Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner What is your opinion on Rachmaninoff?

He has very interesting stuff going on in the harmonies. I also really like his arranging style with e.g. the Italian polka. I think some of his Etudes Tableaux are genius, but it takes time to understand them because they are dense and unconventional at least to my ear.

You should definitely listen to his Symphony No.2 and Symphonic Variations (with saxy sex - or should that be sexy sax? - and Dies irae, an irresistable combination). The latter also exists in a version for 2 pianos - try Argerich and one of her several partners.

Meanwhile, wallow in this. You'd almost certainly (think you) have heard it before:

That's awesome. I really like that Third Movement. I'll definitely listen to the symphony and the variations as well. Thank you!

Thanks to this thread, I’ve just spent the last few days listening to the Vespers, rach 2, rach 3, and a few other pieces. I still don’t get it.

My loss, I suppose. Maybe someday I will get it.