Rachmaninov: The Isle of the Dead, Symphonic poem Op. 29 - Andrew Davis

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Andrew Davis, conductor
Painting: "Isle of the Dead", Arnold Böcklin

[@MichaelConwayBaker]

I first heard this music when I was five. I'm 84 and never get tired of it. A true masterpiece!

[@famprima]

What a wonderful life of music you have!

[@franzlugosi7295]

​@Halil Yaşar come on that's a macabre thing to ask someone

[@KommSusserT0d]

@@franzlugosi7295 you have a point, but when I read your name I died laughing

[@allesandra22]

May you relish many more masterpieces. 😇🤝

[@lilangeldreams2846]

you're here since 2007 ?? wo, shoot I feel young

[@alcinado2072]

Interesting fact : Rachmaninov composed this piece only after a black and white reproduction of Böcklin's painting. When he saw the real painting some years later, he said that the colors weren't at all how he had imagined them. If he had seen the real painting first, he would have composed this symphonic poem totally differently.

[@Aerodumb]

I think it would be less dark

[@MiserableOldFart]

Interesting to me, especially because I first saw it in black and white, and always thought it was more powerful that way.

[@paulbeard4218]

And we'd all love to hear that version .

[@cengizinal8678]

well, I'm glad he didn't! :)

[@lucyseyes1590]

Better this way round.

[@franzliszt8090]

no classical music comment section is complete without the pseudo-intellectuals

[@kaxtorplose]

And the fart heads

[@zandaroos553]

-insert forgettable name- o o f

[@Petertuske]

At least his profile picture isn't a bukkake pingu

[@alrobin9480]

haw haw haw says I what say ye?

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

You are right Mr Liszt. You see, music can be described but it can never be explained.

[@ChaplainIdaeus]

A painting of a strange island. Somehow, it feels very familiar.

[@АртёмФедянин-д6ш]

Arnold Böcklin had created the painting naming it the same ("The Island of the Dead")... ok-ok, i got myself^) Rachmaninov was inspired of this master piece, when is creating his self piece. Two artists, two eras

[@kreits7384]

@@АртёмФедянин-д6ш the original comment refers to a game called Signalis, it's a copy-paste from what the main character says while inspecting this picture

[@spacebear3537]

remember our promise

[@jsunnj76]

you play too much Resident Evil friend......

[@nikitakhmelevskyi6257]

​@jsunnj76 This is not about RE, but Signalis, who for sure was inspired by RE, but has absolutely another idea

[@magnificmango336]

Songs to dance with your albino girlfriend to

[@lukeyj8331]

Volume 1

[@miker2002]

She'll need two-and-a-half feet...

[@thomHD]

Reference?

[@magnificmango336]

@@thomHD A horror video game called Signalis. I highly recommend it, especially if you go in blind.

[@Werebitch_Lanoire]

She's not albino! She's just Goth! 😂

[@josephanthony8585]

This painting is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It is located by itself in a small room or cubicle with a bench in front of it while this music is playing. I sat on that bench transfixed looking at this painting while this music was playing. I stayed through the entire 21 minutes of its playing time.

[@lekink5069]

Thx

[@Jonsson474]

There were actually five versions of this painting, painted between 1880 and 1886 but one of them was unfortunately destroyed. The one in the metropolitan art gallery is the second version. The one in this video is the one in the old national gallery in Berlin, Germany and not the one in New York.

[@Wolfsgejaule]

It's true, i was the bench

[@Raskolnikovtzs]

Hitler was obsessed with this painting. In fact, he had one of the several versions made by Arnold Böcklin himself.

[@KomissarLohmann]

good for you

[@ilonajoensuu3716]

Pro tip: Listening to this while working on an excel spreadsheet makes everything more dramatic.

[@silviasuto5275]

This is EXACTLY MY CASE!!! my effing colleagues are so loud, i need to work always with my headphones on and I listen to this masterpiece or some others. Priceless.

[@PaoloReaper]

What the fuck. I never work on Excel. I'm doing it rn and this piece started playing and I find this comment. Strange.

[@CLASSICALFAN100]

You really need to get out more...

[@ilonajoensuu3716]

@@CLASSICALFAN100 Never! *makes gremlin noises*

[@moncompte4150]

My feelings exactly

[@MitsurugiR]

I'm ashamed to say it, but... Lesbian robots brought me here...

[@whelperw]

Technically, by Lesbian and Lesbian robot

[@neoneherefrom5836]

Ok cool?

[@jessicakespohl8340]

Rachmaninoff was not 6'6". That is classic Internet error. Eugene Ormandy said he was about 6'3", as did other friends. He also was underrated because modernist music was on the ascendant in his time. He was dissed by critics, but it's well to remember the quote from Sibelius, "Pay no attention to critics. No one ever erected a statue to a critic".

[@DCM8828]

I would say that a critic might be able to in good conscience unfavorably criticize Rachmaninoff if he or she could even pretend to write with the brilliance, originality, virtuosity, beauty and depth than Rachmaninoff wrote.

