Sergei Rachmaninoff Preludes №22 B Major, Op 32, №11

Rachmaninoff, one of the most celebrated composers of the Romantic era, created a remarkable body of work that continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Among his numerous compositions, the Prelude No. 22 in B Major, Op. 32, No. 11 stands out as a masterpiece of piano music.Composed in 1910, Rachmaninoff's Prelude No. 22 belongs to his Opus 32 set of preludes, a collection of 13 short pieces for solo piano. This period marked a significant phase in Rachmaninoff's career, as he was grappling with personal struggles while also experiencing artistic growth and evolution. The preludes showcase Rachmaninoff's ability to intertwine deeply emotional melodies with intricate harmonies, creating a rich and evocative musical landscape.Prelude No. 22 in B Major opens with a delicate and introspective introduction, gradually building tension and anticipation. The main theme emerges, characterized by its lyrical beauty and melancholic undertones. Rachmaninoff's exceptional command of harmony is evident as he weaves complex chord progressions throughout the piece, adding depth and emotional intensity. The work traverses various moods, from introspective and contemplative passages to moments of passionate and virtuosic brilliance. The contemplative sections provide a sense of solace, while the more energetic moments display Rachmaninoff's technical prowess and dynamic range.One of the defining qualities of Rachmaninoff's Prelude No. 22 is its ability to evoke a wide range of emotions within the listener. The piece exudes a sense of longing, melancholy, and introspection, drawing the audience into a deeply introspective and reflective state. Rachmaninoff's gift for imbuing his compositions with raw emotion is on full display in this prelude, as he effortlessly transports the listener through a journey of emotional highs and lows.Rachmaninoff's Prelude No. 22 has garnered a lasting influence on the world of classical music. Its haunting melodies, technical challenges, and emotional depth have made it a favorite among pianists and audiences alike. The piece continues to be performed in concert halls around the world, showcasing Rachmaninoff's enduring legacy as a composer.Sergei Rachmaninoff's Prelude No. 22 in B Major, Op. 32, No. 11 stands as a testament to the composer's extraordinary talent and his ability to convey deep emotions through his music. Its intricate harmonies, evocative melodies, and emotional resonance make it a timeless masterpiece. As we continue to explore the vast repertoire of classical music, Rachmaninoff's prelude remains an essential and cherished part of the piano repertoire, captivating audiences with its beauty and profound expression.You have the opportunity to support the channel:https://destream.net/live/RadSiarAl/donate

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Alexander Scriabin can be considered one of the most exciting personalities among Russian composers. He was born in 1872 in Moscow, to a family of noble origins. His mother, Lyubov Petrova Scriabina, who died in 1873, was a pianist too. Scriabin studied at the Moscow Conservatory from 1888 to 1892, around the same time as Sergey Rachmaninoff. His unique style of composition in the beginning was influenced by Fryderyk Chopin, however, as his compositional language matured, Scriabin was inspired by theosphy, mysticism, poetry, philosophy, and his own synaesthesia. In his ouvre, Scriabin reevaluated the meaning of Gesamtkunstwerk originated from Richard Wagner, as his later works were combinations of different branches of art.

For this post, I chose a piece from the composer’s first period. Scriabin started writing the Sonata op. 19 in g-sharp minor in 1892. It is the second among his ten piano sonatas. It was only published in 1897, after a series of revisions. In 1896, the composer stated the following: ’’I have finished the sonata, but I am completely dissatisfied with it (…)’’.

It consists of two movements, both in g-sharp minor:

I. Andante

II. Presto

This sonata feels almost impressionistic, which is not a coincidence, if we take a look at the programme notes written by the composer:

’’The first section represents the quiet of a southern night on the seashore; the development is the dark agitation of the deep, deep sea. The E major middle section shows caressing moonlight coming up after the first darkness of night. The second movement represents the vast expanses of ocean in a stormy night.’’

Despite being a late 19th century work, many ideas used by Scriabin in this sonata were the results of Beethoven’s experimenting with the sonata form. For example, both sonatas in his op. 27 (E-flat major and c-sharp minor) are subtitled ’’Quasi una fantasia’’, and differ a lot from the classical sonata form. In his 32 sonatas, many have less or more than the standard 4 movements. The most relevant is the Sonata op. 90 in e minor, which consists of only two movements.

