Great Composers: Sergei Rachmaninoff

He had big hands.
This was a viewer request from KZbinr Music Pile. Please note that requests for future videos are on hold for the time being, given the extraordinary number of requests I've already received.
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Classical Nerd is a weekly video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
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Music:
- Sergei Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2, Mvt. 1, performed by the University of Chicago Orchestra conducted by Barbara Schubert and available on IMSLP: tinyurl.com/ycbuz5cn
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2 in E minor, Op. 1 No. 2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
- Sergei Rachmaninoff, Aleksey Igudesman, and Hyung-ki Joo: Rachmaninoff Had Big Hands [original upload: 7KwnF_3Rs4E]
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Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
Tumblr:
classical-nerd.tumblr.com
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All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information.

[@TheProsaicCult]

Rachmaninov's first symphony was, and is, one of the most intensely emotional works of any symphony ever composed. I'm guessing that even Tchaikovsky would agree with my take on this historic effort. It's a gut-wrenching piece, like so many of his other masterpieces, that fell victim to a disastrous first performance, that many other composers, past and present, might be able to relate to. Bizet's "Carmen" and Rossini's "Barber of Seville", the premieres of which did not go off that great, suffered a similar reaction as to the Rachmaninov premiere. It was, however, a fortuitous omen for what lay ahead in the mind one of musical history's most important composers.

[@ha3vy]

Rachmaninoff probably would have ended up being a better orchestrator if that symphony was well played, totally underrated and a lot better than the melodramatic third(although it's still good)

[@isaacodyss4270]

Great Video. It would be great to experience some performers that can bring something truly authentic to his great works. His Trio elegiaque no. 2 op. 9 is an incredible visual experience for the imagination.

[@srothbardt]

His best work is the Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini. Sheer genius.

[@robertjones447]

It is a true gem!

[@thijmenkrijgsman2417]

I would really love if you would do a video about Alexandre Skrjabin (Scriabin) !

[@ClassicalNerd]

I did a very early video on Scriabin, but his is one of a handful of early videos I eventually plan to remake with more comprehensive research and higher production quality-so stay tuned!

[@ansonwong5490]

@@ClassicalNerd please remake Scriabin! Big fan of your videos!

[@georgealderson4424]

Thank you for this excellent look at the life of one of my favourite composers both from a musical and a personal perspective. I have a fantasy that in another life I will have the chance to meet him as a young man when he is suffering from the pain of criticism by Cui et al and bring him some comfort by showing him what a great and appreciated man he would become. Regarding his marriage it is not that unusual here in UK to marry your cousin. At one time though you were not even allowed to marry your sister in law when your wife had died but happily the law was changed. Regarding SVRs Symphony 1 I make a point of listening to it every day and think about the suffering that he went through as a result of rejection and also any other young person who feels despondant when rejected and pray that they persevere and are justly rewarded. Blessings and peace to everyone.

[@individualism20]

Thanks so much friend!! Great vid

[@foley3kidsoffical641]

Very cool! My dad has actually meet someone who took lessons from Rachmaninoff believe it or not.

[@georgealderson4424]

I hope they were as talented as SVR

[@schotext2683]

To all accounts, including interviews with his widow, his niece, his recently deceased grandson and all his biographers Rachmaninoff did not give lessons or masterclasses.

[@xxxmatt08]

@Foley3kids official, I believe u :)

[@johnsrabe]

Maybe Ruth Slenczynska? Still playing!

[@gabys2]

Thank you for this!

[@brendaboykin3281]

Thanx, Thomas🌹🌹🌹

[@johnsrabe]

BTW my late mom saw him play in Detroit. My dad also saw Babe Ruth play. Neither SVR nor The Babe hit a home run.

[@zenonorth1193]

I love your videos, but I'm always a little distracted by the peregrinations of the Scriabin book (Bowers") behind you!

[@kurilladesign]

just stumbled on your videos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@andy03021]

RACHMONIOFF........BIG HAANDS...

[@finlybenyunes8385]

Who?

[@johnsrabe]

16:58 Including the theramin, by Clara Rockmore!

[@TristanMA]

The last Halloween Art Music giant, quoter of Dies Irae (in works such as Isle of the Dead, Vocalise, Rhapsody ona Theme of Paganini, and Symphonic Dances).

[@samnelson8280]

Can you do Gustav Mahler??

[@ClassicalNerd]

Requests for future videos are on hold for the time being, given the extraordinary number of requests already received. However, it'll still be added to the request pool, which will go into effect after the request queue as it stands is finally fulfilled.

