What piece of Rachmaninoff should I learn???

[beethovenfan]

My teacher told me, that  now I'm ready for Rachmaninoff
I love his music. My teacher told me also, that op. 3 No. 3 (Melody) is quite good for beginning to play Rachmaninoff. Is it the easyest piece he has written?

[donjuan]

Why dont you tell us more about your situation?  name some of your favorite Rachmaninoff pieces and perhaps you can start from those, if you (and especially your teacher) think you are ready.  I love Prelude Op 23 no 4 and it doesnt seem too difficult when comparing it with other works of the composer.

donjuan

[Inscape]

Yeah the op3 no3 is a good piece I think for beginning Rachmaninoff.  The Polichinelle and Elegy are also very good, but a little harder than Melody.

I think the the op 23 no 4 prelude is much much harder than those pieces though.  I've played several of the Rachmaninoff preludes, and I had a harder time memorizing and with interpretation with that prelude than with others, like op 23 no 5 and op 32 no 12.  It's hard because of the large lh leaps and hand crossings and the polyrythms.  The hardest though, is phrasing of the op23 no4, as it is very easy to screw up the melody trying to play the accompianment around it.

[pianiststrongbad]

Out of that Opus 3 set, my favourite has always been the Elegie in Eb minor (the first one in the set).  I learned it last year.  I think it is absolutely beautiful.

[sirpazhan]

I'd go straight for Op. 23 No. 7 or 9,, learn the hard ones first,, then the easy ones will be a breeze..

-as

[shasta]

I'd go straight for Op. 23 No. 7 or 9,, learn the hard ones first,, then the easy ones will be a breeze..

-as

The Op.23 No.7 totally rocks my world.

[mosis]

Rach 2.


... 

The entire third opus is very nice. I absolutely love the Elegie, the Prelude, and the Serenade.

[SteinwayTony]

Why dont you tell us more about your situation?  name some of your favorite Rachmaninoff pieces and perhaps you can start from those, if you (and especially your teacher) think you are ready.  I love Prelude Op 23 no 4 and it doesnt seem too difficult when comparing it with other works of the composer.

donjuan

I have to disagree with you; while the notes of the D major prelude may be "easy" to learn, I find it is one of Rachmaninoff's most difficult preludes in that it is much more musically involved than its counterparts.  Inner voices abound, and it is so hard to keep the melody above the accompaniment AND make it musically convincing at the same time.  It took me two weeks to memorize the piece, but I maintain that I am my toughest critic, and I think it would be safe to say that it took me five years to feel comfortable performing it, and even still I often feel that I am not doing it justice.  The D major is very deceiving and I think comparing it with a Chopin nocturne is a mistake.

As far as your new piece, why be restricted to Rachmaninoff?  What about Anton Rubinstein (he wrote a lot of beautiful slow music including the well-known Melody in F) or some early Scriabin?  The Left Hand Prelude will be a great challenge for you.

[beethovenfan]

Hi,

how difficult ist opus 23, 5 in g - minor in comparison to Melodie or Elegie?
What grade/level is op 23, 5?

I heard the prelude tody for the first time and I just love it.
I think it's the best piano piece ever written. I can't get enough of it.

[SteinwayTony]

It's hard.  Don't make it your first Rachmaninoff.

Oh, by the way, read this: https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,6473.0.html

[pies]

­

[SteinwayTony]

op 3 no 2. severely underplayed.

You're joking, right?

[steinwayguy]

You're joking, right?

Hahahahahaha

It's hard. Don't make it your first Rachmaninoff.

It was my first Rachmaninoff, but I loved the piece so much I ignored how difficult it was and just practiced the hell out of it. I think the Second Sonata would be a good match for you.


On a more serious note, any (or all!) piece(s) from Opus 3.

[SteinwayTony]

On a more serious note, any (or all!) piece(s) from Opus 3.

The Elegie would be a nice piece to start with.  It's early Rach, but it's classic Rach.

[beethovenfan]

Hi to all,

my teacher wants, that I start with opus 3.3 (Melody).
I gave him the notes of the g - minor prelude and he just said: It's to difficult to start with. 

Ok, I love opus 3.3 too. But today we just worked on Debussy, so I didn't ask him, how to play. I don't really know, what fingering to use and my biggest problem is,
I don't know, when my hands must cross (I hope you'll understand want I mean).

Maybe you can give me some information and tips how to do it, because I want to start earlyer than next week (next lesson)

thanks

beethovenfan

[steinwayguy]

Experiment.

[Awakening]

My teacher told me, that  now I'm ready for Rachmaninoff
I love his music. My teacher told me also, that op. 3 No. 3 (Melody) is quite good for beginning to play Rachmaninoff. Is it the easyest piece he has written?

Learn Prelude in C# Minor.  It's one of his best, extremely well known, and not too difficult. 

[beethovenfan]

Hi, 

I tryed opus 3.3 (Melody).

It works quit good, but how do you play bar 18 ff? What fingering etc.

[op.109]

The first Rachmaninoff piece I learned was the Melodie, op. 3 #3.  I will go along with others' recommendations of the elegie from op. 3.  The Prelude sounds like it may be quite difficult for your level, but you could perhaps attempt it with careful guidance from your teacher.

The op. 23 #5 is much more difficult than those pieces, though.  I would advise at least learning a few easier Rachmaninoff pieces before it.  While it's not easy, op. 23 #6 is absolutely beautiful, and perhaps slightly more manageable.

Some other highly beautiful Rachmaninoff pieces that are definitely not easy, but not too bad either, are Lilacs, and his three Nocturnes (which I love and are, IMO, underplayed).

Rachmaninoff didn't really write much music at an absolute beginners' level, but the pieces I've mentioned here shouldn't be too bad.  It's hard to say-what else have you played?

[Op. 1 No. 2]

I think the Elegy is actually more difficult than the Prelude. 

[beethovenfan]

Hi,

I know, that Rachmaninoff isn't easy. That is why my teacher waited so long with beginning Rachmaninoff.

I'm no beginner, I'm a beginner in playing Rachmaninoff.

In the last time I worked on Tschaikowskys seasons, Debussy`s Childrens Corner and WTC Prelude in E - Major.

I think, I'm able to learn the Melody.
Can you may answer my question, how did you play bar 18 ff?

Thanks,

bye

beethovenfan
beethovenfan