One of the best recordings of this sonata is from Valentina Lisitsa, Ukranian pianist who became famous on YouTube. The recording was made in 2013, in Blumenstein, Canton of Bern, Switzerland-which is also related to Scriabin’s life: in 1903 he moved to Switzerland with his wife. I think Lisitsa’s interpretation creates an atmosphere which is very close to the sensations mentioned in the programme notes, and the acoustic environment of the church makes this recording unique.

Noémi Baki-Szmaler, guest editor - @une-barque-sur-l-ocean

[this photo is mine]

Here are two St. Petersburg apartments where great Russian composer Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich lived. The colour photo is where he wrote his iconic Symphony No. 7, 'Leningrad' in 1939-40. Built in 1914 and is considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the area. The black and white photo is the composer's first residence on Marata Street no. 9 from 1914 to 1933. Here at the age of 9 he began piano lessons and enrolled in Glyasser’s music school at nearby Vladimirskiy prospekt. Later he continued his studies with composer Alexander Glazunov, the rector of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory who predicted a great future for his student. Glazounov was right! #shostakovich #dsch #dmitrishostakovich #classicalmusicmemes #classicalconcert #classicalmusicians #composer #chambermusic #compositor #orchestralmusic #orchestra #stringquartet #symphony #classicalmusic #muzykaklasyczna #musicaclassica #russianmusic #russiancomposer #torontoorchestra #torontoschamberorchestra #torontoarts #torontoinsta #toronto_insta #romanticmusic #torontomusicscene #torontoclassicalmusic #torontoinstagram #stpetersburg #leningrad (at Toronto, Canada) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCiz0Wpg3yc/?igshid=ckq5te0lumr3

Another master work from Nikolai Kapustin, this time his Piano Sonata No. 1, Opus 39. As I have mentioned beforehand, anyone aiming for mastery of piano should listen to these works, as well as those looking to master any other skill. 

𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑩𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 -𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒐- 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝑮𝒂𝒗𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒏 "𝑨𝒏𝒚𝒖𝒕𝒂" • • 🔹𝐵𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑀𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐 -𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑜- 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑡 "𝐴𝑛𝑦𝑢𝑡𝑎" 𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑟 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝐺𝑎𝑣𝑟𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑛 🎼🎶 • 🔹𝐏𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐵𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑜 𝐿𝑎𝑤𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑅𝑎𝑐𝑜 🎹🎶 ◦ 🔹𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐮𝐦: 𝑀𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐵𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝐶𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠, 𝑉𝑜𝑙. 1📀🎶 ◦ Grand Allegro ♩♪♫♬ Volume: ▁ ▂ ▃ ▄ ▅ ▆ █ 100 % ◦ ◦ ◦ #balletmusicch #grandallegro #grandellegro #russiancomposers #russiancomposer #valerygavrilin #ballet #balletmusic #balletinspiration1 #balletlovers #balletdancer #balletto #balletclassico #balletstudio #balletpost #balletclass #balletteacher #ballet_soul #ballet_a #balletaddiction #balletdancers #ballet_instagram #ballets #ballett #balletspirit #balletinspiration #balletworld #balletlife #balletlove https://www.instagram.com/p/B71Xyd-pBPZ/?igshid=n7vpyi2idvbc

The Brooklyn Nutcracker at Kings Theatre - When I was five years old, I went to see Swan Lake with my mom, and then The Nutcracker. And so, this year as a special holiday gift, we went to see The Brooklyn Nutcracker at Kings Theatre. What a majestic and impressive show! Art Director/Set Designer Avram Finkelstein @avramf . #Tchaikovsky #TheNutcracker #thebrooklynnutcracker #thebrooklynnutcracker2021 #KingsTheatre #ballet #BrooklynNY #Crhistmas #theholidays #art #performingarts #piotrilyitchtchaikovski #russiancomposer #mustsee #iphoneography #mobilephotography https://www.instagram.com/p/CXdyf8GhiTQ/?utm_medium=tumblr