[@melvynobrien6193]

I teach piano; Rachmaninoff had big hands. Most of the finest pianists in the world consider him to have been the greatest pianist of the recording era. Not to mention his brilliant compositions.

[@Diniles]

@S G Well he was hardly a music critic lol

[@IrrelevantPlease]

hah! Fantastic quote. I am saving that one.

[@pmlouisjuste]

@@Diniles haha lol

[@FalkeEinheiten]

Wake up.

[@cjlkicks]

*THINGS HAVE LEARNT TO WALK THAT OUGHT TO CRAWL*

[@finnegan6464]

@roberttevault9794or demonic space lesbians

[@Man_of_Tears]

And the milk in my fridge

[@uhoh7545]

And the great holes are digged 😂

[@annoyingassbean3070]

like my gloves?????

[@Bluecho4]

*GREAT HOLES SECRETLY ARE DIGGED WHERE EARTH'S PORES OUGHT TO SUFFICE.*

[@TukyVideo]

Great holes secretly are digged where earth's pores ought to suffice, and things have learnt to walk which ought to crawl.

[@patchpatch4008]

I am so grateful that Signalis introduced me to these series of paintings by Arnold Böcklin.

[@raytrace2432]

Im looking at the painting... listening to music... and for some reason think about two sad space lesbians. . . . . And then i remember my promise. . . . . . . . . . . . Perhaps, this is hell.

[@Kicktugo55]

Wake up, LSTR

[@panabrasrns8298]

Signalis probably changes my brain at neural and chemical level, because my brain just cannot stop auto playing Schubert’s standchen and the isle of the dead…

[@gallowglass719]

I love how this piece constantly builds tension. Makes it difficult to stop listening.

[@CLASSICALFAN100]

And, that's the point...

[@PavelDGromnic]

The awe conjured up in the moment when the shore is finally realized takes my breath away.

[@faridelkhatib4368]

Min 8/9 is the plateau

[@cristianmicu]

life is tension until it isn't.. shows how deep this goes into creating this... rachmaninov such a genius

[@FourBranches]

signalis painting

[@lunatic0verlord10]

And music.

[@calebn4399]

Gandalf the White decided to arrive by motor boat.

[@phantomwizard]

You just illustrated my point. Thank you.

[@calebn4399]

What point?

[@4everkokonut]

Pouhahaha!

[@abdelhamidkateb3999]

Caleb N you made my day sir !

[@RetroFan]

That was from a goof wasn't it or something. A motor was found in the boat.

[@RiContritum]

* *Signalis psychological flashbacks* *

[@Sanbayrak2-b2y]

Рахманинов Лжепророк его Фамилия от Слово происходит Арабского Рахман что 0значает милосердный по Фамилиям и Имени Узнавайте Сатану Его Семья получила эту Фамилию от Сатаны за Не послушание Господу и музыка его Как И глаза от Дадчаля 🇦🇿🇮🇱🇺🇦 махдi

[@paining005]

Depressing

[@dystopianfuture1165]

I thought it sounded familiar.

[@maryrose2200]

Where's the keyhole?

[@Silent-Shepherd]

Yep, I also instantly recognized Signalis...

[@DragonaxFilms]

*Do not attempt to befriend the Elster unit.*

[@MitsurugiR]

*DO NOT FIST* android girls! ⚠️

[@thegrimmarcher202]

What?

[@nether0701]

Yeah it will make you start dreaming a never ending loop to fulfill a promise

[@huneymuun]

​@@thegrimmarcher202search "signalis", but only if u want to lose your mind.

[@elpatronak9092]

Who gives a ratsass about them.

[@C_Ketsukane]

Great holes secretly are digged where earth's pores ought to suffice and things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl.

[@Pauly421]

Ahhhh the good side of youtube. Great music, nice friendly reflective comment sections, all the suggested videos are more orchestral and classical pieces with nice reflective commenters. Yeah :) All is well :) EDIT: Sheeeit that's a lotta likes haha

[@iantbailey]

+Paul McDonagh "Show more" >clicks >"All is well :)" That alone made me smile.

[@windstorm1000]

yes, that can happen--but not often enough--we can do better.

[@one-thirdofakind7138]

Even on the good side I see some bad comment chains, I got here from Devil's Trill Sonata, and there is a comment that says "I'm glad the average person like me can access beautiful music like this." (more or less) And someone got PISSED over him saying "average" and went on a rant about how we take our "privilege" for granted.

[@Pauly421]

Brandon Miner ugh

[@adorno_gang37]

+Paul McDonagh as someone who listens pretty much every genre... I can confirm this is definitely the good side of youtube :D

[@pppaaaooo13]

This painting needs its own movie!

[@LordIvor6]

Reminds me of the ending of Black Butler, so gentle but dark as well.

[@winterstorm8412]

pppaaaooo13 Somehow reminds me of when King Arthur was mortally wounded, that he was taken to the Isle of Avalon.

[@OiOBlinkingOwl]

He is canonically either Arthur's son or just his nephew (depending on the literature) born from his relations with Morgana.

