Rachmaninoff plays Polichinelle Op. 3 No. 4

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[@bloodybonescomic]

I love the fact that we can hear the master playing his own compositions. He was, in his day, said to be the world's greatest pianist. He may have been entitled to that.

[@mobilephil244]

Perhaps the greates ever pianist. What a pleasure.

[@francoriva55]

From 1'32" to 2'40 " fantastic fantastic melody

[@theoboueid6450]

And that phrasing... No one ever tops Rachmaninoff.

[@reubenallen4674]

I cant believe no one has listened to this !! this is the actual composer i mean omg!!

[@shandfan]

He has his recorded his own concerto op 18 (second concerto) either.Maybe even available here on YT.

[@samynohff]

No matter what,, Rachmaninoff is Rachmaninoff, master of the masters...

[@Love_desirred]

He plays everything different from his notes.

[@joshyman221]

im not sure if this is actually rachmaninoff, the recording sounds to clean? what year was this recorded?

[@miromudr6690]

These are piano roll recordings, the composer plays and records on these paper rolls and they can played over and over on a player piano

[@tonygreiner931]

@@miromudr6690 It may be that these are really played by a Welte piano-playing device. They were gadgets that had 88 levers covering the keyboard, and played back a performance including dynamics and attaks that a typical player piano could not do.

[@LeftyElmo]

@@tonygreiner931 Rachmaninoff recorded for Ampico. He committed somewhere around 30 performances for them, including his C# minor prelude.

[@tonygreiner931]

@@LeftyElmo About 45 years ago there was a radio program titled "Keyboard Immortals Play Again" (or something similar) where they would play Ampico and Welte piano player performances. I have looked for a CD of some of them to no luck. Does anyone know where they can be found?

[@LeftyElmo]

@@tonygreiner931 Sadly, I'm not familiar with the program. I know cd recordings of Rachmaninoff's piano roll performances do exist. I own a 1926 Knabe grand piano with a working Ampico system. My collections includes a dozen or so rolls of Rachmaninoff playing, along with many other amazing performances. These were the recording studio to the stars back in the day.

[@geofffreeburn868]

By far the best interpretation of this gorgeous piece all others are too fast and little musicality Rach nails it

[@davidburton3016]

Rachmaninoff certainly learned plenty from Liszt. Notice how the piece ends without resolution. It's still modern. Some who attempt this piece report that their arms become very tired. No doubt. You also really need a top flight grand piano. Those who were able to see Rachmaninoff play described him as playing with arms of steel and a heart of gold. Best

[@jmcmurdo]

I just found this piece in my stack of sheet music that I need get around to learning but I don't have the time. I love how it ends with the C# and F# and then every fiber of your being is screaming RESOLVE! :)

[@daph0307]

Without resolution? Sounds resoluted to me...

[@looney1023]

@@jmcmurdo I don't think it's without resolution. I think the whole piece is ambiguous as to what the "key" (though it's written in F# minor). F# is a fixed point throughout every section, so it does feel "resolved" at the end but in a weak way.

[@PiotrstrashcanŚmietnikPiotra]

This is such a wonderful composition! Shame that it is rather hard to play!

[@geofffreeburn868]

By far the best interpretation of this stunning piece

[@duncanmountford8426]

It is impossibly good

[@heysiri_official]

I am studying this piece :)

[@LuisKolodin]

he himself wrote AGITATO in the middle section, and here he plays slow almost sleepy 🤣

[@CLAUDIADANEU-Piano]

AGITATO not always means a speed increasing, but an increasing of emotion and energy!

[@LuisKolodin]

@@CLAUDIADANEU-Piano agitato means turbulence, whatever speed, but not calm/sleepy as in here. he could ve written "MAESTOSO/CALM/NOBLE" if this is what he meant. (music is not emotion. music is language. "increase in emotion" is a totally void term.)

[@francoriva55]

Rachmaninoff in Manu pieces is great as Chopin or Liszt...

[@79Tomasso]

Absolute, total control. Nothing gets away from him.

[@innie6338]

te salut si pwp

[@innie6338]

multumesc

[@raphaelneves7666]

For a moment i trought it was Polichinello by Villa-Lobos, and i was like "YO WTF"

[@CarolinaMartucci]

Out of the world,a class act!!

[@danielnavarrete6486]

This sounds like a digital recording and not Rachmaninoff

[@raphmaninoff]

digital, really ? It is a piano roll recording, so it is recent, but certainly not digital

[@addison1024]

@@raphmaninoff Pretty sure it might have been converted to midi

[@raphmaninoff]

@@addison1024 well, a piano roll is a sort of high precision analogic midi

[@Haycar2000]

The master.

[@angelobonacci461]

Che tecnica, esegue questo brano in modo brillantissimo e chiarissimo..

[@lucylucy1262]

And now I need to play this entire thing for my piano test. TnT