The rachmaninoff concerto 2:the eighth note arpeggios in the beginning

[chatoto]

I am about to play this concerto ,but in the sight-reading of first bars , I found this problem:sometimes there are nine eighth some times eight....
But there are no change of rhythms marks like 8/9, could anyone answer help me ,tell me what is happening here?
Perhaps I asked a silly question here ,but do not laugh at me ,thanks a lot !

[chatoto]

My teacher promised me to begin this concerto after I finish well the Beethoven 4th concerto. But I cannot wait to sight read it . But so embarrassed ... I stuck in the beginning ....lol

[nyiregyhazi]

I am about to play this concerto ,but in the sight-reading of first bars , I found this problem:sometimes there are nine eighth some times eight....
But there are no change of rhythms marks like 8/9, could anyone answer help me ,tell me what is happening here?
Perhaps I asked a silly question here ,but do not laugh at me ,thanks a lot !

You need to just read between the lines. The notes fit into a beat. Funnily enough, I've perfomed the work three times but it only just occurred to me that the groups of 8s don't fit either. They would be semiquavers to be "correctly" notated. If you read between the lines, this would seem to imply that he doesn't want you to hurry the notes.Semiquavers would imply a frenzy.

[mysterium]

Yep, just make sure the bass notes are on the beat and you wont even notice the differences while playing it at full speed 

[mysterium]

Yep, just make sure the bass notes are on the beat and you wont even notice the differences while playing it at full speed 

nyiregyhazi - Haha, I´ve actually never thought of that until now 

[chatoto]

Yep, just make sure the bass notes are on the beat and you wont even notice the differences while playing it at full speed 

The problem occurs when I was sight reading at a slow speed...

[chatoto]

You need to just read between the lines. The notes fit into a beat. Funnily enough, I've perfomed the work three times but it only just occurred to me that the groups of 8s don't fit either. They would be semiquavers to be "correctly" notated. If you read between the lines, this would seem to imply that he doesn't want you to hurry the notes.Semiquavers would imply a frenzy.

Or there are a second solution? We play the nine notes with equal length . And I wonder if this is a small error due to Rach's poor math level?

[mysterium]

Or there are a second solution? We play the nine notes with equal length . And I wonder if this is a small error due to Rach's poor math level?

You sound like the emperor in Amadeus!  "too many notes"

No, but honestly, definitly not. He just wanted all those notes there, sometimes eight - sometimes nine. Mabye he was not a math genius but he knew music alright

[nyiregyhazi]

Or there are a second solution? We play the nine notes with equal length .

Exactly. That's how they fit in a beat.