[@YamiKodoku]

Somebody knows the name of this painting?

[@adrianovasco2059]

There is also a nice "remake" of this paining by Giger himself.

[@reykhan233]

Saw this painting. Now I remember my promise.

[@AlexBrutalin]

“Island of the Dead” (German: Die Toteninsel) is the most famous painting by the Swiss symbolist artist Arnold Böcklin

[@AsperaNonEs]

@@AlexBrutalinit’s an insider joke

[@yddet4369]

​@@AsperaNonEswhats it refrencing?

[@AsperaNonEs]

@@yddet4369 a game about phenomena, existentialism and similar themes called signals. In that game the protagonist Elster and a human called Ariane volunteer for a space reconnaissance mission to find an inhabitable planet. Simply put they do not have enough resources to make it. Ariane falls in love with Elster, Ariana did know that they wouldn’t make it (which makes it even more tragic). After a certain time, when Elster also finds out that they won’t find a planet to survive, Ariana makes her promise to kill her. Since if she wouldn’t kill Ariane, Ariane would suffer a slow and terrible death from leaking radiation of the reactor of the ship. The game itself sets in after this, the player has to make his way through a lot of bs (why and how isn’t really important to the story) if the player did well enough, Elster will remember the promise and kill her loved one, simultaneously dying on her side.

[@AsperaNonEs]

Ah yes I forgot, Ariane drew the toteninsel multiple times whilst on that space ship

[@watchmebarelywrite]

this dropped harder than elster down a gaping hole in the pulsating flesh

[@adorno_gang37]

my dream is to be a filmmaker just so i can use this in a movie...

[@hugofernandes2930]

Yeahh man i was thinking this way too!!! A strange man in a boat arriving to a dark island as an introductory scene

[@The9garr]

Well, you're on KZbin...

[@The9garr]

He neared the small island he saw just off the shore, walls all around except from the sea facing side. As he approached he saw the forest hidden from the sight of the mainland, more a garden as the walls were too close together for it to have any considerable size. The small row boat pushed up against the steps in the water. The man leaped from the boat, eager to see what secrets the island may hold. He entered the small tree covered enclosure, and as he walked down the dark path he came to a sudden realisation. Why had he not heard of this place before? It sat only a short distance from the beach, had no-one else seen it? He had been walking for nearly 15 minutes, he surely would have reached the mainland had he been walking along the water from where he landed on the island. He looked back, and dread filled him. Only darkness lay behind him, he had fallen into the islands evil trap...

[@hugofernandes2930]

9garr Wow fits the song and picture!!! did you wrote it yourself?

[@The9garr]

Hugo Fernandes Yeah, I just thought it looked like the trees went in pretty deep in the picture.

[@aitorvergararuiz9468]

Elster, is that you?

[@elena-xt7cs]

There is an anecdote about this piece, according to which Rachmaninov was inspired by a black and white reproduction of Boecklin's painting, not by the original version: when he eventually saw the actual artwork, he got so disappointed that he stated he would have probably never written this beautiful music, if he had seen the original one first. We would have missed one great piece.

[@RalucaAriadna]

what a beautiful sentence. may I use it in a story?

[@RalucaAriadna]

Thank you! :)

[@elenabarri732]

jajaja such is life, beautiful story¡

[@ronwalker4849]

THAT SPEAKS MOUNTAINS ABOUT ORIGINAL WORKS OF ART AND COPIES.

[@kingkeefage]

Individually, words and notes do not have owners. I can't own the word bird, but if I were to use it with words of MY choosing accentuating the bird, then the statement made thereafter belongs to me. And, of course music has an owner!!!

[@brokenlotproductions]

R E M E M B E R O U R P R O M I S E ?

[@SuperCabrito14]

0:00 - approaching the building where I will take my finals

[@Abigurlrox]

Ehh...studying for finals right now D:

[@user-td4do3op2d]

What are finals?

[@SuperCabrito14]

123456789 987654321 😂 "finals" is the term used by college students in the U.S. for end-of-term examinations

[@user-td4do3op2d]

Luigi Anastasio Boyka Ah. Thanks. We just call them exams in England

[@Jonlewisfallows]

123456789 987654321. Did you go to school with my brother, 123456789 987654322?

[@VentrueMinis]

Remember our promise.

[@ahdyabdelatif]

Is that a reference to something?

[@meegz149]

@@ahdyabdelatif yes, signalis. Great game, and a true work of art.

[@hk1222]

I listened to this before when I was a teenager, but after playing Signalis, I can't stop thinking about this song and painting.

[@kezia_creates3264]

Wdym?

[@sovviedan6791]

@@kezia_creates3264 There's a very artistic video game called Signalis which released late last year, and one of the pieces of music in the soundtrack is a piano rendition of the beginning melody, as well as the painting being a core pillar of the game's theme of things being copied and ending up different than the last version. It's a very emotionally charged game, so the beauty of the song and painting are amplified by the story and visual direction, so they can leave a pretty amazing amazing impression and stay with you for a good while.

