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“Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music” - Sergei Rachmaninoff

The first time I heard the No. 2 Piano Concerto, I cried. To this day I cannot hear it and not get emotional.

Not only is Rachmaninoff one of the last sons of Romanticism, but he was also among the best pianists ever. He was skilled as a symphonist also. His 3rd Piano Concerto and Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini are personal, ultimate, favourites of mine.

There's something about Rachmaninoffs music that touches the deepest parts of my heart and soul.

Rach 2 lifted me from a very dark place many years ago and continues to lift me to this day.

I'm happy to report that Rachmaninoff is buried in a very nice cemetery in Valhalla, NY, with a very nice setup with flowers, bushes and trees around his plot. I wish I could upload pictures of it.

It was the second piano concerto that brought me into classical music. My father had brought random classical records into the house so there was some Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Grieg and the Rachmanninov 2nd. I still remember the moment when I was out walking when a phrase from the concerto just played itself into my mind and straight away I had to come home to hear this work. The rest is history. It opened the world of classical music to me.

The 2nd piano concerto is what I believe to be the most absolutely perfect piece of music ever written. The pacing is amazing, and climaxes i each movement rousing with the climax of the piece in the last movement playing a trick with keys and numbers (you hear the second theme exactly 3 times, twice in the "wrong" key and only the last time in the "correct" key, which a humongous set-up that absolutely pays off) in order to make it the entire piece's climax, especially considering it was a chunk of this melody that inspired the romantic melody of the 1st movement (the 2nd and 3rd movements were written first). Every note sounds like it should be there; no note excessive, no note out of place. The 2nd movement was so good it was turned into a pop piece whose popularity still endures (Celine Dion's "All By Myself"). The orchestration of that movement plays a funny trick too: listen to it and you'll hear a flute morph into a clarinet using only a symphony orchestra; no electronic music existed yet. My "desert island disc" would absolutely include the 2nd piano concerto, which I have listened to endlessly and still continue to be enthralled by.

I've been listening to Rachmaninoff since I was a child and our mom bought our family an RCA Victor "HiFi" player. This was before the days of stereo. It came with a large library of 33 1/3 vinyl albums from RCA "Red Seal", Columbia, Mercury and other brands as well and which included his Symphony #2 and the Piano Concerto #2. I couldn't get enough of either of those two works and started playing Rachmaninoff Preludes on our home piano as soon as I could. When I got to college, I had a great, steely Austrian musicology professor who I've always thought (even to this day) knew as much about music as any one person possibly could. He only ever told me one thing that I ever wasn't sure about and that was that he didn't think Rachmaninoff's music would last. That was over 60 years ago and it's still around and played as much as ever. Will it be around 100-200 or so years from now? I have a hard time imagining that it wouldn't be. I think I might have had one of the greatest musicologists ever, one was only ever wrong about one thing. I still have those old vinyls by the way, safely tucked away on a shelf.

Last summer I played the symphonic dances and it was magical. After a week of nonstop playing this concluded the tour and everyone started crying straight after because of how emotional it was

There is tchaikovsky, there is chopin and then there is rachmaninov. Truly he wrote the most fascinating romantic compositions.

This man created Arguably the most emotional compositions ever written

That sweet, honey-coated melody played by the clarinet in the 3rd movement from his 2nd symphony always warms my heart 😍

One of my favorite composers of all time!! Excited to see this 😄😄

This is such an indescribably well-made video. I'm going to be performing the 2nd concerto in the not-so-distant future, and this video made me so ecstatic! Thank you so much for this!!

Rachmaninov has been one of the biggest influences in my life, I am very grateful to him for creating such profound music, he along with Chopin and Liszt changed my life for the better, great video :-)

"why listen to Rachmaninov?" because Rachmaninov is phenomenal. His piano concertos are beautiful, I cried the whole way though #3 when I saw it live. Rhapsody on the Theme of Paganini is the most incredible 24 minutes of music you'll ever hear 💖.

Thank you, being a pianist who dedicated his last 14 years to play his music and a composer who dedicated one and half album to Rakhmaninov, I genuinely appreciate the fact that there's someone who wants to enlight his genius and his masterpieces to a broad audience. My absolute and pure love for his music will never diminish.

Just performed All-Night Vigil twice during Easter. That is absolutely the most beautiful music ever written and I love singing it!

This video sums up the feel of Rachmaninov music so well. As a depressed and anxious child and adult later on, I really found myself in his music. Prelude in cis minor represent existantial dread and hopelessness perfectly and my all time favourite Rach 3 feels like life, beautiful and fluid at one time and moving too fast and being too chaotic to collect your emotions at other. I really wish Rachmaninov was more appreciated for all masterpieces he composed and emotions he managed to communicate through his music so masterfully.

