Rachmaninoff

[michelebee]

hullo!  i am new here.  I don't have a teacher right now, and I would like to learn something by Rachmaninoff but I don't know where to start.  Do you have any suggestions?

[f0bul0us]

Morceaux de fantasie, Op. 3 No. 1 - Elegie. Or anything from Op. 3, they're all pretty much the same in difficulty.

[michelebee]

how difficult would that be?

[f0bul0us]

I think the grades are
(ABRSM) - Grade 8
(RCM) - Grade 10

But, regardless of grade they're all very difficult.

[thierry13]

You could try some preludes... some are not that hard...

https://muslib.mmv.ru/piano_rachm_eng.htm

[f0bul0us]

NO PRELUDES (yet, atleast). Except Op. 23 No. 10, another good piece to try (maybe even before the Morceaux de fantasie would be Etude-Tableaux Op. 33 No. 8 in G minor.

[Spatula]

Just please for God's sakes don't say any of his concertos if you're starting out on piano, or else you'll get everyone on the forum (or most) bent out of shape and make your self look like a fool.

Start with Mozart or Beethoven to build up, that's how you do it, even though the styles are different, but the experience is key in doing more difficult repertoire

[xvimbi]

Just please for God's sakes don't say any of his concertos if you're starting out on piano, or else you'll get everyone on the forum (or most) bent out of shape and make your self look like a fool.

Start with Mozart or Beethoven to build up, that's how you do it, even though the styles are different, but the experience is key in doing more difficult repertoire

I would say, start out with his piano concerto No. 2.  

Seriously!

Rachmaninoff himself wrote a transcription of the most famous theme from this concerto. It is the easiest piece by Rachmaninoff I have ever seen. I can't find the original score, but it is one of the pieces in the book "Focus on Melody - Volume 2" from Faber.

[f0bul0us]

Ah, I've seen that before in one of the "Piano Classics" books, I can't remember which volume though. That isn't really a good piece for someone who's seriously ready to begin Rach though, it's only a page or 2 with very basic sight reading (from the score I saw atleast).

[Ecthelion]

How about the Prelude in cis-moll (Op. 3, No. 2) ? But I mean Rachmaninoff doesn't seem to be a composer to start with!

regards, Ecthelion

[Hmoll]

hullo!  i am new here.  I don't have a teacher right now, and I would like to learn something by Rachmaninoff but I don't know where to start.  Do you have any suggestions?

What else have you played. No one can tell you what you should play, if they have no idea what level you are, and what else you have played.

[f0bul0us]

"I am sitting in the smallest room of my house. I have your review before me. In a moment it will be behind me!" -- Max Reger

lol  

[michelebee]

well, i've been playing for 7 years and I have played The Revolutionary Etude by Chopin, and a few of his Nocturnes as well.  

[rubleski]

I really enjoyed the G minor prelude (op 23). Maybe you could try that.

[donjuan]

well, i've been playing for 7 years and I have played The Revolutionary Etude by Chopin, and a few of his Nocturnes as well.  

Before attempting Rachmaninoff, baybe you should go back to the composers who would have influenced Rachmaninoff.  If you can handle the Revolutionary etude, try for heavier works of Liszt that would develop fine, independent finger work.  For your first Rachmaninoff work, try prelude Op. 32 No.12, or the arrangement of Flight of the Bumblebee.  
donjuan

[donjuan]

;Doh, just after posting my response, I saw your other question about Flight of the Bumblebee, so I guess you are far ahead of me.
donjuan