[@lelagrangeeffectphysics4120]

@@sovviedan6791 and by artistic you mean pretentious... apparently the devs tought that flashing german sentences while glitching was the peak of art, the story never makes itself very clear, but its implied that the lesbian couple were sent to die in cold space because one of them was an Alma Wade level psychic that could wreak havoc.

[@sovviedan6791]

@@lelagrangeeffectphysics4120 Everything is pretentious when you don't understand it. They're German, dumbass. That's why they flash German words on the screen. You must've been playing with your eyes closed to not notice the heavy post-WWII East Germany vibe to Sierpinksi and Rotfront. And what you've pointed out isn't just "implied," it's literally outright stated in the documents on the ship and dialogue with Arianne. They couldn't have made it clearer. You skimmed over the surface of what the game had to offer and then had the audacity to call it lacking.

[@finnegan6464]

@@lelagrangeeffectphysics4120 the game is from germany dude

[@Theoria34]

ACHTUNG

[@ATEN_DNAR]

Who was cool and here before "Signalis"?

[@saltix6301]

Signalis did so many things right

[@resonanceofambition]

Sadness and yearning. A disgustingly horrible dream I do not want to wake up from.

[@MargaritaMagdalena]

Who's Signalis?

[@resonanceofambition]

@@MargaritaMagdalena It's a fantastic very surreal horror game set in a fictional German DDR-like nation. You play as Elster, a (female) robot looking to uphold a promise she made. Naturally, you have to move the world in order to achieve this. 8 years in the making by a few folks. Brilliant artwork and beautifully melancholic music. 10/10 play it at least 5 times to unlock everything haha.

[@lunatic0verlord10]

@@resonanceofambition *EIGHT YEARS?!!*

[@storyforeveryone]

​@@lunatic0verlord10 yep, only two people made it. It's one of my favourite psychological horror games of all time, and one of the best games of 2022.

[@josemanuelparrillalopez-br3024]

for those wondering, that painting is the 'Isle of the Dead' by Arnold Böcklin, a swiss romantic painter

[@jmbwithcats]

Island of the Dead Arnold Böcklin (Swiss, Basel 1827-1901 San Domenico, Italy) Date: 1880 Medium: Oil on wood

[@ronwalker4849]

ARNOLD BOCKLIN HAD SO MUCH SUCCESS WITH THIS PAINTING THAT HE MADE A NUMBER OF COPIES AND SOLD THEM ALL. 5 OR 6 I DON´T KNOW. I SAW THE PAINTING AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NY AND IT MADE A TREMENDOUS IMPRESSION ME WHICH I HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN. IT IS OUR ETERNAL HOME.

[@StahliCell]

I feel so ashamed of myself. 23 years old, swiss and I've never EVER heard of this painter. I hate my arts teacher in high school, I have no one else to blame.

[@ElCid48]

+StahliCell. No need to feel ashamed. Get yourself other sources of information as long as they are reliable. Go to the library in your town. Read a lot. Very soon you'll know more than your stupid teachers. I've done that.

[@lecobra418]

Blame yourself then, because you're the only one responsible for your lack of knowledge.

[@meowmeowchan1724]

Remember our promise?

[@thetau4866]

Yes.

[@someperson435]

Remember our promise.

[@Dorjejinpa]

I hate to use words like "hauntingly beautiful" but what can I say? Rachmaninoff is at the very top my list

[@BeckyMesser]

That's the perfect phrase to describe Rachmaninoff :)

[@DeathRattlingWhore]

You could say beautifully haunting!

[@magnuschristianssen8999]

Yeah, you can't really use that term much, like when a husband turns to his wife and mutters "hauntingly beautiful" she slaps him. I suppose you could refer to an old Castle as "hauntingly beautiful" :D

[@FaisalAzizFizzy20000]

* top of my liszt

[@DBEdwards]

Rachmaninoff. Say the name and I tremble for the majesty, profound feeling and sheer romantic poetry no other can duplicate. His piano concerti are unsurpassed in the annals of romantic music.

[@lunabork5909]

Remember...

[@md-fi7zt]

me when i Achtung

[@cesarst3720]

signalis moment

[@welcher6470]

*Rachmaninov sees painting in black & white* woah! Genius! Wonderful! This is so inspiring!!! *sees same painting in colors* ew! Disgusting! Horrible! Never show me this crap again

[@Dylonely42]

He would have never composed this if he had seen first the painting in colors.

[@johnnyMcSheep]

Please don't go to space.

[@snb333]

NO WAY THIS IS SIGNALIS REFERENCE!?!?!??!?!?!

[@likerSTALKER]

No

[@aperson1754]

@@likerSTALKER Yes

[@likerSTALKER]

@@aperson1754 Okay

[@MerkinMuffly]

Is that Gandalf and Frodo in that boat?

[@aomamesighs6049]

hell no

[@schindler95g73]

They are Dumbledore and Harry

[@aomamesighs6049]

@@schindler95g73 also not

[@Angiesunshine13]

@@aomamesighs6049 r/whoooosh

[@viking8796]

Row, you fools!

