Rachmaninoff: Moments Musicaux, Op.16 (Litvintseva, Giltburg)
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- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2024
- The first great set of miniatures Rachmaninoff wrote - less acerbic and harmonically dense than the later preludes and etudes-tableaux, more generous and exultant. Nonetheless, many of the traits that would come to dominate the later works - expressive counterpoint, chromaticism, long melodies, huge bell-like sounds - are fully present here for the first time. The set is interestingly organised; it alternates slow and fast pieces, with the slow pieces exploring various romantic genres (Nos. 1, 3, and 5 are a nocturne/variation set, elegy/funeral march, and nocturne/barcarolle respectively), and the fast taking the form of concert etudes that match Chopin’s in their meticulous exploration of pianistic texture.
No.1 - Andantino in Bb min. Five variations on a nocturne theme (0:00, 1:18, 2:18, 3:49, 5:17), with the climax coming late in Var.4, the only variation that forsakes counterpoint for a single sinuous melodic line. Var.3 breaks from the other variations in transforming the theme quite radically (putting it in Gb and 7/4 time), superimposing an overall ABA form on the work.
No.2 - Allegro in Eb min. An intoxicating thing. A syncopated, chromatic line rises out of the keyboard in octaves, while both hands each play their own triplet semiquaver counterpoint. Unexpected shifts in harmony + sly, sudden changes in volume. If this were an etude, it’d be a study in voicing a melody over rapid counterpoint and dynamic control. ABA form, with the middle section beginning at 7:53 built around the two-note rising motif that closed the A section.
No.3 - Andante cantabile in B min. Starts out as an elegy, with the entrance of thirds in the middle section adding a sense of longing. When the theme returns, it is now accompanied by the iron rasp of an octave accompaniment deep in the bass, and it comes clear this is a funeral march. Not too surprisingly, the bass line traces out the Dies Irae (12:48; this is just one of the many, many places in R.’s oeuvre where the Dies Irae is referenced). Also notable is the lovely use of chord extensions at key moments for expressive effect (see the 13th at 16:25 - sounds a bit to stable to just be a passing harmony, to my ear).
No.4 - Presto in E min. The famous one, for good reason. As an etude, it’s indebted to Chopin’s Revolutionary (all that fierce, delicate work in the LH), and also the Op.25 No.11. Essentially, this work inverts the 25.11’s technique - just as the 25.11, rapid figuration is built from alternating chromatic and harmonic notes, but R. puts the figuration in the LH (at least at first), sometimes doubles it an adds octave displacement, and alternates one harmonic note with two chromatic notes (rather than Chopin’s one) to create a more pungent texture.
No.5 - Adagio sostenuto in Db maj. A beautiful and understated piece, where a lot of work is done by small stepwise shifts in harmony. Pretty remarkable how much emotional effect R. can generate with the most modest countermelody or secondary voice. Reminiscent of the middle section of the Op.9 No.1, and Op.27 No.1 (especially the coda).
No.6 - Maestoso in C maj. A masterpiece. Begins in glory and ends in glory, with nothing but glory in between. The ostinato which runs through both outer sections is motoric and almost Prokofiev-like, but sets off the majestically ascending melody (syncopated, aggressively triple-dotted) perfectly - no other composer I know of even comes close to deploying such a texture. The middle section hums with light, and the coda contains another one of R.’s infinite melodies. 
Видеоклипы
*Litvintseva*
00:00 - No.1, Andantino, Bb min
06:55 - No.2, Allegro, Eb min
10:05 - No.3, Andante cantabile, B min
17:26 - No.4, Presto, E min
20:37 - No.5, Adagio sostenuto, Db maj
24:32 - No.6, Maestoso, C maj
*Giltburg*
29:03 - No.1, Andatino, Bb min
36:14 - No.2, Allegro, Eb min
39:38 - No.3, Andante cantabile, B min
47:05 - No.4, Presto, E min
50:14 - No.5, Adagio sostenuto, Db maj
54:21 - No.6, Maestoso, C maj
Both recordings fantastic but very unlike each other; Litvintseva is exciting, hyper-expressive, and incredibly clear, with lots of clever little stunts in voicing, while Giltburg is oceanic, relaxed, understated at first blush but with ecstatic climaxes (compare both pianists’ Nos.4 and 6.) Some things to look out for:
- The way L. takes the opening of No.1, treating the LH as a true second voice, exhaling and inhaling beneath the RH.
- L’.s voicing of the octaves at 7:41, with the lower note much louder than the first (this reverses the usual practice, but is a really clever decision, since the melody is about to drop into the LH). In general, L.’s approach to the whole of No.2 is wonderful - especially her numerous, fleeting changes in tempo, which emphasise the unmoored feel of this piece.
