Sergei Rachmaninov - Variations on a Theme of Corelli

[@violinhunter2]

I know that I could sight-read all of these with the possible exception of variations 1-20.

[@rohansrinivasan2162]

So you can sight-read the Theme and Coda?

[@violinhunter2]

Yes.

[@albionisland929]

I believe that was his joke....

[@SrNkolaidis]

the intermezzo tho?

[@PieInTheSky9]

@Rohan Strinivasan That's the joke

[@kingloser876]

Love finding some Rachmaninoff i haven't heard before, thanks

[@olla-vogala4090]

+ThatStrangeGuy 1 My pleasure!

[@timothythorne9464]

It's pretty impressive. Passionate and mysterious, as well as the ultimate in virtuosity. The epitome of romanticism in music.

[@sophiatalksmusic3588]

Played Corelli's "Follia" variations for an audition once. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Rachmaninov made his own variations as well!

[@timward276]

I like how after the epic headbanging of Variations 19/20 (with an ending that recalls Chopin's 24th Prelude), Rach slips in a slow, quiet, lyrical ending, with a restatement of the Folia theme at the very end.

[@andrewmonkarsh9160]

Vladimir Ashkenazy is absolutely incredible!!

[@williambunter3311]

I didn't want it to end! What a musical thought-life Rachmaninov must have had.

[@davidrehak3539]

Szergej Rachmaninov:Variáció egy Corelli témára Op.42 Téma:Andante 00:05 1.variáció: Poco piú mosso 01:11 2.variáció: L'istesso tempo 01:58 3.variáció: Tempo di menuetto 02:38 4.variáció: Andante 04:09 5.variáció: Allegro (ma non tanto) 04:09 6.variáció: L'istesso tempo 04:30 7.variáció: Vivace 04:50 8.variáció: Adagio misterioso 05:18 9.variáció: Un poco piú mosso 06:15 10.variáció: Allegro scherzando 07:28 11.variáció: Allegro vivace 08:01 12.variáció: L'istesso tempo 08:24 13.variáció: Agitato 09:01 Intermezzo: a tempo rubato 09:33 14.variáció: Andante (come prima) 10:59 15.variáció: L'istesso tempo 12:08 16.variáció: Allegro vivace 13:57 17.variáció: Meno mosso 14:27 18.variáció: Allegro con brio 15:27 19.variáció: Piú mosso. Agitato 15:59 20.variáció: Piú mosso 16:26 Kóda:Andante 17:24 Vladimir Ashkenazy-zongora

[@danielsawler]

14 and 15 are just so beautiful!

[@Barichter74318]

Variations 9 and 20 are my favorites. 9 is very mysterious, maybe even a little bit eerie to me and 20 is so powerful (and I think an amazing climax), this work is amazing

[@mcrettable]

this is my favourite rachmaninoff ive heard so far in my life

[@FirstGentleman1]

Variation no.16 reminds me of Rachmaninovs Humoreske op. 10 no. 5.

[@luisumana1456]

It could be said that with these variations, Rachmaninov continued a very ancient piece of music. It is known as a folia, where a theme is introduced and every 16 measures it will transform into a variation of that theme. The composer took some liberties with this style; I counted a few variations that were longer than 16. But it is a wonderful take of the folia. My personal favorite though is Vivaldi's folia, especially those versions as performed by Il Giardinio Harmonico, and by Hesperion XXI. I have also listened to Corelli's folia, but I find it to soft for my taste, very French, and he was Italian I believe!

[@amirassadi]

thanks for interesting information and insight.

[@hansmemling7605]

Yes but this is a variation on one theme of the folia by corelli thus we are in variation form not in Folia form. And variation form is just up to infinite variations of a simple theme with x amount of measures. To the discretion of the composer.

[@Ju.pianist]

The way he tell a story through this music is outstanding.

[@jiaxuli1013]

17:03 This bombardment of chords sound extremely epic and morbid at the same time.

[@EmptyVee00000]

Ashkenazy plays this much more than "very well;" his is the best there is of Rachmaninoff Op.42.

[@harryandruschak2843]

Listening again on 28 December 2017. Well worth it.

