long ago) I just found it too foreign to my feeling of the Poe text, for me to enjoy the piece.

I've since gotten entirely over that.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

vandermolen

Quote from: karlhenning on November 18, 2015, 02:12:23 AM
I like The Bells a great deal, now.  At first (long ago) I just found it too foreign to my feeling of the Poe text, for me to enjoy the piece.

I've since gotten entirely over that.
Glad to hear that Karl.
:)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Karl Henning

Great music will triumph, Jeffrey8)
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on November 17, 2015, 10:47:15 PM
Just bought the Maazel and Pletnev sets of the symphonies (both DGG) very inexpensively. The Pletnev sets has the Bells and other works. Have been enjoying Symphony 2.

Today's list of favourites:

Isle of the Dead (I love the doom-laden painting by Bocklin on which it is based too)
Symphony 1  (love the way it finally plunges headlong into the abyss at the end)
The Bells (his masterpiece I think)
Symphony 2 (finally I chose an uplifting work 😀) - it was my mother's favourite so has a personal meaning for me too.
Piano Concerto 4 (I genuinely prefer this to the more popular 2 and 3 but I like those too).

Great choices, Jeffrey. 8) What do you think of the Pletnev and Maazel sets so far? Pletnev seems to be a conductor that isn't highly rated amongst listeners if one were to simply read online reviews, which, I know, doesn't speak for the majority of us. ;) Someone on Amazon (I believe?) called Maazel's set of Rachmaninov with the Berliners "dull and insipid". I have a hard time believing this to be the case.

NJ Joe

Quote from: vandermolen on November 17, 2015, 10:47:15 PM
Piano Concerto 4 (I genuinely prefer this to the more popular 2 and 3 but I like those too).

One of my favorites as well, because of this disc:



The remainder:

PC 2
Isle of the Dead
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 3

Guess I need to listen to The Bells!


"Music can inspire love, religious ecstasy, cathartic release, social bonding, and a glimpse of another dimension. A sense that there is another time, another space and another, better universe."
-David Byrne

Reckoner

Symphonic Dances
PC 3
Vespers
Trio Elegiaque 2
Symphony 2

5 works, 5 different genres. :)

North Star

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on November 21, 2015, 06:42:51 AM
Great choices, Jeffrey. 8) What do you think of the Pletnev and Maazel sets so far? Pletnev seems to be a conductor that isn't highly rated amongst listeners if one were to simply read online reviews, which, I know, doesn't speak for the majority of us. ;) Someone on Amazon (I believe?) called Maazel's set of Rachmaninov with the Berliners "dull and insipid". I have a hard time believing this to be the case.
I'm only replying to this about a year late John  :o
I like Pletnev's version of Symphony 1 (my favourite) with Isle of the Dead but as a set I think I prefer the Maazel versions but they are both fine as far as I'm concerned.

My new list of favourites:

3 Russian Folksongs (a great new discovery for me)
The Bells
Symphony 1
The Isle of the Dead
Piano Concerto 4
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

BasilValentine

Symphony 2
Etudes Tableaux Op. 39
Piano Concerto 3
Piano Sonata 2 (long version)
Isle of the Dead

next in line:

Preludes Op. 32
Songs Op. 38
The Bells
Cello Sonata
Symphonic Dances

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on October 07, 2016, 12:36:39 PM
I'm only replying to this about a year late John  :o
I like Pletnev's version of Symphony 1 (my favourite) with Isle of the Dead but as a set I think I prefer the Maazel versions but they are both fine as far as I'm concerned.

My new list of favourites:

3 Russian Folksongs (a great new discovery for me)
The Bells
Symphony 1
The Isle of the Dead
Piano Concerto 4

Better late than never, Jeffrey and a fine list at that. LOVE Three Russian Songs. Certainly a great discovery for me as well.

vandermolen

Three Russian Songs have been a great new discovery for me.
New list:

Three Russian Songs
The Bells (his masterpiece I think)
Prince Rostov
Symphony 1
Isle of the Dead

I also like piano concertos 2-4
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

SymphonicAddict

The Bells (his best work)
Symphony 2
Isle of the Dead
Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini
Piano trio 2

Mirror Image

I suppose I'll make another list (in no particular order):

Six Songs, Op. 38
Preludes, Op 32
Suite No. 1, "Fantaisie-Tableaux", for two pianos, Op. 5
Isle of the Dead, Op. 29
The Bells, Op. 35