Put it on your bucket list to see Piano Concerto No. 2 and get the good seats where you can see the piano keys. Absolutely incredible.

What I value the most about the second concerto is how it is pretty much a musical description of Rachmaninov struggling to get out of a depressive state of mind. That's what makes the last movement so triumphant and epic.

His 2nd Concert really changed the way I had in viewing music. It is a masterpiece, and will have forever a piece of my heart. Great video.

His 3 piano concerts are brilliant and contain some truly amazing harmony and voicing, being a major Jazz fan i cannot help to to hear how harmonical sophistication in Jazz comes largely from 20th century Classical.

The irony being that, when played well, Rachmaninoff's 1st Symphony is absolutely AMAZING!!!!

Imo Rachmaninoff's 2nd and 3rd piano concertos are the magnum opuses of classical music. The command of color and tone he shows are astounding. He brings forth some of the most complex melodies but her they are easily digestible for untrained listeners. And most importantly, they feel like they tell a story. Truly the greatest classical composer whoever lived.

Great video! I will never get tired of his second piano concerto.

YES! I've been waiting so long for y'all to make a video on Rachmaninoff! Happy belated 150th birthday to one of my favorite composers! 🥳🥳

I grew up listening to Rach 2 and it remains my favorite piece of music

For me, there is no better composer than Rachmaninov. There is no close second. ❤❤❤❤❤

I’m learning the 2nd piano concerto now for solo piano, even as a piano solo it’s amazing

I am lucky enough to say that this summer I'll get to see his Piano Concertos 2 & 3 as well as Symphonies 1 & 2 all in the span of a month. These are my favorite Rachmaninoff works and were some of the first pieces that showed me how much I could love music, specifically the Adagio of Symphony 2 and the 1st Movement of PC 2. Thank you Rachmaninoff for your gifts to the world

I had the honor of being able to play his second symphony in my school orchestra last year, easily my favorite piece of his

Rachmaninoff is one of my favourite composers. I wish he had written more pieces and had been more appreciated while alive. Thanks for this video.

If I’m not mistaken, the conductor for Rachmaninoff’s first symphony was Alexander Glazunov. One of the stories from this premiere is that he was so drunk, that the first note surprised him and the baton went flying into the audience.

Rachmaninoff is unequivocally the most underrated composer of all time. His Symphony No 2, and his 2nd and 3rd Piano Concertos are among the greatest pieces of music ever written, in an age when Romanticism was dying and the jarring and grotesque style of Mahler was on the rise, he stood true as the last great Romantic.

Rachmaninoff is the emotional outlet I truly need in my conventional male life :,)

I recently discovered Rachmaninoff and his 2nd piano concerto really spoke to me, and after watching this video, I believe I know why. Sometimes, it's really interesting how art can connect peoples experiences.

Rachmaninov is phenomenal! He’s always been one of my favorite composers, nothing and no one compares to him. My brother is even learning Russian because it’s the language of some of his favorite composers (Rachmaninov’s obviously on the top of that list)

I love Rachmaninov because he's a master in everything... piano music orchestral music, choir...

In my opinion, one of the best composer ever lived.

honestly i feel like rachmaninoff is the peak of romantic music if not the peak of classical music in general

The All-Night Vigil is probably the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.

I think his 2nd symphony is one of the few pieces of musics I like absolutely all of it. His 3rd is also very good

Beautiful interpretations of the deep emotion in Rachmaninoff’s music. Despair, foreboding, brushes from the wings of death, hints of hope, and ultimately vindication and celestial triumph.

What a masterpiece indeed is the 2nd concerto. The Bells choral symphony is well underrated. Btw…he died in 1943, not 42, and depends on which calendar for his birthday.

Concerto no. 2 is my favorite classical piece.

One of my biggest inspirations! Every time I am lost in how to orchestrate, I look to his music so I can get an idea of how he creates his musical atmosphere!

Since about half a year one of my favourite composers. "The Bells" and "Isle of the Dead" are two of my favourite pieces of music of all time.

I am in utter awe due to how well made this video is. The intro... absolutely a masterpiece in itself. By far the best classical music channel out there! The quality of your videos is just emaculate.

I was probably the only guy in my High School rocking out Rach 2 on my Car stereo!! All time 😃

Rachmaninoff 2nd Piano Concerto is among the pieces that move me to tears. It grips your heart and wrenches every tender emotion within.

Isle of the Dead is one of my favorite classical pieces. Powerful and cathartic.

I think I love his Symphonic Dances best. So dramatic! I have overplayed his 2nd Concerto and 2nd Symphony unfortunately, but I enjoyed them immensely once.