[@crazyorganist1609]

what a fabulous performance so insightful and very emotional and beautiful

[@jatiel39]

9:33 Intermezzo, cadanza style

[@ethansaltmere]

Such an interesting footnote Olla! Thank you!

[@jf2602]

I always have a feeling that this is the true Rachmaninoff.

[@christianvennemann9008]

Var. 13 is my favorite! So convulsive, manic, and frantic! My only criticism is that it's too short 😩😩

[@marcosPRATA918]

Tema antigo anterior a Corelli, mas por ele imortalizado, centenas de compositores fizeram variações sobre ess "basso ostinato", aprecio as de Salieri, Liszt e essa de Rachmaninoff.

[@OpalFur]

Have this in one of my books and have yet to play it in whole. Thanks so much for this video so I can read along with the music!

[@SCRIABINIST]

There's a clear difference between the Chopin Variations and the present Corelli Variations. Both in maturity, style, writing, and pianism.

[@sean-kb4wr]

You're everywhere

[@МарианнаЮматова]

Супер-произведение! Здесь можно услышать джазовые моменты..Сергей Рахманинов замечательный новатор,его музыку трудно с кем-то сравнить..Абсолютные шедевры..

[@Pseldonymov]

А 26 вариаций на эту же тему - Follia - Антонио Сальери слышали? Особенно хороша кода, где он (спойлер!) раздавил писклявого комара?

[@crystal4o681]

Ashkenazy's choice to hold the pedal from the last variation into the coda is super cool, makes it sound like wisps of smoke rising from the ashes of a forest fire.

[@EmptyVee00000]

This is a live recording from Lugano in 1985.

[@MichelMananes]

The best Rach - Corelli ever heard

[@nihilistlemon1995]

Michel Mananes Have you heard of Nareh Arghamanyan? She is my favourite on this because of her colorful playing , softer touch ( maybe because of better recording) while being powerful when necessary.

[@manuelbes]

@@TheLifeisgood72 wtf

[@manuelbes]

@@TheLifeisgood72 I hope what you said in the other comment was satire

[@esdjesd8589]

mAnu It appears as though some substance use preceded the writing of the comment about women haha. I’d only use the epithet ‘beast’ to describe the miraculousness of how, say, pianists such as Valentina Lisitsa, Anna Fedorova and many others play certain pieces of music.

[@segmentsAndCurves]

@@TheLifeisgood72 It's the 21st century.

[@2hopskipjump2]

How did I miss this?! I thought I knew most of Rachmaninovs stuff, but these variations are new to me! The guy was not only a genius but prolific.

[@Pardock97]

Number 4 has a wonderful nostalgic feeling to it

[@wilfriedmarkusbretscher6151]

...... les limites merveilleuses d'outre-tombe dépassées ..... l'inimaginable imagintion harmonique.... l'abime du slawe, sans retour.......

[@GalleryOfChameleon]

Handel's Sarabande? Am I the only one who hears it?

[@ewamaria8]

+Daniel Hartnett No, we are two so far :)

[@arnauddika]

+ewamaria8 This theme was peetty popular back then. Vivaldi also composed one, it's named "La Follia" dhould check it out.

[@SrNkolaidis]

+Daniel Hartnett the tune's everywhere. Ashkenazy did an interview on it. Pretty fascinating if you like that sort of thing.

[@coolmuller8770]

+Daniel Hartnett So true! The first thing I thought too!

[@FocusMrbjarke]

I think it's pretty obvious

[@fucyu7000]

8:24 reminds me of etude tableaux op.33 no.1

[@zainlam1205]

Very similar the voice leading in the etude is harder tho

[@vanessaodomsellsmansions]

What a neat idea to publish the music as Ash plays it. Thanks for sharing.

[@XHitsugaX]

oh the sweat La Folia sound is also great on the piano. never knew!

[@segmentsAndCurves]

Liszt's Spanish rhapsody?

[@sashag2196]

many years ago i played this, to be young and talented again...

[@magbag70]

La Folia! They all have been suduced by this old great theme!

[@nicoloclementi1506]

this is my motivation to practice every day

[@eulalionava6944]

y gracias por el trabajo de integrar la partitura.

[@KingstonCzajkowski]

Coughing at 9:31, but he didn't skip the next variation

[@ДмитрийГолев-д8р]

Гениально , Владимир Ашкенази👏👏👏👏

[@mckernan603]

That coda is spooky, and I think I hear a foreshadowing to the Barber nocturne...