- Some very effective rubato in No.4 - the trailing off at 18:56, the pause at 19:58.
- In No.6, the clarity of the countermelody (contrast with Giltburg, where the melody and accompaniment are locked in an huge battle for supremacy - the effect is symphonic), the surprising quiet of the middle section, and the lovely way the coda emerges from the haze of the transitional passage at 27:50.
- In No.1, G.’s accenting of the melodic line starting at 33:15.
- G.’s dynamic control in No.2 at 37:18, 37:28, 38:11
.
- G’s treatment of No.4’s middle section - incredibly tender (48:20), with the repeat at 49:08 anguished on account of those accented, dragged-out Gs. Also how the LH chromatic line is treated as its own voice, not as accompaniment.
- In No.6, despite the general tumult of the interpretation, how beautifully the melody chords are voiced to bring out the top note (sometimes chord is actually rapidly rolled from the top note down).
Ashish Xiangyi Kumar
i dont know if it is at all possible to edit the description of an uploaded video but youtube chapters messed up the progress bar real bad
I hope I could pin this comment
Pls pin this
a a few hjjA aaa sis
Number 3 is all my life. I have played it hundreds of times.
I can't weep anymore for so much suffuring but my heart is upset.
@rl Probably the most expressive but I like all of them.
Number 6
You must have big hands
@@aidan4624 i like playing this one as my hands are perfectly sized for the chords 😭
Nos. 3 and 5 are some of the most gd beautiful works ever written for piano.
The rest at 19:56 I always find so awesome for some reason. So short yet so sweet and adds to the furiouso dramatic effect.
Besides awesome, it's also convenient, because it gives you time to prepare for the LH/RH jump which has to be 100% accurate with a perfectly timed sustain pedal on the first beat of the next bar.
That first one is so refined and the harmonies so lovely and subtle I thought I was listening to Faure at first. What a wonderful set.
This time with the description added. I'm glad to finally see your speciality, the rich analyses, on this particular set of pieces
Niccolo Paganini hiii, big fan!
Amazing to think Rachmaninoff was only 23 when he composed these. The Russians of that era were so much better educated in music.
Yes, no.6 is truly a masterpiece!
I love no. 1 so much, the melody is immensely haunting, yet incredibly beautiful.
I love your profile pic
@@hai-mel6815 I love you
@@wholemilky i love you more
@@DemirSezer i love you too man
@Shostacovid i love you more than most
The descending chromatic notes starting at 1:30 never fail to give me goosebumps.
All of them are so beautiful! I especially liked No. 2, Rachmaninoff is such a genius and you can tell he really puts a lot of thought into what he’s composing!
Thanks for this! I'm very impressed by the Giltburg's left hand on moment no 4, so original and intelligent solution.
Thank you so much for these videos!
I appreciate your hard work and time. :)
4:35 - 5:00 so unbelievably beautiful
Listen to Ashkenazy’s version of it. He brings out the melody in this section and a little less rushed. It sounds so much more atmospheric
@@butterflysoup7699 I listened to his version, I like it too, how he takes it slowly. The main thing I really like about this section is the chord progression or whatever you might call it in the left hand. It sounds very dramatic, and I wish it went on for longer instead of just ending by going up a long scale to the high notes.
Ah, up again with descriptions and not unlisted! Excellent.
Thanks the work you put into your uploads.
Number 5 is quite an enigma. Rachmaninoff rarely displays such restraint
The number 3 makes my heart melt
Number 4 makes my heart burn
@@nghiavan8952, yep😊
It makes my heart ache … the passionate melancholy is almost too much to bear
Starting from 1:32, the falling cadence at the bottom of the right hand just took my breath away every time.
Prestissimo and ffff at the end of no. 4. Yeah, Rachmaninoff is showing off a bit, perhaps for those who thought the Revolutionary Etude's left hand was too easy.
Then we get no. 5, just about the most beautiful damn thing Rach ever wrote.
Great stuff.
I personally think revolutionary etude is more difficult in the left hand than that spot, since it is not the hardest at all.
try chopin-godowsky revolutionary etude for the left hand only:
ruclips.net/video/LuEa1XLEVSw/видео.html
Revolutionary etude is much harder for left hand. This particular no.4 Moment is really well written for pianists to play. Really comfortable, like most of Rachmaninov's works
@@gramywewszystko7244 say that to small hand pianists. also the whole third mvt of Rach3 is screamingly awkward
@@Kinjutsuu Rach3 is one of the most difficult pieces ever. For me, as a big hand pianist, the 4th moment is not as difficult as revolutionaty etude, but it might be difficult for someone with small hands. My friend tried to play this, and failed completly because she couldn't reach so far. And i also find Rach3 3rd movement akward, it's just soooooo difficult. So mamy melodies to bring out, but sooo many notes to play beside them.
