NationStates Jolt Archive

Here's a poll for the Rachmaninov fans out there. It may disappear quite rapidly, I don't know what people's musical tastes are like round these parts.
Which is the best? I've included one and four for the sake of completeness, but I know where the real debate's going to be (if there is any). I go for three, though the second movement of two is my favourite piece of music ever that isn't by the Ramones.

Edit: abbreviation "Rach" removed due to extreme ugliness and pointlessness.

Here's a poll for the Rach fans out there. It may disappear quite rapidly, I don't know what people's musical tastes are like round these parts.


actually i've never heard of Rach but i might like him, you never know and piano's are quite cool. And i think most people here like metal, like everywhere on the internet (although i know almost nobody who listens to metal IRL :o )

Edit: abbreviation "Rach" removed due to extreme ugliness and pointlessness.

yes, i also thought you meant Bach.

i think most people here like metal, like everywhere on the internet (although i know almost nobody who listens to metal IRL :o )

I guess people who aren't on the Internet are watching TV instead, where they see plenty of pop, but no metal. Makes sense.

The third, of course...What was its nickname...?

I guess people who aren't on the Internet are watching TV instead, where they see plenty of pop, but no metal. Makes sense.

meh it's probably because most of my friends listen to the same (or similar) music i listen to, and none of us likes metal.
in my class (~250 people) there is only 1 person i know who obviously listens to metal though.

Vivaldi.

Maybe I should do a composer poll sometime... though as there's a limit of ten options Vivaldi might not be there...

meh it's probably because most of my friends listen to the same (or similar) music i listen to, and none of us likes metal.
in my class (~250 people) there is only 1 person i know who obviously listens to metal though.

Of course it depends on where you live too. Your location entry says you're from Belgium - is metal unpopular in your country?

Of course it depends on where you live too. Your location entry says you're from Belgium - is metal unpopular in your country?

i don't know if it's unpopular but i don't think it's very popular either. especially in my area the only event that had something to do with metal is a metal quiz a few months back, other than that i don't know. sometimes you see somebody with a t-shirt from a metal band, but not that often.
are there places where it is really popular?

i don't know if it's unpopular but i don't think it's very popular either. especially in my area the only event that had something to do with metal is a metal quiz a few months back, other than that i don't know. sometimes you see somebody with a t-shirt from a metal band, but not that often.
are there places where it is really popular?

Here metal concerts get a full.

I went to the last Helloween and Stratovarius concerts and they were full. Great shows, by the way.

Not bad for a country of barbarians armed with bows and pointy sticks, no?

i don't know if it's unpopular but i don't think it's very popular either. especially in my area the only event that had something to do with metal is a metal quiz a few months back, other than that i don't know. sometimes you see somebody with a t-shirt from a metal band, but not that often.
are there places where it is really popular?

I don't think its really popular anywhere, really. Although I think it has more success in Scandinavia. Oh well, I think its mostly because people on the Internet don't have the issue of distance, so it makes it easier to meet other metal fans, and maybe non-fans just ignore discussions?

Not bad for a country of barbarians armed with bows and pointy sticks, no?

http://files.myopera.com/zenya/blog/Barbarians%20008.jpg
Aelosia and her friends head to the metal concert.

Not bad for a country of barbarians armed with bows and pointy sticks, no?

lol, yeah, most metal tshirts had some kind of (female) barbarian on it so it could be quite appropriate :p

To be honest, I haven't heard much of Rachmaninoff, though what I have heard is pretty nice.

i don't know any rachmaninov. i'll be interested to see the results cuz i was just thinking i need some more classical music on my 'puter to study to. hopefully limewire will have it.

lol, yeah, most metal tshirts had some kind of (female) barbarian on it so it could be quite appropriate :p

I have only two metal t-shirts, and one have a halloween pumpkin and the other some kind of hooded magician.

And they are years old...

I have only two metal t-shirts, and one have a halloween pumpkin and the other some kind of hooded magician.

And they are years old...

meh, metal (tshirts) aren't really my thing. mostly i find them quite ugly, but i don't dont really care what other people wear, why should i bother?

