Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2

We humans seem to love comeback stories, and there is no comeback quite as compelling in the classical music world as Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto. It was written three years after the disastrous premiere of his First Symphony, a premiere so catastrophic that it lives on in the annals of musical history, and is the essential starting point for understanding the Second Piano Concerto and how it came to be.

The concerto revived both Rachmaninoff's career and his spirits, and it remains his most famous orchestral work. It is a towering masterpiece of Romanticism, overflowing with glorious melody after glorious melody, supported by virtuosic and sumptuous writing for the solo piano, and a deeply satisfying orchestral part that continues to make audiences swoon around the world.

Today on the show, we'll begin with the story of Rachmaninoff's First Symphony, and then walk through this extraordinary concerto, highlighting what truly makes Rachmaninoff's music so special. Hint: it's not just the pretty melodies.

Recording: Vladimir Ashkenazy with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin cond.

Jaksot(282)

Mahler Symphony No. 2, Part 3

Mahler Symphony No. 2, Part 3

At the end of 1893, Mahler could not find a way to end his 2nd Symphony. But the funeral of Hans Von Bulow, a conductor who Mahler worshipped even though Von Bulow hated Mahler's music, gave Mahler wh...

14 Touko 202055min

Classical Music During the Pandemic

Classical Music During the Pandemic

Today I was thrilled to have with me Matthew Szymanski of the Phoenix Orchestra and Aram Demirjian of the Knoxville Symphony on the show to talk about what classical music as a whole is going to need ...

11 Touko 202044min

Mahler Symphony No. 2, Part 2

Mahler Symphony No. 2, Part 2

Today we explore the two middle movements of Mahler's 2nd symphony. These movements were meant as intermezzi, and are both memories in their own way. The first is a nostalgic, wistful, and extraordina...

7 Touko 202036min

Debussy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

Debussy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

We're taking a brief detour from Mahler 2 today to discuss Debussy's legendary Afternoon of a Faun, a piece written in the same year as Mahler's 2nd symphony. It's easy to forget how revolutionary thi...

4 Touko 202035min

Mahler Symphony No. 2, Part 1

Mahler Symphony No. 2, Part 1

"What next? What is life and what is death? Will we live on eternally? Is it all an empty dream or do our life and death have a meaning? We must answer this question, if we are to go on living." These...

30 Huhti 202038min

A Conversation with Jan Swafford, Composer and Author

A Conversation with Jan Swafford, Composer and Author

If you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall for a slightly nerdy conversation between a conductor and a composer who also happens to be a great writer and thinker about classical music, this week's sho...

27 Huhti 202056min

Opus 1s: The First Works of Great Composers, Part 2

Opus 1s: The First Works of Great Composers, Part 2

Every great composer has an origin story. Every composer started somewhere. I'm fascinated with a composers first works because they tell us so much about who they are going to become. In some cases, ...

23 Huhti 202042min

What is Historical Performance?  w/Augusta McKay Lodge

What is Historical Performance? w/Augusta McKay Lodge

Have you ever wondered what the real differences are between modern and historical performance? Why do historical performances sound so different from modern ones? This week, we take a deep dive into ...

20 Huhti 202041min

Suosittua kategoriassa Viihde

anni-jaajo
grekovit
tuplakaak
hei-baby-3
terveisia-perheesta
the-harlin-show
dear-shirly
antin-palautepalvelu
antin-elokuvakerho
bella-table
verhon-takaa
nonsensepodi
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
dear-shirly-ja-arttu
get-jassud
tahtitehdas
hollywood-love-stories-2
tervo-halme
everypodi
terkuin-jenna