Entendre le premier moment après la fin du sixième est une expérience troublante. On dirait un cycle sans fin, le cycle du souvenir toujours recommencé.
18:41 is such a magical chord progression. Also love the time Giltburg takes at 48:24 to show it too
It's literally the worst little segment of the whole set.
@@DrDLL99why must you spread hate? have you not been taught to keep some thoughts to yourself? do not ruin others' enjoyment of the piece.
The one time the Rach decides to go easy on us with C major he can't help but jam pack a record number of 32nd notes in.
Used to be able to play the fourth one. It's a hell of a piece to learn due to the left hand, but man is it rewarding once you get it down.
Number 6 is unbelievably beautiful
The title translates to musical moments
That is exactly what I am having right now
For No. 4, it’s more like a heart attack moment
From 5:20 ist just amazing... yet again, a typical Rachmaninoff-moment at the turn to Gb-minor on 5:27, it is just perfect!
It makes me cry...
Happy 150th, Rach!
Loved the description!
Rachmaninov 's Musical moment n.5 remembers the Intermezzo from the 3rd Piano Concerto. And the beginning of the n 6 is similar to the 2nd Prelude op. 23. But it is also similar to a moment of the 2nd Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto, during the last movement.
Since my youth I have always been a Scriabinist, but lately I am really appreciating Rachmaninoff. I have always liked his music but now I am really enjoying it. There are parts where if you played them for me isolated I would assume it was Scriabin. I love how these two classmates went their different ways but in another sense, stayed so close to each other.
Playing No 1 right now, easily one of the best and most dramatic pieces I’ve played before.
Litvintseva's no 4 was extremely refreshing just from the opening notes, I had previously thought Lugansky's to be the best, however much I still enjoy his frantic passionate energy, but I was extremely pleasantly surprised by Litvintseva's more reflective interpretation.
for me Lugansky is still the best
@@user-fg8oo5fu6h Yeah fair, I think it's gonna be pretty hard for anyone to ever top that performance
An absolute masterpiece of a set! I would love to see the whole set be preformed and recorded more often. What a tragedy that Sergei Babayan didn’t record the whole set! His recordings of No.2 and 6 are easily the best I’ve heard…
Absolutely agreed. He's incredible
The 6th is so amazing, like each chord is a step to salvation...
mmh I prefer the Gavrilov version, you must listen to it ! Litvintseva and Giltburg play it too slow
Gio2.0 mmh I prefer lugansky version, you must listen to it! Gavrilov plays it too fast
I personally prefer Beatrice Magnani for this one.
Too bad, your hands have to go through hell to play that. XD
@@thenameisgsarci why play when you can listen (also big thank you to you, you introduced me to these pieces)
Szergej Rachmaninov:Hat “Moment Musical” Op.16
1.Andantino (b-moll) 00:00
2.Allegro (esz-moll) 06:55
3.Andante cantabile (b-moll) 10:05
4.Presto (e-moll) 17:26
5.Adagio sostenuto 20:37
6.Maestoso (C-dúr) 24:32
Ekaterina Litvintseva-zongora
Beautiful ❤️
Masterpiece!!
This sounds so romantic. I love the score❤
Among the greatest piano music written. I am grateful to AXK for posting this (and so much else) along with his usual insightful commentary and scores. There are other recordings, which may or may not be better. Some adopt the bravura of the showman that Rachmaninoff had to become in the USA, other performances are more searching and intimate. Each and everyone of these interpreters shares a special relationship with the composer, achieved through hard work and practice. I for one am grateful to receive with humility these emotions, expressed with honesty and forbearance. Thank you again for the upload.
danke für die Sendung
4 and 6 my favourites
Nasty choice. #1 and #2 😍
Oh man. Number 1 shared ideas with Rach 3. That’s nice
No.6 is out of this world
Thank you
If I remember correctly Rachmaninoff wrote these masterpieces in a very short amount of time, because he was short on money and needed some income.
Correct me if im wrong though.
Not a good experience, but still, to be able to compose this... You can't help it but admire his genius.
@@charles-valentinalkan5681 Don't you just hate when that happens and you need to get money for the conductor FAST...
@@charles-valentinalkan5681 Then we are forever indebted to the thief!
Where did you read it? Is there a biography to buy?