Wow. One of the greatest KZfaq videos I ever watched. Never has anyone expressed so closely what I feel about Rachmaninoff and his second piano concerto. I had no idea why it was thus. Thank you.

The scary part of standing on a ledge of a tall building, it's not worrying that you'll fall off, it's actually the fear that you might want to jump off. What scared me is that I really wanted to do it. The greatest beauty i've had is dying. I don't care anymore whether I live or die. I accept my death. I will take the entire Universe with me. There won't be any suffering because I'm taking you all with me.

The Second Piano concerto is what drew me in to Rachmaninoff’s works, but the Sonata Op.36 and “The Bells” are currently my favorite works of his

3rd piano concerto is perfection.

Ironically enough, his first symphony ends in apocalyptic catastrophe, foreshadowing his personal tragedy, and his second concerto ends in brilliant triumph, opening the way for him to become one of the most outstanding composers of all time

He quotes Dies Irae more frequntly than any composer and I palce him among the Composer for Halloween.

Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Symphony is my favorite piece of classical music and nothing comes anywhere close

The Rach 2, Isle of the Dead and his all night vigil are pieces I never tire of - all masterpieces.

Rachmaninoff is a composer that will always be an elitist, especially compared to the more widely recognized greats. His pianism is the best as far as sound and form, his orchestration is superb, he was a world class pianist and one of the recognized greatest in history, etc.

The introduction of this video is EPICCC...

I'm a big fan of the 4th concerto. A passage in the first movement elevates you to the heavens and leaves you changed. Yunchan Lim's brilliance in the Cliburn Competition has made me better appreciate the 3rd concerto. (And Liszt, for that matter!)

I started listening to Mahler after watching your video. And I'm grateful to you for that. Now it's time for Rach.

You forgot to mention the Opus 23 and 32 Preludes. They are magnificent and just as brilliant, moody and emotional as his other works.

Amazing video, congrats. There it goes a funny story. I started playing piano when I was 5 and always sort of disliked it so when I was 15 I managed to convince my parents to stop piano and started playing electric guitar instead. However one day when I was 18 I discovered a CD of the 2nd piano concert. I listen to it and it was a magic moment. That day I started playing piano again, and even had an audition at Berklee where I played prelude in c# minor. I would just add the Moment musicaux as a series of amazing piano pieces, some of them quite playable for non-professional pianists. The Isle of the Dead, probably his deepest work, is still my favorite.

Great video! I hold both PC2 and 3 as absolute favourites in the genre, and it's impressive how they have touched so many listeners through the years. Also the slow moment of his 2nd symphony is probably the most blissful and forgiving music I can think of. Regarding him looking up to Tchaikovsky: in his first piano trio (Élégiaque the short), he quotes Tchaikovsky's 1st PC by taking the first motif backwards, as well as imitating the famous dotted chords texture!

it is my impression, that besides Beethoven Rachmaninov offers a supreme depth in his music, that is relieving to the heart and can build up spiritualty, that is unmatched. I deeply love his works and I am forever grateful for it.

When I heard his second piano concerto for the first time I was in …😅ecstasy ! I was 16,and he was my favorite composer from then on! What a genius! What beautiful emotion he led us all to!l😊

Easily one of my fav composers ever. Truly incredible what the human mind can do

I would love to see an episode just on the all night vigil! I think it's truly one of the most beautiful pieces of choral music I've ever heard, which is made all the more incredible by the fact that Rachmaninoff really wasn't a choral composer. The antiphonic structure of several of the moments and the development of ideas within it, the amazingly rich harmonies, it's just spectacular from start to finish.

He has been a revelation to me. I just love his melodies and rythms. Unfortunately, no video/film of him playing exists😢.

Surprised there was no mention here of his Piano Preludes and Etudes Tableaux. If you like Romantic piano music, check them out. The Etudes Tableaux are unlike any other piano works.

On my “desert island” top five composers of all time!

Fantastic video!! Great job to Ricardo on the script, and both Eddie and Ricardo on editing! I’ll definitely take a dive into more of Rachmaninoff’s music. His 2nd Piano Concerto always brings me to tears and gives me chills. ❤

Listened to his Piano Concerto No 2 on a day of my college graduation after struggling journey lasted over decade to finish. For those who struggled but overcame its the most epic piece to get a vibe on.

I was waiting for this...😊 I wonder how many fans of Rachmaninoff were first exposed to his music from the melody of a pop song, looking at you Eric Carmen, or a movie soundtrack. The painting at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="130">2:10</a> is a group portrait of the Vanderbilts. It is displayed at the Biltmore. Rachmaninoff gets a shout out in David Lean's "Dr. Zhivago".