The first concert my wife took me to was at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw with Anna Fedorova playing Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto. It was quite a spectacular occasion in all respects. We’d only being seeing each other a couple of weeks and it was effectively our ‘second date’. That set the bar pretty high; I’ve been trying to reach it ever since. Sergei Rachmaninov was perhaps one of the last great romantic composers, following the Russian tradition of his forebears Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Mussorgsky. He was a celebrated pianist during his time and luckily for posterity recorded many of his own compositions from the early 1920s until his death in 1943. His piano pieces are notable for the long stretches and considerable physical skill required to play them. This 3-CD collection (technically my wife’s and a comp from Time Life magazine) does not feature Rachmaninov’s own recordings, but it gives us a good range of his orchestral and solo piano work, some of which I’d not heard before and are an absolute delight. Whereas Piano Con 2 and his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini are amongst his most well-known works, they are supported here by lesser-known gems: the Études-Tableaux (second set, Op 39) which are a set of nine etudes for piano, each in a different key and exploring a wide range of emotional expression and dexterous performance. There’s also Seven Morceaux de Salon, which are, you’ve guessed it, seven piano pieces in different styles; as well as two sets of his piano Preludes. Here they are performed by Michael Ponti the German (US-based) pianist who has recorded the entire piano works of Rachmaninov as well as that of his compatriot Tchaikovsky. There’s much more to Rachmaninov than the piano of course, there’s his orchestral work such as The Rock and Isle of the Dead, several operas and choral pieces as well as a beautiful Cello Sonata. None of those are included here, but listening to this 3 CD set has, rather than sated my Sergei listening, made me want to explore his work further. #rachmaninoff #rachmaninov #pianoconcerto #classicalmusic #annafedorova #russiancomposer #nowplaying #recordcollection #randomrecordreview https://www.instagram.com/p/CDmkxevpIz6/?igshid=1lb5vqv7rzu9h

" Rimski Korsakov'un Yaban Arısı - Glinka ve Rus Beşleri " Pan Yayıncılık'tan çıktı! Çizimlerini ben yaptım... (Görseller Balakirev ve Borodin bölümlerinden) ... “Rusya’nın Sesi” isimli devlet radyosu için Rus klasik müziği programları yapmış, Rusya Gündem dergisine aynı konuda makaleler yazmış Melda Gönden’in çocuklar ve gençler için hazırladığı bu kitapta Rus klasik müziğinin kurucusu olarak bilinen Glinka’nın ve Rus Beşleri’nin yaşamları; konservatuvar öğrencileri Ela, Bartu, Maya, Ege, Ece ve Deste’nin dilinden okuyucuya aktarılıyor. Klasik müziğe merak duyan genç okurlara Türkiye’de çok bilinmeyen bir dünyanın kapıları açılıyor. #illustration #drawing #illustrasyon #çizim #panyayıncılık #rus #besteciler #rusbesleri #themightyhandful #kitap #book #russiancomposers #balakirev #borodin #vinyet #msinangursel

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My favourite chord progression! From #tchaikovsky Symphony 5, Movement 2🔥 - - . . - - . . - - . . - - . . - - . #tchaikovsky #symphony5 #slowmovement #slowmusic #andante #adagio #chordprogression #favourite #instaclassical #classicalmusic #classical #musicvibes #composers #composer #chords #keyboardist #pianobar #pianoman #pianist #pianolesson #pianotechnique #jamsesh #jam #pianogram #pianopiano #pianoforte #classicalmusician #classicalmusicfan #classicalmusiclife #classicalmusicians #russiancomposer #russianmusic

Sergey Rachmaninoff is still one of the most well known Russian composers. He was born in 1873 in Oneg, Russia, and died in 1943, Los Angeles. He was also a virtuoso pianist and a conductor, who’s ouvre includes piano pieces, four piano concertos, four sypmhonies, chamber music, and many other genres. In his compositions he continued the tradition of Tchaikovsky’s style which was influenced by Western music, and by the virtuosity of Franz Liszt. Before becoming a musician, he was expected to complete a military school and continue the family tradition, but he enrolled the Moscow Conservatory in 1885. Later in life, he faced challenges which affected his creative spirit, such as long episodes of depression, and the homesickness after his exile from Russia to Switzerland and later, to the USA after the October Revolution in 1917. Many of his compositions reflect these inner struggles, and the longing for his homeland, illustrated by the use of Orthodox Christian chants, the sound of bells, and rhythms inspired by Russian folk music.

