Schumann Piano Concerto in A Minor, Opus 54, 1st movement

I like the dynamic nature of this movement, such as the way it changes rapidly from forceful to gentle, sounding sometimes brooding and at other times very sweet. The song builds suspense and changes many times throughout it, too, giving me much to think about.

My favorite parts are:

at 2:16 when the piano plays the main melody as a solo and has a few moments where all you can hear is a single note followed by a chord. The piece refines down from the whole orchestra to just a single note, causing the piece to feel light and airy;

at 2:26 when the low cello entrance occurs, slipping in like a low wave of water on a beach;

at 4:27 the brief moment of melancholy;

at 4:36 the beautiful piano solo, with the string entrance followed by the clarinet picking up the solo;

at 5:02 the sweetest moment of all, a very simple yet emotional melody especially at 5:04. It reminds me a little of elevator music, very contemporary, but I like it. :)

I feel Schumann masterfully meshes the orchestra with the piano so that they blend very well together. The piano is never dominated by the orchestra, yet the orchestral part isn't bland, since sometimes individual sections carry the melody, passing it between the piano and orchestra.

The first movement is divided into these two YouTube videos and is played by pianist Maurizio Pollini (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurizio_Pollini) performing with the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado:


Schumann Piano Concerto in A Minor (1/4); 1st movement; Abbado & Pollini - YouTube

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Rachmaninov's Prelude in G minor, Op.23, No.5
Sviatoslav Richter, pianist



This one supports my conviction that Richter at his best could
interpret Rachmaninov's music better than Rachmaninov himself.

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Harpo Marx, pianist

Claude Debussy: Arabesque #1 (1888).

I decided to make the same comparison using my favorite Rachmaninov piece, Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2, second movement (Adagio sostenuto).

After listening to both Richter and Rachmaninov performing the same piece, I agree with you that Richter's interpretation is better than Rachmaninov's!
Surprising, but true. :)

Here Sviatoslav Richter performs Rachmaninov's Concerto No. 2, second movement
with the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Stanislav Wislocki.
Richter plays this sweetly sad piece with great sensitivity:


(Richter) Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 - Pt. 3 - YouTube


(Richter) Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 - Pt. 4 - YouTube

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Now listen as Rachmaninov performs his own Concerto No. 2, second movement.
Doesn't he seem to rush his piano solo just a little sometimes so that it holds less of the aching yearning that Richter's performance has?
I think so.


Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor Op.18 - II, Adagio sostenuto - YouTube

^ Still very nice, though. Much more moving than my version of Chopsticks! ;)

Speaking of which...

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I just learned that the simple children's version of Chopsticks I used to play on the piano is derived from a more complicated and famous waltz, "The Celebrated Chop Waltz," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chopsticks_(music) that I'd never heard before today. Here it is:

"The Celebrated Chop Waltz" -- written in 1877 by the British composer Euphemia Allen
under the pseudonym Arthur de Lulli when she was only 16!
This pretty piece is performed playfully by Yoel Ahn...with a little chopstick percussion thrown in:


the genuine "Chopsticks Waltz" - YouTube

I loved playing this piece; the amount of freedom of expression it affords is sublime.

Currently learning:


Chopin's Barcarolle in F#. Much, much harder than I thought it would be (those parallel sixths are tricky), but elegantly epic nonetheless. The B theme (~3 Minutes) is my favorite. The whole thing makes me want a gondola ride.

I've had this album for years but didn't really get around to listening to it all that much until recently. This song has always been my favourite off the album because it reminds me of the save room music from the Resident Evil games.