[@rajyanakan8807]

That Variation 20... 16:26 INCREDIBLE

[@tackontitan]

Did anybody else catch that nod to his d-minor etude in variation 10?

[@thierrywarot5792]

une merveille absolue!

[@marie-anne-clairedupres7698]

total wahr

[@user-er1gk5rb3n]

I think Haendel's famous Sarabande was also inspired by the La Folia theme

[@AmeeliaK]

Exactly, I can't listen to this without hearing the Sarabande in my ear... Some time ago I thought, someone should do variations of the Sarabande, not knowing that probably the Sarabande was already a variation of the Folia ...

[@comrade11111]

gözlerinin içine baka baka somutlaştı acım. bana dokunmaktan bile sakınırken kesip biçiyorsun, parçalıyorsun kırılmadık yer bırakmadığın kalbimi. belki kendinden çoktur verdiğin değer ama verdiğin ızdırap daha çok... beni yordun

[@ryanchanwz]

8:01 Thumbnail - Variation 11. Allegro Vivace

[@casper5314]

i like the original best really beauthifull melody

[@Flexyhandz]

17 has a strange effect on me. It almost sounds out of tune with how many unexpected key changes there are within one melodic note.

[@ronmor2004]

Absolutely! I get chills 5 - 6 bars before the end because the resolution to B flat major is so relaxing. My favorite variation by far.

[@Hitherto90]

This sounds like the theme to Liszt's Spanish rhapsody. Exactly in fact.

[@ricardofernandez-teran666]

The first theme used in Liszt's Spanish Rhapsody (immediately after the virtuosistic introduction) reads "Folies d'Espagne", which refers to "La Follia", the theme of these variations by Rachmaninoff. I actually love the second theme used in Liszt's piece, the "Jota".

[@Hitherto90]

@@ricardofernandez-teran666 I see...

[@snowcarriagechengcheng-hun3454]

Thanks for uploading!

[@kaleidoscopio5]

This set of variations anticipes the Rhapsody, I guess.

[@justincheng7927]

wonderful

[@amandawolf5513]

So, Rachmaninoff made some variations of the variations..

[@ОльгаНиколаевнаВасильченко]

Браво! Потрясающе!

[@StevenPJames-fl1un]

I suspect that Rachmaninoff spent too much time playing the Wilde Jagd Etude before writing this ... half of the variations sound like they came straight out of Liszt!

[@blindinglight7839]

I can easily play this! Until 1:14

[@hszhaiwyuab5672]

that just sort of encourages me (unlike liszt )

[@takinoborudesu]

Yeah, I can also easily play Chopin's Winter Wind Etude! (The first 4 bars)

[@nezkeys79]

18 19 20 have to be the most techically demanding ones imo

[@user-nataliai7r]

Браво!!!!!!!!

[@ezzovonachalm7038]

"Prendre une douce tourterelle baroque et la hacher en goulash comme le ferait un moujik des steppes converti au communisse .... jamais je n'aurais cru Sergei Vassillievich capable d'une telle barbarie " (Jean Dudot. L'essence de la barbarie. Plon 1958)

[@carlosgustavomunozrodrigue6701]

Prefiero pensar que este tema no es de Corelli, sino que nació antes, pero, ha perdurado por siglos y ha sido retomado muchas veces por brillantes ejecutantes y compositores como ahora lo hace Sergio. Hay versiones a solo: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jX-YdZp_rZuHedU, trio y diversos instrumentos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3fVomqon6p6sNU Escuchen, por favor, también y, con atención al mexicano MM Ponce kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2rLfmyPm5aXfrs. Los saludo pensando en lo afortunado que somos al poder disfrutar de todas estas opciones desde el renacimiento/barroco hasta los tiempos neurotizantes/contemporaneos. Un abrazo afectuoso a todos.

[@m.p.2534]

I love this version, though it always gives me some chills since Correlli reminds me of the horror video game Ib (the museum theme to be precise). Still, it's a beautiful version !

[@eulalionava6944]

extraordinaria versión!

[@tomy1830]

Variation 4 is so rachmaninoff

[@박하원-v7t]

very nice!!!!