[@bwchapin9099]

I had never heard this piece until I decided to transcribe it from the original score into a digital one. What struck me was the story I feel as the music progresses. Rachmaninoff’s use of 5/4 alternating 3-2 to 2-3 in the first part mimics the way an oarsman would row, long pull short recovery followed by short pull longer recovery to correct course, etc. I see it as starting out from shore in calm waters and as the boat gets midway, rougher seas then it calms as it enters the isle harbor. The second part describes the unloading of the casket and carrying it upward while being met by spirits to assist until the casket is interred. There is a reference to a Dies Irea, a release of burden and sorrow the the descent of the oarsman or passengers back to the dock where the third part is the emptier boat returning from the isle with the same rowing rhythms. As a symphonic poem, it is one of the most descriptive.

[@EnvironmentalCoffeehouse]

Thanks for sharing that👍🌻

[@coscinaippogrifo]

Wow, I wish I was able to get those deep insights into anything in my life, like you did with the description of this piece... Congratulations

[@jaoziinh]

YEEEEEEES

[@diimiller1197]

Signalis anyone?

[@cheems8089]

Ayo

[@smallguy2]

AYO

[@davidemarotta7120]

AYO

[@user-yd4om1qw3n]

ayo

[@Renny_Yeti]

Signalis anyone?

[@guillaumegeaymond503]

you shouldn't have returned

[@block36079]

Die Toteninsel by 1000 Eyes is a nice rendition of this.

[@meowmeowchan1724]

glad that I'm not the only signals fan here

[@LifeAwaits]

@@meowmeowchan1724 me too

[@yellowbeard1]

I had no idea this music existed and I am really happy with the KZbin algorithm right now.

[@voraciousreader3341]

I am so glad you’ve started on this journey, and Rachmaninov is an amazing place to begin! Being able to move emotionally through this “world” is an experience greater in my life than nearly anything in my life, for nearly 60 years. If I may presume to give a suggestion, Vladimir Ashkenazy is, in my opinion, one of the best interpreters of Rachmaninov’s music, as a pianist and conductor. He would be an excellent place to continue!

[@AdamGulotta]

@@voraciousreader3341 This wasn't my comment, but I just want to say that I am going to follow your recommendations for composers!

[@CozyButcher]

#metoo bless the people of Rus

[@lolagagginw812lol7]

I heard about this song when I first played the game SIGNALIS by rose-engine. I highly recommend it and it introduced me to one Rachmaninov's works!

[@PavelDGromnic]

This is pretty gripping. As one who is now approaching death, I am in awe of the boats' passenger nearing The Isle. Where those of us who have "passed" remain. The rocking boat, the trees, the dark shore, are real for me. This is how I have always envisioned it. Even as a child. I'll be glad to leave this life behind in order to achieve the peace I see on the Isle.

[@PavelDGromnic]

I'm out of the boat now, about to feel the shore.

[@Tom_Quixote]

@@PavelDGromnic We need an update. How is it there?

[@stellviahohenheim]

@@Tom_Quixote probably burning

[@SomeSunshineOutside]

safe passage

[@poolsofbloodinyourstomach]

You dead yet

[@dsrp4418]

Signalis fans!

[@ブロブロ-j7y]

SIGNALIS PTSD 00:14 03:32 8:46 19:02

[@vadimkim7726]

😭😭😭

[@user-zn5zr2ed3x]

wow i just played signalis and this got recomended

[@damnits2200]

rember promose

[@HiddenAccount]

Signalis

[@mathieuvart]

Rachmaninov created an atmosphere more dark than any black metal bands tried to create.

[@SomeDud-lm1mi]

Try "Solar Fields - The Road To Nothingness"

[@TheCountfilth]

That's sounds pretty intimidating! Emperor really had their work cut out for them. No wonder Giger was fascinated by the art piece.

[@daitsukishiro1505]

they try to create chaos this creates despair

[@owldude9581]

What does this have to do with black metal?

[@mathieuvart]

@@owldude9581 The atmosphere

[@chiphowell4063]

I fell in love with this piece of music when i was 10 years old and playing with Star Wars action figures and listening to my mom's Classical music LPs...the music always inspired stories and now that I'm substantially older, I hear this again (and again) and I think of those childhood stories. More than that, I love the music on its own terms. I still wanna be a Rachmaninov composition when I grow up.

[@dankennedy3365]

listening to this now, loving it and just gave my wife's brother (a Star Wars geek and collector) my original Star Wars figures that I played with as a kid, but I wasn't fortunate enough to have parents that were into Rachmaninov, let alone music in general 😆

[@samwisethebrave288]

No. Go away.

[@dankennedy3365]

@@samwisethebrave288 🤣🤣🤣

[@PavelDGromnic]

I listened to classical music as a child too, brought up in a household which had no interest in it. I flourished thanks to that open window. It's funny to remember how often I listened next to an actual open window. Do children listen to this any more without being dragged to hear it? Like tears in the rain.