[@didimesquita59]

Very good

[@donna25871]

I love Rachmaninov’s choral works.

[@basedbattledroid3507]

His hands could stretch an octave and a fifth, my hands can't even stretch past three semitones But I'm glad I'm not the only one who cheated on exams

[@allesvergaengliche]

I always see a Scriabin bio on your bookshelf and I wanna read it. who wrote it?

[@ClassicalNerd]

It's the first biography of Scriabin, written by Faubion Bowers-who, funnily enough, is best known for his scholarship in Asian studies and was Gen. MacArthur's personal Japanese translator during WWII.

[@allesvergaengliche]

Classical Nerd wow. never would have guessed, i shall have to check it out. thanks for the quick reply! i love your videos. very informative.

[@ronmor2004]

He passed away at the age of 69! Otherwise, great video!

[@ClassicalNerd]

I must have calculated back using the Old Style as the birth year instead of the new ... thanks for catching that!

[@sherokun3692]

Nice

[@segmentsAndCurves]

@@sherokun3692 Nice

[@Nick-dc3vv]

6:46 How did I know it wasn't Mussorgsky or Balakirev or Borodin or Rimsky-Kosakov?

[@wolfgangresch1650]

🙏🙏🙏🙏♥️

[@BytomGirl]

Love Rachmaninov, also love Shostakovich, do you also have one about him?

[@ClassicalNerd]

Shostakovich is an older episode-in fact, the first request I ever did: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqG2qoimhb50bs0 All of my composer videos may be found on the following playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLkaVvuj0OEZ1LwVYnAUV4dxLa6YYaslwT

[@JW-ue1xg]

Why is it that the Rach is somehow not taken seriously?

[@bruceweaver1518]

My favorite piece of Rachmaninoff is his “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.” In 24 variations he literally exhausts the potential of the keyboard as a musical instrument. My father had an old RCA recording of the work with Rubenstein as the soloist.

[@yannaischrire7327]

My hand can stretch an octave +5 but it’s hard for me.

[@llicaurislizardo7410]

He passed away at the age of 69!

[@ClassicalNerd]

... as has been mentioned elsewhere. I forgot to factor in the fact that the date of birth I had for him was in the Russian Old Style.

[@rylynnkr]

belive it or not my mom told me that she meet him at a piano concert befor he died :P

[@georgealderson4424]

Wow! It is almost as if you could have been there and met hin if you had been born earlier. I wonder how you would have felt and what you would have said to each other?

[@SlyHikari03]

Ah yes, the big hand man.

[@strangenessEPR]

7:27 nothing really minor either :D

[@djysmallman2183]

Nice roller coaster of the composer, though he died at 69, not 70, and the Dies Irae is used in the first, not second symphony, but nice informative rant.

[@FriedrichVanGott]

he is a idol for the russian culture and people, motivational

[@georgealderson4424]

Thank you for another of your excellent videos Sir. I love SVR's music and want to love the man but I worry that he may have preferred to tolerate the feudal system and starvation of the masses albeit remote from him rather than accept revolution intended to bring about change. He appears to me to have been a very sensitive person and I have great difficulty in balancing the conflict provoked in me Blessings and peace

[@Rach1941]

I don’t think Rachmaninoff was so insensitive and heartless as you imagine. Don’t confuse his repudiation and rejection of living under the bloody Bolshevik revolution and terror with support for the feudal system or mass starvation. Stalin achieved those goals to gut wrenching excess, as well as many other in inhumanities, as undisputed leader of the Soviet state.

[@georgealderson4424]

@@Rach1941 Thanks John. It is reassuring.

[@erniepianezza8940]

Yr cute! & quite knowledgeable!! :-)

[@georgekirazian5591]

ell-uh-GEE-ack????? The rest of the video was excellent....

[@ClassicalNerd]

This video is almost three years old, you know ...

[@iangreer4585]

Yes Rachmaninoff had huge hands, but he had nothing on Huge Hands Hans of Phineas and Ferb Fame. Legend has it his hands could reach 8 octaves each.

[@radu6772]

"Contemporaries called rachmaninoff a pop star" bro what

[@ClassicalNerd]

I think the context of this remark makes it clear. Rachmaninoff was considered a "popular" composer by an emerging academic, serial class of composers, who dismissed him on that basis.

[@radu6772]

@@ClassicalNerd I know but I found it kinda funny for someone to call rachmaninoff a pop star. Great videos btw

[@xxxmatt08]

Your extensive verbage seems as though it would be rather unhealthy to ponder , cool edge