#3 is such a wonderful piece - some of those extended chords really show how big SR's hands were! I just wish he hadn't done that staccato baseline, I much prefer to play it legato but I know I shouldn't.... :)
Hey, if you're not playing it for other people, go for it! Music exists for us to express how we feel, and if playing it legato makes you enjoy it more, who's stopping you?
Currently practicing the 4th,this just never ceases to inspire me.
Good work!😀
Is this Winter Wind on your profile picture or am I wrong?
You are right!
You know I really can't decide which version of the No.4 I like more. I like how Giltburg plays the passages and like Litvintseva plays the mellody. A mix of both would be nice.
Very interesting thing to note (and this may just be my feeling) is how similar these pieces are to the first sonata. Listening to the first sonata almost feels as if takes all the textures and devices of these early pieces and combines them together into one piece.
There's also a great similarity between no 6 and the piano accompaniment of his song "spring waters".
Thank you Ashish, very cool
Ashish is not kanye
@@samaritan29 what if he is? DUN DUN DUUN
i dunno if i have commented here before, but thank you for bringing this one back. :)
Did it disappear??
@@collinm.4652 yes. i mean to say, my score vid of it was struck down.
@@thenameisgsarci oof that sucks . Sorry to hear :(
magnificent!
That Eb min allegro is pretty wild, anyone else notice some fragmented similarities to Ravels Ondine? Maybe I’m just imagining it
No. 5 is so underrated!
Listening to Moments Musicaux, in my opinion, requires some tuning to the perception of this ingenious music; but no matter how much I listen, I always want to praise everyone with delight - Rachmaninoff, the performers, you, Ashish - again and again 👍, why can this be done only once? what a pity)
4:00 when Rachmaninoff Chopins better than Chopin
I'd say that's more of a Lizt
@@miguelisaurusbruh1158I wouldn’t
Damn no4 is surprisingly gentle and it works
it's a shame how no. 5 is buried in between the more frantic and exciting moments. it feels like a nice break point, an eye of the storm that is rachmaninov
Incredibly impressive...until No 6. Once you've heard Lugansky nothing else compares (at least for the last one). He manages to do what Rachmaninoff so treasured - bringing out all those contrapuntal inner melodies. Still, an exalted performance and a kudos for presenting / aligning the music.
Is it out of order to suggest some of the pieces, so well played, expressed themselves beautifully in half of the time of the of the present score. I suppse Rachmaninov could not let his children go. Too much of a truly wonderful inspiration.
Perhaps you should seek recordings by Martha Argerich. Though she has superior virtuosity she performs evetërything at tempi which ruins the beauty of everything she touches, almost in a musical way like Midas. I avoid her performances. But perhaps you may like her performances, for she has the technical ability to play everything beautifully & perfectly, though I see no beauty or perfection in her interpretations. Richarc Sot in Facebook & Messenger
31:52 almost the lick
Now that I've listened to all of these several times I think #1 is my favorite, for the way the theme is transformed (and I think there are only 4 variations, not 5? Or am I counting wrong? 1 pares down the theme a bit; 2 is the 7/4 one, 3 is the one with the filigree passages in the RH, and 4 brings us home again, ending with the delicate coda in double-notes.)
The second piece is underrated I think. Let alone the piece is in E Flat Minor (which is not fun to read or play), its also one of the fastes pieces. Number 4 may be hard in one hand, but number 2 is a sight reading nightmare for me.
Nikolai Lugansky: Am I a Joke to you?
Yeah, I was surprised too. Judging by previous videos, I would have judged that he was Ashish's favourite interpreter of Rachmaninoff. But listening now, I think I understand.
@@flyingpenandpaper6119 I don't have (or try very hard not to have) "favourite interpreters", just people who happen to have produced particularly good recordings. I get the feeling that the moment you have a favourite pianist, you start closing your mind off to all the other great stuff happening out there (much like those unfortunate people who cannot help but comment that they prefer Barenboim on every other Beethoven sonata video).
And yes! If you listen to these it'll be very clear why they are some of my favourite Rach recordings.
@@AshishXiangyiKumar I agree, every interpretation has the potential to be special in its own way. Although, by favourite, I meant more that, on average, you found more of his interpretations appealing. Personally, I almost always find Lugansky's interpretations logical (if a little safe) and technically flawless-which is why I always look for his name when searching for a new piece.
@@donquixote8133 giltburg is a good substitute for lugansky in that tbh. it would be a bit redundant to have both of them
@@AshishXiangyiKumar I agree with this kind of logic. :)
I wish I could have personally known him.