[@pontimaniac2303]

I'm 69 yrs , and same when I was a kid, 5, 6, 7, could see so much in my head, I know you know what I'm saying, but by 8 it started fading , and fast , a song that still works pretty good for me is Debussey, prelude to the afternoon of a Faun, I hear it in this music score . Check it out if you are not familiar with it.

[@ewanherbert3402]

ACHTUNG ACHTUNG

[@Littera_V]

39486 60170 24326 01064

[@TS50ER]

Böcklin's painting here should really be black and white.

[@Dylonely42]

Indeed

[@Grim-c8n]

The game "Signalis" brought me here. If you're a fan of sci-fi or psychological horror, I highly recommend playing it.

[@lunatic0verlord10]

Remember our promise

[@nether0701]

Yes a tragic and a saddening promise

[@jessicarose9208]

Wait, wha?

[@karhu7581]

@@jessicarose9208 There's a videogame called Signalis that incorporates some leitmotifs from this song in it's soundtrack, and the painting which this piece is based on also appears in game in several forms. In Signalis, the main character is repeatedly harrowed by the notion of a 'promise' she made to a woman she is trying to find. The nature of the promise is hidden from the player until the very end of the game, and intricately ties into the painting.

[@jessicarose9208]

@@karhu7581 oh! I love that plot. That is beautiful, I thank you for letting me know and taking the time to describe it to me. I really appreciate these beautiful realities. Storytellers, visual or audio I mean, fruit of the Earth really! I’ll check it out!

[@DarkSamael55]

Star: Wherever it is I am going, I'll wait for you there. Eule: ...

[@Sassy_Witch]

0: Signalis

[@spartanxliv6899]

signalis type beat

[@parcm]

Böcklin's isle is creepy but fascinating. I always wonder whats behind the cypresses. It was commisioned by a young widow who sought the answer in the death of her husband. Masterpiece!

[@КимберлиСуратос]

I love this painting. It perfectly captures the mood of death. It's so serene with the still water and muted tone. For some people, death is a nice, peaceful rest, free of the tumult and suffering that accompany life. Yet in the painting, the dark shadows that surround the trees give a sense of foreboding and remind you of the mystery and darkness associated with death.

[@magnuschristianssen8999]

Or a bad death, the darkness a warning of the demonic torments to come. Has anyone written a piece about being tortured by demons in hell? I would love to hear that and even suggest it to atheists LOL!!!

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

Off to the art gallery with you. 99.9% of us are listening to the music not admiring paintings!

[@raymondwilcox1303]

@@DavidA-ps1qr . . .Speak for yourself.

[@DisRespectoids]

What about your profile photo? Does it fit that...

[@TheConshuscriterion]

Кимберли Суратос also too, though the Cypress trees are in reference to other things, when I saw them a thought crossed my mind!! The evergreen (our soul/spirit) almost completely walled off from everything else living! The eternal soul wrapped in death’s hewn stone coffin awaiting judgement in solemn silence yet not dispassionate! And the simultaneity of life only a breath away and death breathless hold spark the roller coaster of emotions

[@Bulvasaurio]

Wow, i listened this as a child, now that i had played a Game by a german developler called signalis, i returned to this Masterpiece

[@deibyjosecastrolopez3082]

Remember our promise.

[@Battlefieldtripshow]

I'LL DO ANYTHING

[@willowgoober]

"Great Holes secretly are digged where Earth's pores ought to suffice"

[@pogd740]

What’s the quote form

[@shaanrashadsaifullah2255]

@@pogd740 It's from a game called Signalis.

[@jarate8076]

@@shaanrashadsaifullah2255 its from Lovecraft actually

[@guillaumegeaymond503]

_remember our promise_

[@tdragonz2405]

Wake up

[@eroncastro2821]

From where is this phrase?

[@nsomjimi]

@@eroncastro2821 from a game called signalis

[@meegz149]

Wake up.

[@mamsathew5375]

came here from signalis

[@hideokojima002]

Signalis moment...

[@nicholasthurmond4006]

I was delighted to hear this in a game. Its fascinating to me how this came about: a painting made over a hundred years ago, a composition based on the painting, and in the 21st century a video game inspired by it. There is something beautiful about this painting touching the hearts of people across three different centuries.

[@hideokojima002]

@@nicholasthurmond4006 Moreover, this picture in the real world is not finished, you can feel the depth of symbolism in Signalis, because in the game the picture was also not finished, I hope this will give you the right thoughts.

[@geonextin3616]

@@hideokojima002 i cant find any info about fact thats this picture not finished, can you help? it would be so deep if its true

[@andreyaraujos]

Signalis

[@kimetsu_kids]

ベックリンの死の島、人工物にも自然物にも見える岩の島に整えられた植生が収まっているという 精巧さと不自然さが見事に共存したすごく美しい芸術作品だと思う

[@mistygroves3503]

An Etheric world of neither Purgatory nor Paradise, with unfulfilled yearning, toil and glimpses of shining lights beyond....beautifully portrayed by Rachmaninov. An exquisite piece of music.

