Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Rachmaninoff's Polka de W.R.

Does anyone know where I can buy or download sheet music for this piece? I searched for it on google, but I was only able to find a single store carrying it, located in London.

Thanks!

Last I knew, Boosey & Hawkes in NY was the publisher of this piece.

Yea that's the site I found it on. I was just wondering if it's available anywhere else... Thanks for the reply though!

I tried at wwwdotpolkadotcom but came up with just a lot of fabric samples.

I have it in an old Boston Music Company album.

It's an example of Rachmaninoff's sense of humor, writing an impossibly difficult version of a simple piece. I think it was a running gag he had with Godowsky, the dedicatee.

Although certainly not easy, I would say that Polka de VR is one of the relatively easier Rachmaninoff transcriptions and doesn't require a virtuoso technique.

I agree. I haven't seen the score, but it sounds difficult but not impossible. Has anyone here played it?

The original Polka was composed by Rachmaninoff's father, Vassilli (or Wassilli). Rachmaninoff composed another version dedicating it to his father (Polka de Vassilli Rach. or Polka de Wassilli Rach.)

I have to admit that it takes more technique than I have.

I'd be interested in knowing which you think are more difficult. I would rank it up with the Kreisler transcriptions. Most of the rest, except maybe the Mendelssohn Scherzo and Wohin (another Godowsky gag transcription) are much easier.

Rachmaninoff thought his father had composed the polka(and this version has been passed down by some) but actually his father was playing the Turtle Dove Polka, Op. 303 by Franz Behr. So the Polka de VR is actually a transcription.

I would say that both Kreisler transcriptions, the Mendelssohn Scherzo, and Wohin are much harder. Perhaps somewhat easier than the Polka would be the Bizet Minuet, Mussorgsky Hopak, Lilacs, and Tchaikovsky Lullaby.

If it were that easy, you can bet it would be easier to find in print! What edition do you have? Maybe it's a different version.

No kidding! My teacher has showed an interest in playing it (he can play pretty much anything), but he said he can't find the sheet music. He doesn't really "know" about the internet, so I told him I'd try to find it. I'd also like to be able to play it some day, but it probably won't be soon.

I have Boosey and Hawkes. I looked at the score again and I think it is probably harder than I first said although not nearly as difficult and the Kreisler transcriptions and Mendelssohn Scherzo.

There seems to be a copy of the Bo & H in the Oakland Library. I'll look at it.