Rachmaninoff, you are a genius
agree no 2 4 6 are so good
Love your videos. I was wondering if you would consider doing Beethoven's piano concertos? Whether you do or not, thank you for what you do and I look forward to more that you will post.
Poor No. 5. A sweet, lilting little thing, sandwiched between two titans. It is my personal favorite in this set and at least deserves more recognition as an amateur student piece. It's approachable enough as both listener and player, so maybe it's just boring? Quite tragic.
No. 5 is my personal favorite in the entire set, and one of the most beautiful things Rach ever wrote, in my opinion. It really is done a bit of a disservice when placed between 4 and 6...
I enjoy playing the n°5 moderato/allegro.
OMG the beauty brings a tear to my eye. I wonder if non-russians perceive it the same way, but somehow it speaks to some ancient part of my DNA...
Lazar Berman's recording of these pieces is excellent.
Yes!
Why did not you insert Pogorelich Interpretation? it is very interesting ... and before everything thank you very much for your very beautiful work
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
THIS IS A FUCKING MASTERPIECE
Ashish, out of pure curiosity from a huge fan of your videos: what is your favorite Mahler's symphony?
felipemp93 9th, or the 7th on some days. The latter is really underappreciated.
@@AshishXiangyiKumar on the topic of symphonies, how do you think Rachmaninoff's hold up? Some of the academic types claim that they (perhaps the 2nd symphony in particular) are too muddy and boring (compared to the work of say, Mahler, Strauss, and Ravel), though I find those views to be quite uncharitable, and maybe even a bit snobbish.
Special pieces of Rachmaninov
The best I've heard from Rachmaninoff was Italian polka Then, After That I Loved "Six Moments Musicaux" From Rachmaninoff
Nothing prepared me for the climax of No. 2 8:38
4:01 genius
Whats good about these pieces is that Nos. 3 and 5 can be learned by someone with intermediate technical skill (grade 6).
Hi ashish! Love your channel. Do you know of a similar channel, more related to opera?
Lohengrin O
Rachmaninov : I ask a _ff_ and _fast_
Giltburg : Ok ! I'll do it _mezzo piano_ and _slow_ !
Rachmaninov : '-' *Bruh*
Don't tell me you stopped with the videos!!!!!
Luiz Melo Haha he has just posted a new one!!
Upload Alban Berg's works!
No.1 one has Chopin vibe for sure.
Good playing, but I think in the 1st piece there are a few places where the rhythm is not right.
Just don't forget to listen to Rachmaninov recording of No. 2. His interpretation is *very* different from both presented here.
ruclips.net/user/shorts2ANy9b5ArFU?feature=share👍👍
No. 2 is at 6:53 not 7:53 (in the youtube playlist timestamp)
I don't know who Litvintseva is , but that nocturne in the beginning was just stunningly beautiful !
This piece usually sounds lethargic to me , but this interpretation did not ..
sono d'accordo
54:21
10:05 ❤
39:39
3-й момент, почему первая реприза есть, а второй нет? Надо уж или так, или эдак...
Таким пианистам простительно)
@@katt_matt у нас в городе был знаменитый частник по фамилии Матюков. Рояли перевозил. Матюков и сыновья. На тему фамилии много шуток было. Наш рояль концертный он в одиночку держал на лестнице был момент...
@@zvezdinki7998 ну не знаю, мне кажется неважно, как фамилия произошла. Но у Вас фамилия-то очень знаменитая)
@@katt_matt Вы имеете в виду учителя Рахманинова и других? Я к нему отношения не имею но вот моя двоюродная бабка была женой Льва Ивановича Поливанова, внука знаменитого основателя гимназии с таким же именем. Неплохо играл на рояле тоже а в шахматах вообще соседа по парте Алёхина обыгрывал иногда...
@@zvezdinki7998 да, их имею в виду, но это просто фамилия, не берите в голову
Rachmaninoff LOVES polyrhythm
20:06 HOLY SHIT FORTISISISISISIMO
Its like ffff for all of no 6
Perfect songs to read the subjective forms of the clouds and to follow with a tender eye the grooves of the stems of the trees; appreciate the complex writing of the nested branches, taste the colors of the decomposition of light into water droplets in a garden, and strongly feel the wet soil of ancestral forest to perceive the traces of animals from deep past 🍍
Музыкальные моменты...
Bravo ! Grandioso !
17:27 - 4
Ok, here is the link for the best version ever recorded by great Lugansky ruclips.net/video/RI-m3Z3YhgY/видео.html
Sinplemente, Rachmaninov............
1:07 that left hand
Why is now Giltburg the second Recording?