[@henrysmith7276]

Your words are hauntingly sharp

[@PenNamed]

dude that's the painting from signalis and rachmaninoff's music is used as a motif for a song in that game!

[@hound2101]

thought of the same thing

[@PenNamed]

@@hound2101 well now we know where they got the idea

[@iTECiii]

My lord signalis came from here

[@sanda386]

❤

[@シーバックソーン]

6:02 i hear it.... . . . . achtung achtung

[@josederibamararaujoperes953]

This music is too down, dark, so sadness! It's dramatic and I fill afraid when I hear it.

[@chrisconnor8086]

Someone should make an animated short using Fantasia type animation and Eastern Orthodox Iconography as influences, set to this 20 minute piece; an old man approaches the Isle of the Dead and in the small wood meets a pretty little girl with a green-milk glow, and bright grey eyes. She directs him to a pool-- in it he sees the excesses of his life and the gravitas, the leisure, the status, which slips into ego, until he slowly begins to relive the terrors of his life, the lies, the cruelty, the lack of empathy-- until he collapses, laid bare to be surrounded by snakes which slither out of all the cracks in the rocks above

[@Kalen1457]

Your little story is pure gothic romanticism.

[@westyavro]

and then he finds himself young again and able to relive his life which he does with lust and sexual abandon because he has finally understood that the only reward in life is the pleasure you fill it with. He is last seen sodomizing a nun.

[@Marcoplo]

its perfect! it encapsulates it perfectly! ignore the comments by Violet & others... they cant read tone, lack imagination & get stuck on their own interpretations of phrasing. Saying "a pretty little girl" doesnt imply anything untoward...so stop putting your own social disease on it Violet Verdict. GOD..

[@dominicdelprincipe2583]

@Chris Connor... green milk?!

[@matthewwilhelm3093]

Why did it have to be snakes?

[@YouGuessIGuess]

I can't "Like" this video enough, or explain how much its existence has improved my musical life over the last few months. Thank you so much for uploading.

[@franciscopinto6394]

That same thing happened to me about 2 years ago... amazing

[@Dankadamas]

REMEMBER OUR PROMISE.

[@AstroInfinitum]

What?

[@Katholy]

@@AstroInfinitum It's a reference to the video game "SIGNALIS" that references this painting several times.

[@paulduck6595]

i wish it all stop in russia

[@cesarst3720]

Remember our promise

[@SunRavenMusic]

First time I've heard this and there is a thunderstorm outside, fits perfectly.

[@Day-wm7nn]

HEY! I SEE YOU. DONT SCROLL DOWN .GO BACK TO YOUR STUDYING!

[@smurfyfootwear7048]

Thanks bro

[@TrainerNomed]

DAH! GOT ME AGAIN!

[@elenyahempstead6128]

OOF I AM SEEN

[@bruh7130]

OH SHIT YOU PREDICTED MY FUTURE 3 YEARS AGO

[@martincampbell2208]

Thank you.

[@kk-om5zm]

...............sad....... terror...... horror.... death.... black.... silent....... .......amazing............I am just a Heavy Metal musician.......

[@Davidbrompton58]

What a stupid comment.

[@bernadettan6732]

Remember our promise

[@grasseatingenthusiast9459]

Die Toteninsel…

[@BrandonCuringtonOfficial]

18:01 Those 3 notes sounded like the Fellowship theme from LOTR.

[@gabrielalbeldaochoa8234]

trueeeee

[@carsonwall2400]

True. There's also a theme in Sibelius' 3rd symphony that's almost the exact same as the fellowship theme.

[@philipardeljan6180]

Yes! I scrolled down to see if anyone else noticed.

[@secondbreakfast9]

Giorno, dude, you're right as always

[@oibruv3889]

yeah also the new world symphony has that kind of harmonic idea

[@orin4654]

so many dies irae :O

[@mannythepirate]

Am I the only one thinking Howard Shore may have been partially influenced by Rachmaninov when he wrote the Soundtrack to Lord of The Rings?

[@danielboot4362]

I definitely noticed it the first time I heard "Isle of the Dead". I mean just look at the painting, it looks like it could come out of Middle-Earth.

[@oleflogger6828]

"Partially"?

[@mannythepirate]

@@oleflogger6828 Aye. In part. Partly. To a certain degree. Usually there is more than one influence. John Williams was influenced by Korngold and Holst among others when he wrote the soundtrack to Star Wars, for example.

[@nickolausafon5458]

Except without as much of the Passions. There’s primal fear, sexual lust and national compulsion in Sergei’s works. In Tolkien there’s very much a religious restraint, fear and apprehensive thoughts. Every movement has a strong counterpart.

[@famprima]

That soundtrack was a waste of time, because this already existed.

[@j-jbourdin316]

œuvre d'une intensité inouïe et d'une beauté surréaliste que Rachmaninoff génie absolu de la musique a légué à l'humanité. Pourrais-je l'écouter mille fois que j'aurais toujours le même émoi ; c'est à cela qu'on reconnaît un véritable chef-d'œuvre.