The 2 and 3 are good, don't know much of the other two. I prefer Shostakovich 1 & 2, Tchaikovsky 1, Beethoven 5, Chopin's two are quite good also.

The 2 and 3 are good, don't know much of the other two. I prefer Shostakovich 1 & 2, Tchaikovsky 1, Beethoven 5, Chopin's two are quite good also.

The other two aren't as good, 1's very early and quite nice but nothing special, and 4's a little overcomplicated and melodically weaker than 2 and 3 (I'm a non-musician, can't get any more specific than that).

Not a huge fan, I prefer Chopin when it comes to pianos :)

I prefer #2 to #3, mainly because most of #3 is taken up by showcasing the pianist instead of the music, and the only really nice part is the first thirty seconds (where the piano plays that tune over the strings). Not that #2's much better. Yeah, so I'm not a fan of the romantics....

Anyone heard of a Call to Arms by Botar?

Its amazing http://www.acousticbandits.com/

Chopin was immense on pianos. His biggest fan lives here. THE best pianist of all time, in my opinion. When played with real expression you can feel what he meant coming out of the beauty in the music.

Some good Chopin -
http://www.radioblogclub.com/open/114818/chopin/07-Chopin%20-%20Etude%20Op%2025%20%20No%2012
http://www.radioblogclub.com/open/51263/chopin/Frederic%20Chopin%20-%20Sonate%20pour%20piano%20en%20Si%20mineur

I don't really like Racmaniov. But Bach is good especially

Bach - Pachelbel Canon

http://www.radioblogclub.com/open/109559/pachelbel/Canon%20-%20Pachelbel

I prefer #2 to #3, mainly because most of #3 is taken up by showcasing the pianist instead of the music.

BLASPHEMY!!!!
It depends on the recording, actually. If you've listened to, say, the Hough recordings, then you may have a point - he takes the machine gun approach in a lot of places. But if you listen to the inspired, considered elegance of Vladimir Ashkenazy's 1963 recording with the LSO, you might get a different impression, because he's serving the music rather than showcasing his virtuosity.
In any case, the intermezzo is beautifully written with a lovely dialogue between orchestra and soloist, and as long as it's competently played it can't fail to be beautiful.
Yes, Chopin does rule. But Angela Hewitt's Well-Tempered Klavier (Bach) is even better, go get it.

Anyone heard of a Call to Arms by Botar?

Its amazing http://www.acousticbandits.com/

the links to the full mp3s don't work :( i can only get a 13 second sample. sounds good though :) you got a different link by any chance? limewire only has a couple of their tracks.

i've downloaded the third one and i didn't like it.

I like #2. I just like the main melody better. Nice russian dark and brooding and romantic - it seems to represent everything I like about Rachmaninoff.

the links to the full mp3s don't work :( i can only get a 13 second sample. sounds good though :) you got a different link by any chance? limewire only has a couple of their tracks.

I got the full thing on soulseek a while ago. I don't know where else you can get but I'm sure if you look its around somewhere.

I like #2. I just like the main melody better. Nice russian dark and brooding and romantic - it seems to represent everything I like about Rachmaninoff.

The second movement of #2 is the best thing on either. Just stunningly beautiful. It's got everything. It makes me cry because, well firstly it's such a sad tune, and secondly I'm a pianist (an exceedingly poor one, hence my self-description as a non-musician) and I had this miserable infatuation for an oboe player, and the interplay between the two instruments is as close to perfect as it gets. Never managed the "interplay" in real life... oh well.
Having said that, I still believe #3 is the more complete work.

Edit: Isidoor - the second is the easier to get into by a country mile. You HAVE to like the second movement of that. And try and get performances by Ashkenazy, IMO the best Rachmaninov pianist ever. Some pianists use these works as an excuse to show off, which ruins the music.

I know I've heard the second and the third, like them both. I'm pretty sure I've heard the other two, although I can't really remember much about them. The second is a particularly good one. I think Rachmaninoff tends to get a little melodramatic, but that's not necessarily a bad thing depending on your mood.

