Medtner 1: Rach 2 + Rach 3?

[phil13]

Okay, I know this topic won't get a ton of responses, but maybe it will get more people to listen to this Concerto.

Besides the revolutionary use of three forms in one movement, another thing interests me about Medtner's Concerto No.1 in C minor, Op.33. Has anyone else picked up on the striking similarities between this concerto and both Rachmaninoff's 2nd and 3rd Concerti, Op.18 and 30?

For example, with Rach 2:

-use of the piano to open the concerto
-accompanimental work as the strings take the first theme
-modulations keep the entire work flowing smoothly (i.e. although Rach 2 is separated into 3 mvts, the 2nd mvt and 3rd mvt each start in the key of the previous movement so that there is no abrupt change.)


With Rach 3, the leitmotif principle. In fact, one might even say that Medtner 1 is just as amazing at generating all the thematic material from the opening themes, not only using the main theme but the second theme AND the accompaniment as leitmotifs!

Additionally, the movements are connected and flow right into one another. The changes and thematic development that goes through the 2nd mvt. of Rach 3 is similar, to me, to the variations in the development of Medtner 1.

Also, there is a passage before the variations in Medtner 1 that sounds almost exactly like the opening to Rach 3's cadenza.

Anyone else pick up on these, and possibly more comparisons?

Phil

[jre58591]

medtner was very heavily influenced by rachmaninoff (and vice versa), so maybe medtner was inspired by these two concertos and decided to write one similar to them.

if you havent heard medtner's piano concertos, please do check them out. all 3 are very exciting, have plenty of virtuosity, and are very musical.

[lazlo]

I believe Rachmaninoff dedicated a concerto to medtner and medtner one to rachmaninoff.

[jre58591]

I believe Rachmaninoff dedicated a concerto to medtner and medtner one to rachmaninoff.

youre correct, but this happened after rach 2-3 and medtner 1 were written. rachmaninoff dedicated his 4th to medtner and medtner dedicated his 2nd to rach. the influences of each can be seen in each concerto.

[gruffalo]

medtner was very heavily influenced by rachmaninoff (and vice versa), so maybe medtner was inspired by these two concertos and decided to write one similar to them.

if you havent heard medtner's piano concertos, please do check them out. all 3 are very exciting, have plenty of virtuosity, and are very musical.

do you have any personal recommendations in terms of performers for the medtner concertos?

[Kassaa]

do you have any personal recommendations in terms of performers for the medtner concertos?

Tozer rocks the first, I really love the first concerto btw, and yes, I heard the Rach3 cadenza similarity .

[dnephi]

Medtner=Rachmaninoff + Brahms-Melody-Brahmsian control of form.

[jre58591]

i second tozer's performances of all of them. one qualm though: tozer takes the smaller cadenza for the 2nd concerto. for the larger one, demidenko and scherbakov are ok.