Rachmaninov Concerti

[pianomann1984]

Like I said, this has been done before, but a poll is a clearer way of presenting the results...enjoy!

[Goldberg]

Has to be no. 1. I am not one of those people who violently oppose the other ones simply because they irritate me in their popularity, but at the same time no's 2, 3, and 4 don't really do much for me altogether (though each one certainly has its own highlights for me, and indeed I actually enjoy some of the strange melodies in the 4th, especially in the 2nd movement). No. 1 is an excellent expansion of the "Grieg" (and Schumann, which I understand came first) Romantic formula for concerti, and its melodic material is to die for, not to mention the killer cadenza which is even better, in my opinion, than the enormous ossia cadenza of the 3rd concerto.

I mentioned this in a thread in Piano World: if I ever play a Rachmaninoff concerto, it will probably be the first one, and if I felt it entirely necessary to learn another for audience appreciation it would be the second. Beyond that and the 1st sonata, I really am not that interested in Rachmaninoff at all (though I would be interested to hear some of his more obscure pieces and even his songs).

[Bouter Boogie]

All the pianoconcertos of Rachmaninov are brilliant but I prefer the second en third one!

[viking]

I agree with Goldberg to an extent.  I love rachmaninoff, and am learning the ossia cadenza to his 3rd concerto, but i do think the 2nd and 3rd are highly overplayed.  I prefer Paganinni variations and Rach 1.  Rach 1 is excellent!

SAM

[Rach3]

I didn't vote - I think the Third is the greatest, but I personally like hearing the Paganini Rhapsody more.