Rachmaninov had BIG HANDS
 

So I can't post links to other websites yet, but go to youtube and search for "Rachmaninov had big hands" and watch the first video, hilarious!

HAHA. Wow that insanely long one towards the end seems humanly impossible.

I've heard that Rachmaninoff used to practice with corks between his fingers to stretch them out for those chords with the huge ranges.

Thank you khfreek.
Yea my ex-girlfriend who had small hands played some rachmaninov and she had to roll the chords, there was no way she could play all the notes at once.

She shouldn't attempt any Liszt then

Actually she did play un sospiro by Liszt... really poorly... She was a real bitch... and bad at piano.

Hahaha, that is one of my favorite Liszt pieces. She doesn't deserve to play it!

I know! It's actually my favorite piano piece

I remember the day i could finally stretch further than an octave, it felt like such an achievement!

haaha.. very funny video! I think Russians have big hands. My is only octave, maybe i can stretch to ninth:)

Whoa how has Paloma not posted in this thread yet?

1 How do you know about my hand thing
2 I don't listen to classical

I was around when you posted about it in the member picture gallery multiple times.

lol, I love this video. My friend showed me about a year ago, I laughed very hard XD

That made me burst into laughter for some reason. :lol:

i loved this video. lol.

Ha ha! Funny video! My fingers refuse to cooperate with one-another on the piano, let alone play so many notes.

And talking of Liszt, here's a funny Liszt video

Thought I´d bump this thread as I really enjoyed the videos, and was looking for a place to share a great piece of piano music. Nothing humourous I´m afraid, but it is by the man himself, playing what is probably his best-known work :-

Rachmaninov is great. I spent quite a whole lot of time learning some of his piano sonatas and preludes. My favorite one is definitely his Prelude in G minor:

I was about to post a link to this myself - in the context of this thread the most fascinating thing is how Rachmaninoff himself breaks the opening chords, although they are not written as such, and he can clearly make the stretch!

The best recording of the concerto,no one can play it better than the composer himself.A masterpiece.Do check his 3-rd concerto as well,a lovely and much more difficult one:)