For this post, I decided to write about an underrated gem: Trio Élégiaque no. 2 op. 9 in d minor for violin, cello, and piano. The reason why I chose this piece is that, in my opinion, that most composers have one tonality which is particularly close to them. In the case of Rachmaninoff, this tonality is d minor. Many of his important works are written in d minor, such as his Symphony no. 1, his first piano sonata, the Piano concerto no. 3, or the Variations on a theme by Corelli. Additionally, the first movement of this trio is the most mature one, predicting the tone of Rachmaninoff’s later works with its exquisite harmonic language and extremly wide range of emotions.

The trio was dedicated to the memory of Tchaikovsky, who died unexpectedly in 1893. When composing this trio, Rachmaninoff was only 18 years old, still studying at the Moscow Conservatory. This piece was preceded by the Trio Élégiaque no. 1 in g minor (1892). He could have taken inspiration from Tchaikovsky’s Trio op. 50 in a minor, written for the memory of Nikolai Rubinstein (In the memory of a great artist). It was premiered in 1894.

The piece consists of three movements:

I. Moderato

II. Quasi Variazione

III. Allegro Risoluto

I think the earliest, most authentic recording of the Trio was made by the Oistrach Trio in 1958, Moscow. The trio performed on concerts from 1940 to 1963, being one of the most excellent chamber music ensambles of their time. The members were the violinist David Feodorovich Oistrach (1908-1974), cellist Sergey Knushewitsky (1908-1963), and pianist Lev Oborin (1907-1974).

Noémi Baki-Szmaler, guest editor - @une-barque-sur-l-ocean

Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor Op. 18:1. Moderato by Rachmaninoff. I heard mom play it a number of times. During the beginning as the chord progression intensifies, I can remember dad dramatically putting his hands out to strike an imaginary piano, saying, "Do it Jane!" and then mom would shake her head dramatically from side to side as she continued to attack the piano. Too funny They had a lot of fun. Always made me chuckle. They were in their own world. Such a love affair with the piano for both. #RussianComposers #SergieRachmaninoff #TheLastOfTheRussiaPianoRomantics #Intense #ThePianoKeptThemTogether #PeopleDieButArtLives

In May of 1892, great Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky rented an estate house on the outskirts of Klin, 85 km northwest of Moscow.. By this time Tchaikovsky was already in his 50s and after years of travelling around the world he wanted to find a place to settle near the countryside which he loved. Tchaikovsky died just over a year later in 1893 but even in this short period he grew very fond of his Klin home. After Tchaikovsky’s death, his brother Modest had the house turned into a museum. Eventually Modest Tchaikovsky became the sole owner of the estate and upon his death in 1916 he left it to the state. During the Nazi occupation of Klin, the Tchaikovsky House-Museum suffered greatly at the hands of the Nazis who ransacked it and used it as barracks. The house was subsequently restored and today the Tchaikovsky House-Museum is Klin’s most popular attraction. #tchaikovsky #pyotrilyichtchaikovsky #classicalmusicmemes #classicalconcert #classicalmusicians #composer #chambermusic #compositor #orchestralmusic #orchestra #stringquartet #symphony #classicalmusic #muzykaklasyczna #musicaclassica #russianmusic #russiancomposer #torontoorchestra #torontoschamberorchestra #torontoarts #torontoinsta #toronto_insta #romanticmusic #torontomusicscene #torontoclassicalmusic #torontoinstagram #tchaikovskyconcerthall #tchaikovskycompetition (at Toronto, Canada) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCgRGpBgOu_/?igshid=1gg1weahlq3c2

Dmitri Shostakovich’s second Violin Concerto in C# minor, played by David Oistrakh. The first Violin Concerto is more profound for me, but this one still has those signature Shostakovich mood swings and passages of excitement.