Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Rach and his 2nd sonata

I can't bear to see/hear people use the abbreviation, he has a name, spell it, or don't, and let's stop putting his 3rd attempt to write a decent sonata at the top of the list, he managed a good one, the op. 19, an ok one, the op. 28 and a disastrous one, yes the op.36, and he knew it, why bother,play better music, it's not difficult to find it..

Was that some sort of stream-of-consciousness haiku?

probabely, but well-meant, I hate Rach instead of Rachmaninov, and I don't really appreciate his endeavours in his 36th opus, and I would like to see/hear people see wider horizons than this eternal competitionmonster that it has grown in to.

I agree--gotten pretty sick of that piece in general.

Oh get over it

I agree with the OP, and I won't "get over it," even though you hold that ugly pistol to my head. I think it shows a complete lack of respect and a falsely assumed familiarity. As for familiarity or endearment, the man has been dead a number of years, I don't see how one can claim familiarity with him.

Perhaps such references are just laziness which, in itself, is a cultural trend, I fear.

If your real (as opposed to a screen) name is Pogorelich, would you enjoy being referred to as "Pog"?

Regards,

I'm guilty as charged for using "Rach" and "Prok" all the time. I don't know why I don't similarly do "Chop" and "Motz" har har har...

It's just a cultural trend, however "lame" or "unprofessional" or "tacky". In emails with my close friends, I regularly refer to other friends by just the first letter of their first name. My boyfriend Jacob is "J", my best friend Vicky is "V", etc. This is simply something my friends and I have done since our high school days, and I have 1) met too many others who do the same, 2) noticed that my habits rub off on new friends and colleagues.

When I moved from Belize to Florida, I introduced myself as Daniel, as that's my name, but everyone would automatically call me Danny. When I moved from Florida to Minnesota, I again introduced myself as Daniel, but many (including my university professors) automatically shortened my name to Dan. I never corrected anyone, because it honestly does not bother me in the slightest.

I never feel "disrespected" when someone does this. Certainly though, I still have a problem referring to my professors on a first name basis, although many strongly suggested that I drop the "Dr. [Last Name]" or "Professor [Last Name]" and just refer to them by their first names.

I certainly know when I need to be formal, courteous, and respectful, and I don't feel I do any disservice to his dignity by referring to Rachmaninoff by "Rach" on an Internet forum.

As for his 2nd piano sonata, well, can't we all start a similar thread with some piece that just irks us, because it's overly played compared to [this other work] which is far superior! Maybe I should start one on "Chop's" Op 27 No 2 Nocturne. If I hear it again I might take that "ugly pistol" Angelina's holding to Bruce's head, and shoot myself with it.



-Daniel

Or "Pogo."

Eh, people say Rach instead of Rachmaninoff because of the length of the name. On a similar note, I heard Read Gainsford play Rachmaninoff's second piano sonata, and it was wonderful!

Didn't "Rach craze" all start with the movie "Shine," or was it used long before that?

Regards,

I'm not sure, but I must concede that referring to the concertos as Rocky I through IV makes me cringe!

-Daniel

I think it started with the advent of the Internet. It's hard to imagine a world where we didn't have to deal with such inane abbreviations!

I will believe, until the day I die, that Rachmaninoff's best work is found in Opp. 32 and 39.

His best work in larger forms are, by far, the 2nd concerto and cello sonata.

I find both sets of variations unnecessarily homogenous, the sonatas and 3rd concerto wallow a bit too much in a texture that seems fascinated with a hundred shades of grey, and the moments musicaux show promise, but lack some maturity. Op. 23 and Op. 33 do contain some wonderful music, but for me, I think every single piece in Op. 32 and Op. 39 is a revelation.

And just to annoy Stores, I'll even go so far as to say I'd rather listen to Tchaikovsky Op. 37 than either of the Rachmaninoff sonatas.

I agree (the 2nd concerto is a far more spontaneous work than the 3rd), but IMO you quite forgot the Paganini Rhapsody. You did, didn't you?

But the Tchaikovsky Op. 37? IMO (again) that strikes me as a very jaded opinion.

I don't know about all 'yall, but I refer to Rachmaninov by his real name:

Paxmaninhub! :-)

Rachmaninoff's masterwork is the Vespers, Op. 37. If you don't believe me, then it's probably because you haven't heard it live. It is astonishing.

People called the Rachmaninov 3rd PC the Rach 3 at least as far back as the 1960's, maybe because Rock music was popular then. I think some people use abbreviations to imply some great familiarity with a piece or composer. Just the way some refer to Horowitz as Volodya.

For Christ's sake. Doesn't the fact that Rachmaninoff is her favourite composer and she herself refers to him as 'Rach' make it blindingly clear to you that actually it doesn't imply a lack of respect? Oh, and newsflash - yes, people will frequently assume their abbreviated surname as a nickname. I suppose this means their friends don't respect them.

You're not alone in that opinion, and it is also a work loved by people who otherwise have no interest in Rachmaninov's music . I have two very contrasting recordings: a very typical 'Russian-sounding' St. Petersburg Choir, but also a very fine and cultivated performance by King's College Choir in Cambridge. I wouldn't be without either.

Disagree with my old-fashioned and/or misguided sense of formality if you will, but please keep profanity out of the discussion.

Agreed! I was only speaking of the piano music. I was in the concert chorale in college and we sang 4 or 5 of the vespers (in Russian!) and it was a great experience. They even let me conduct a rehearsal or two, it was wonderful! A friend of mine was is also the tenor soloist for Svete Tikhyi - O Serene Light (#4) on Shaw's recording. (That and the famous Bogoroditsye Devo, Raduisya are my favorites of the set.)