Not a huge fan, I prefer Chopin when it comes to pianos :)

Chopin is absolutely amazing. The four ballades were a couple centuries ahead of their time. Evgeny Kissin did an astonishing recording of them some years back. It's one of the most played things on my iTunes.

I know everyone listens to them, but the Beethoven piano concertos (especially #5) are great, too, although one would have to have a taste for Beethoven's particular brand of elegant grandiosity. (He was many things, but subtle wasn't usually one of them).

the links to the full mp3s don't work :( i can only get a 13 second sample. sounds good though :) you got a different link by any chance? limewire only has a couple of their tracks.

Oh I found 4 of the 4 songs are available for download on their myspace

http://www.myspace.com/banditsoftheacousticrevolution

Damn Chopin fans, voting for the second! I'm going to resort to making puppets in a minute.

Oh I found 4 of the 4 songs are available for download on their myspace

http://www.myspace.com/banditsoftheacousticrevolution

ah, nice one. soulseek appears to have all of them but the intro track is 0 size so i guess it's not the proper file. not really used to soulseek though, i presume the stuff in grey is not-downloadable at this time while the black texted results are available?

The second movement of #2 is the best thing on either. Just stunningly beautiful. It's got everything. It makes me cry because, well firstly it's such a sad tune, and secondly I'm a pianist (an exceedingly poor one, hence my self-description as a non-musician) and I had this miserable infatuation for an oboe player, and the interplay between the two instruments is as close to perfect as it gets. Never managed the "interplay" in real life... oh well.

I had a similar experience with a cellist. Except I was the timpanist. And well, we did manage the interplay. I grew tired of her quicker than she did me, plus I forgot her name halfway through the relationship. It had to end!

Not a similar situation at all, really, when I think about it... ah well.

Having said that, I still believe #3 is the more complete work.

Complete? Hmm. I dunno, they both seem pretty complete to me.

Though it was indeed a tough call between 3 and 2. I like 'em both.

i just listened to all 3 of these rachmaninov concertos. i can say i prefer no.1 by a long way. very nice.

ah, nice one. soulseek appears to have all of them but the intro track is 0 size so i guess it's not the proper file. not really used to soulseek though, i presume the stuff in grey is not-downloadable at this time while the black texted results are available?

That is correct

I had a similar experience with a cellist. Except I was the timpanist. And well, we did manage the interplay. I grew tired of her quicker than she did me, plus I forgot her name halfway through the relationship. It had to end!

Not a similar situation at all, really, when I think about it... ah well.



Complete? Hmm. I dunno, they both seem pretty complete to me.

Though it was indeed a tough call between 3 and 2. I like 'em both.

I made it sound like we were both in an orchestra, didn't I? He he he... if I was in an orchestra the orchestra would not exist within two months. I have no sense of rhythm, and small hands. We actually went to Uni together... I had three years, goddamn it! What was I playing at?!*
Just realised that the flute and clarinet are just as important as the oboe in the Adagio from #2, oh well. It was a nice thought.

*Oh yeah, I was stoned.

That is correct

righto, guess i'll have to keep checking back to see if that intro track becomes available. or i could buy it...

righto, guess i'll have to keep checking back to see if that intro track becomes available. or i could buy it...

You could, I'd suggest you do but that would make me a hypocrite. It is a great EP though and apperently theres some cool artwork and linear notes.

The second movement of #2 is the best thing on either. Just stunningly beautiful. It's got everything. It makes me cry because, well firstly it's such a sad tune, and secondly I'm a pianist (an exceedingly poor one, hence my self-description as a non-musician) and I had this miserable infatuation for an oboe player, and the interplay between the two instruments is as close to perfect as it gets. Never managed the "interplay" in real life... oh well.

Actually, the clarinet in A is the main soloistic instrument other than the piano in that movement.

Chopin is absolutely amazing. The four ballades were a couple centuries ahead of their time.

I will assume you meant 'decades'.

And yes, Chopin is an excellent writer for piano.

I'm not that familiar with the 1st and 4th. Of the others, I prefer the 2nd to the 3rd, although I'm always impressed with anyone who can actually play the 3rd (as in the movie Shine). When you get down to it, it's amazing anyone could write something like the 3rd (or the 2nd for that matter).