[@AbbeyofTheleme]

If Rachmaninoff were a whiskey, he would be Highland Park!

[@whollybro]

Gorgeous!

[@duanjeremy1173]

Dad but not sentimental Deep but yet reserved This is the true Rachmaninoff. This is the Rachmaninoff we love.

[@remomazzetti8757]

What does "Dad but not sentimental " mean?

[@AmeeliaK]

@@remomazzetti8757 sad but not sentimental

[@hymnodyhands]

Did this man just sneak Handel's Sarabande in with the Corelli variations ... Rachmaninov never ceases to amaze me ... but then again, Corelli's theme resembles the sarabande too ... wow ...

[@s1nd3rr0z3]

Variation 10 is the same theme as the etude tableux in d minor

[@The_Rach_Man_in_Off]

Beginning of n. 14, first bar sounds like Raval's Pavanne, am I crazy?

[@itarsetnom4028]

Excelente.

[@francoisfaivre2184]

The theme is corelli's "folia" isn't it?

[@emichgarden]

Yes. La Folia

[@ruperttmls7985]

Yeah! Not original by Corelli... XD

[@anatolyFedotov]

Браво

[@TheMrcolumbo]

Variation 17 is the best.

[@terryss95]

Mr.Columbo You should listen to the Java Suite.

[@SpaghettiToaster]

What exactly in them reminds of this variation?

[@nezkeys79]

i loved 14 and 15

[@clairemiddelkoop4290]

13:57 - 17:23 💙

[@marie-anne-clairedupres7698]

sie ist so schön, ich mag.

[@PB-cb7ht]

Sounds like Handels Sarabande

[@richardwagner2678]

Rachmaninov himself called this set "boring". I wonder why.

[@GUILLOM]

He didn't

[@기록용-b8g]

very serious and sad music

[@cavansirabdullayev4299]

14 variation

[@jjjohn561]

is this theme also used in Liszt's work Spanish Rhapsody. It sounds slightly different but pretty much alike, just curious

[@therealtruetwelfth798]

jj John Yes - the Liszt is based on “La Folia” & another tune (Jota Aragonesa). Correlli & CPE Bach (among many others I’m sure) have composed variations on La Folia. It is often thought of as a Spanish tune but it’s actually Portuguese in origin, and probably quite old.

[@almalm7407]

0:01 그분이 생각난다

[@derekkoch8777]

Looks like a Bach Fugue nightmare

[@chucktrier]

Is this a good beginner piece? If I want to learn to play some more Rachmaninov pieces?

[@michelerossi4636]

15:26 so fucking hardcoree

[@cellestialX]

My favorite LaFolia

[@김수빈-t2c]

진짜대박

[@olla-vogala4090]

Sorry, could you type that in English please?

[@김수빈-t2c]

olla-vogala Thank for your great playing!! I play this music every day. You are good^^

[@olla-vogala4090]

Thank you, you are very welcome! :)

[@calebhu6383]

7:28

[@bach_solo]

A thousand explanations of why this is not possible...

[@alexanderbayramov2626]

Is intermezzo a parody on Liszt's Hungarian rhapsody #2 (at the beginning at least)?

[@yapming5359]

Theme from Pirates and Carabin.........

[@졤-e9v]

4:10

[@PointyTailofSatan]

Why is this a theme by Corelli? La Folia pre-dates Corelli.

[@harryandruschak2843]

Well...not actually a theme of Corelli. Just a theme used by hundreds of composers over the centuries. Type "La Follia" in the You Tube search box. I think the #1 work that uses this theme is Salieri's. #2 would be this work by.Rachmaninov.

[@MrKaheden]

Hi, "La Follia" is an old spanish/portugese dance that indeed was used by many composers. Correlli's version is one of the famous one and I think Rachmaninov named his music like that probably because he didn't knew about that.

[@fabriziopelli4577]

Nope... #2 vivaldi/corelli #3 handël and maybe (maybe maybe) #4 rachmaninoff

[@강응호-v4f]

Liszt Spanish Rhapsody

[@cubycube9924]

Funny thing is rach himself hated this. He also never recorded this

[@PointyTailofSatan]

Check out this update of Bach's version of the theme! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmmQaH96jpymr9E