Sergei Rachmaninoff is undoubtedly one of the important composers of the 20th century. He is known for his unique romantic style and emotionally charged compositions. Rachmaninoff reflected his personal experiences, thoughts and deep feelings in many of his pieces. Rachmaninoff went through a very intense psychological process while writing his compositions. Having lost his father in his childhood, this musician has felt a great sense of loss throughout his life. In his own words, he stated that he could only truly find himself while making music. For this reason, it was very important for him to have deep feelings that he could sincerely reflect in his compositions. The stories in Rachmaninoff's pieces also often have emotional characters. So much so that, among the things he reflects on his compositions, there are subjects such as loss, love, sadness, nostalgia, loneliness and death. For example, "Prelude No. 4", which is among his most famous work, carries with it a feeling of great sadness and longing. He also tells a romantic love story in his piece "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" using sad tones. Again, in his piece called "Vocalise", there is a load of sadness and emotion that no dictionary can express. In this piece, too, Rachmaninoff expresses a thought that believes that music, which allows people to understand each other, strengthens the bond between people. This piece is considered a striking example of the composer's own unhappiness and disappointment. Rachmaninoff was a musical genius with a distinctive musical style of his own. The intensity of the narratives and melodies in his compositions evoke different meanings and emotions in each listener. He created these works, which he created by processing his own emotions, by combining them with the extraordinary piano technique. As a result, Rachmaninoff's compositions convey deep emotions that leave a mark on your heart and soul for a long time. His pieces create a musical atmosphere that allows people to overflow with their inner feelings and lasting happiness. Thanks to the personal feelings he reflects in his compositions, he carries us to the universe of music with his musical expressions, fine thoughts and intense expressions.

His 2nd symphony demonstrates the transformation from depression to joy. It is my favorite.

just played rach piano concerto two for a friends orchestra. genuinely one of my favorite pieces to hear and perform live.

My favourite is his 2nd symphony, hope u can do a review on it

It was the motion picture soundtrack to the film “Somewhere in Time” that introduced me to Rachmaninov. “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” is sort of weaved into the story. The main film score by John Barry (composer of early James Bond film scores) is just perfect.

Great video ! I’m a music major, jazz major and I always loved classical music, it’s so dope to have a richer appreciation and understanding of different times and composers..my instructor played some Rach earlier in semester was feelin it ! Def felt it

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="290">4:50</a> I just asked myself “why destiny has treated me so cruelly?”… and then I asked, “why must I suffer in its bondage?” … and then finally, my food order was delivered. It was perfect. My Dinner With C# Minor.

I get goosebumps everytime I listen to rach 2, it's such a masterpiece

this is such a terrific channel, classical music hits on a whole other level when you understand the history behind it.

the pc.II's moderato movement is just so moving and powerful and indescribably beautiful that it hurts, you can feel every shade of flowing emotion just beaming out from the movement, its just a magnificent experience oh goodness

Though I’ve always had a fondness for Russian music, Rachmaninoff one composer whose work I’ve always neglected to take interest in, and maybe I ought to reconsider that. I remember when one of my fellow music majors did her senior capstone on Rachmaninoff in college, and the most interesting thing I remember hearing is that Rachmaninoff had huge hands and thus wrote huge intervals on the piano that most pianists aren’t able to play so easily. Being an opera singer, the opera Aleko is really the only thing of his for me to take serious interest in, and I still haven’t delved into the piece and gotten to know it yet. I need to learn the aria someday, since it’s one of the most recognized and appreciated Russian arias in the baritone repertoire. I also didn’t know he fled the Soviet Union for America or that he wrote “I thank thee Lord” on a page of one of his compositions after that flight - really fascinating, as it makes Rachmaninoff an interesting figure in the tragic story of how communism destroyed the world.

Wonderful exposition. I'm eager to listen his music now!

Thanks so much. This was an amazingly well put together story!

My favorite bit in Symphonic Dances was the main theme from his First Symphony. His last major piece finally brought closure to his first.

Fantastically narrated!

if one is a beginner in classical music one may want to start with All by myself (Celine Dion or primarily written by Eric Carmen who created this song on the basic of the 2nd concerto II movement) He loved Rachmaninov's music so much that he also wrote a song Never gonna fall in love again based on 2nd Symphony III mov )

one of my favorite composer!

Excellent video! Thank you so much

His music is what inspired me to pursue a career in music

I'm so glad you made this video. His 2nd concerto is my favourite classical piece and when I heard it live for the first time (finally) I basically had tears flowing all the way. I particularly enjoy Kocsis' performance as I believe he understood the piece better than most and had the technical capablity to perform it while maintaining the musicality and arch throughout.