[@portercrane6655]

Thanks Google translate!!! This comment made me smile so happily with how profound it is

[@pumby78]

Haa :) voilà une âme reconnaissante de belle musique sans allez chercher la science classique de critiques que l'on peu lire en commentaire, c 'est affolant..... ils critiquent mais n'en feraient pas 1 centième de millimètre composée :) c'est vraiment un monde étrange la musique classique, on pourrait presque croire qu'ils ne vivent que dans la critique négative et non constructive.

[@jeremyw7215]

Haunting. I keep picturing this in a ballet for some reason. Beautiful.

[@themysticmaestro1287]

jeremy w It would be a beautiful ballet

[@filiusmeus8966]

+jeremy w a ballet about the underworld of greek mythology would be absolutely incredible in my opinion, if it were done in the Romantic style

[@themysticmaestro1287]

Yes it would be a beautiful ballet.

[@GoldandAppel]

jeremy w That's a good idea.

[@wakka737]

this is a ballet now!! sf ballet just did it it was great

[@kevispi2166]

Why do people in the comments keep talking about some game called signalis

[@loppw7631]

Uma parte dessa peça aparece no final do jogo eu acho.

[@mcbill7352]

The game heavily features the painting and this piece. Phenomenal game I highly recommend

[@fabianvanderelst9643]

I always thought classical music was boring, until I (on a lucky midnight) found this gem, alongside other classical music that is actually good! Some of the best music I've heard in ages! I can't believe there's actual classical music that I thoroughly enjoy, and not only respect the skills of!

[@philmixer]

All these classical pieces you should listen to are the works of geniuses.

[@johnandreae2958]

Oh yes there’s a wonderful universe of classical music that goes straight to my heart !!

[@ShakespearesSisters]

I listen to so many types of music, but for some reason when after listening to classical, when I go to listen to something different I am just like... what is that noise. -_-

[@talxlaohxra1238]

Yes I think that all the time, to the point that I've now stopped listening to other music!

[@matthewfrench644]

Then you're not finding the right things. Try film and video game soundtracks, the modern decedents of classical music.

[@evonnedalton9141]

I couldn't agree more. I like to listen to music when I'm on the computer. I have iTunes web radio and sometimes I listen (or try) to listen to things other than classical. I have the same reactions as you - just a bunch of noise. I must admit though, that I love Neil Diamond and the Bee Gees! However, classical is my first love - especially opera.

[@heavyweaponsgaming]

Matthew French I definitely agree that film and game soundtracks have inherited the musical tradition of classical, because the things I like about classical are the same things I like about video game and movie soundtracks.

[@patrickogrady9418]

Yes.

[@autumnleaves2766]

What a magnificent piece of music. Rachmaninoff's works always have so much depth, so much sense of longing, nostalgia, richness of harmony and yet haunting melodic lines. Though his output is considered relatively small by some standards, it seems that it was all of an incredibly high standard. My favourites include this piece, the 3rd piano concerto, the rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op43, the variations on a theme of Corelli Op42, the variations on a theme of Chopin Op22, all the solo piano music, but there are other works I don't know so well and hence need to get to know. He had such huge hands he could stretch C-Eb-G-C-G with his left hand. Plagued by depression and ill health for much of his life, he felt compelled to leave Russia after the 1917 revolution. Part of the escape was done on a sleigh through the winter landscape of eastern Finland. Someone ought to make a feature film about him, he had a fascinating but difficult life in many ways. A CD I would recommend for the sets of variations I mentioned above would be the one recorded by Daniil Trifonov in 2015, which also includes the talented Russian pianist's own homage to Rachmaninoff, Rachmaniana, a set of short piano pieces. It's a Deutsche Grammophon CD, always a sign of quality.

[@oleflogger6828]

My fellow Brooklynite, Danny Kaye, said (sang) it best: "I Love Russian Composers!" And, did it all in less than 1 minute. :>)

[@remon563]

beautiful comment. I would love to make a film about this story although I wouldn't be able to do it's beauty justice. History but a ripple in time, waiting to be echoed.

[@literallygoku]

Perhaps, this is hell.

[@Tobal588]

I remember when I was listen to this so high that in the first crescendo I felt I was going to die. With that being said, I have to say that it was a wonderful experience.

[@adamgulley1399]

😂

[@brennentaggart3291]

That's awesome

[@voraciousreader3341]

Yet how amazing would it be if you could experience music like that without the aid of a drug, as I do....it must be a pretty hollow life, huh?

[@brennentaggart3291]

@@voraciousreader3341 FACTS you have a great point. I can FLY with the music, without the drugs

[@Igneous01]

@@voraciousreader3341 you haven't experienced enough suffering in your life if you believe that. Life has a way of beating the enjoyment out of someone, but if that person can find new enjoyment by experiencing the music in new ways, the garden can begin to grow again. It sounds like you're still far behind us in that respect.