Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, op.18
Piano: Arcadi Volodos
Riccardo Chailly
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Royal Albert Hall, London
Volodos is one of the world's top piano virtuosos. The spontaneity of his playing and his ability to pull off impossibly difficult passages with seeming ease contribute to the popularity of his dazzling live performances. Arcadi Volodos, celebrated as a "keyboard genius", is without a doubt one of today's most outstanding and internationally interesting pianists. Whether in concert or on CD, his playing is always marked by a combination of breathtaking technical virtuosity and profound and expressive musicality.
'Arcadi Volodos, like Chailly and his orchestra, played to traditional strengths. Muscular and heroic, his account also found room for the poetic and wistful.'
Marvelous fireworks, great poetry!
Did you know, Better, that a part of this piece, Rachmaninoff's Concerto No.2 appears in Eric Carmen's pop song, All By Myself?
ReplyDelete~Manfred
Yes, I am aware of that. All By Myself was a great ballad from the 1975 with simple lyrics but melodies that are so dramatic. The theme is about an emotion that everyone has felt at some point in their life, that goes immediately to your heart. The second movement of Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto 2 - the Adagio Sostenuto theme appears in Eric Carmen's "All by Myself". Carmen first composed the song's interlude, then took the bridge from Rachmaninoff and the chorus from his own "Let's Pretend". Carmen explained that Rachmaninoff was his "favorite music".
DeleteWith Mozart, we are constantly amazed at the amount of wonderful work that came out during periods when he was fairly happy. His music was fueled by happiness. On the other hand, there's not nearly as much fuel in being happy as there is in being miserable. Being miserable served as a great catalyst for Rachmaninoff as he was coming out of his 7-year clinical depression, this most enduring piano concerto 2 is a clear affirmation of what he has gone through. This is true with Eric Carmen,too -- songwriting becomes more keen when the melodies reflect much of that anguish and angst.
When Eric Carmen wrote this, he thought the Rachmaninoff music was in the public domain, meaning he could use it free of charge. After this song came out, he found out it wasn't and agreed to a settlement with the Rachmaninoff estate.
"With Mozart, we are constantly amazed at the amount of wonderful work that came out during periods when he was fairly happy. His music was fueled by happiness. On the other hand, there's not nearly as much fuel in being happy as there is in being miserable. Being miserable served as a great catalyst for Rachmaninoff as he was coming out of his 7-year clinical depression, this most enduring piano concerto 2 is a clear affirmation of what he has gone through. This is true with Eric Carmen,too -- songwriting becomes more keen when the melodies reflect much of that anguish and angst.
ReplyDeleteIt seems the best artists of all stripes in general are many times fighting some inner demons. Perhaps that is what it takes to produce good art--something to slow down the individual, to introvert him or her, to subject them to introspection in order to produce this superior art. After all, if one's entire life is taken up with partying and chasing butterflies, when will come the time or the impetus to sit down and create?
~Manfred
All very good points, M, and I agree to a large extent.
DeleteThe quest for beauty and inner peace are the most noble occupation of man, but there are many demons lurking deep in the shadows of one's soul. Indeed, some degree of suffering is ineradicable from human life. Here we see the use of that classical tale of tragedy forging a path towards inner peace and the glorious ends of his musical genius.
In the end, Rachmaninov sought help from which a firm foundation on which to stand strong during his life’s struggles was formed thereby lifting him out of that mental funk with the impetus for music creativity providing therapy for his depression.