Part of Rachmaninoff's Symphony no.2 was used in the movie Birdman, check it out in our classical music in the movies compilation video: th-cam.com/video/B4h0sCHd7Eg/w-d-xo.html
@@steveburrus9347 It's a one trick pony. They do these funky long cuts and it's a bit of a play on Michael Keaton having once played Batman. But ultimately, it's a movie without a lot of substance and quite dull. A bit of hollywood ego masturbation if you ask me.
You don't know how someone could dislike this? I'm dying in my youth orchestra trying to learn this ridiculous piece ;-; then again, I still didn't dislike this, and I only have myself to blame since I never practiced... meh
I think that speaks to a higher problem in that I don't think you really like classical/romantic music considering this is a more energetic and richer symphony than most. correct me if i'm wrong.
Laurent Pagani I don't believe everyone should have the same taste as I. The world would be without variety that way. I just think people need to at least appreciate it.
A friend of mine in tenth grade, back around 1967, suggested that I listen to this. I knew next to nothing about classical music since I was a total devotee of rock and roll. This symphony helped transform my life. It expressly sounded forth what I had been feeling in my heart from my youth, though I didn't know it at first. The Adagio remains my all-time favorite piece of classical works. It still takes me to places that are majestic and mysterious, pulling me back to God. He does, indeed, invite us to feel.
I've been a great fan of classical music since my maternal grandfather introduced me to it around 1950, when I was 7. Rachmaninoff died March 28, 1943, 11 days before I was born. I like to fantasize that I have a mental connection to him. I wish that were possible. I simply adore ALL his music.
This may sound crazy, but this piece of music is so emotional that I have to ration myself. When I listen to it, it is spinning around my head for months. Does anyone else feel the same way?
It is certainly not crazy. I am the same way with Vitali's (much shorter) chaconne, or this one, which I had in my head every day for four months: th-cam.com/video/jFsRZYPAprY/w-d-xo.html. And I agree with Kua Ying Hau, there are no better words, except for magnificent.
This music is literally the most beautifully written suite in existence. I have actually played this music with my orchestra, the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra, and there was nothing more satisfying than coming in to orchestra every week and getting to play this absolutely monstrous but beautiful piece. It is so difficult to put this suite together, especially when working with people all below the age of twenty or so. We took this on tour with us to Italy and the great sense of pride and accomplishment I took away from our performances of this will stay with me forever. Such a fabulously composed suite, I could not have asked for more of a challenge and more of a beauty to play.
That is Russian soul. True face of God. An incredible journey into world of longings and galaxy. Rachmaninov was late romantic genius. His music is ethernal chat with angels and souls of past. The third movement is just... incredible. It restores faith in humanity. A true treasure of art, poetry and music.
Well said sir! Rachmaninov was absolutely brilliant! There is this great sense of majesty, a deep royal power, with a deep and complex past in his music.
Could you imagine sitting in an orchestral hall and listening to the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra and listening to Rachmaninoff conducting his 2nd Symphony? I wish I could say I did this, but at 85, I am too young to say I did. This symphony knocks me out and if I want an emotional moment with lots of tears, I will turn this on. Yearning is the word for many moments of this symphony. Rach yearns magnificently! How could heaven contain this yearning human being who is no longer with us except in his music: an eternal yearning!!
No life is complete until you listen (and understand) this remarcable musical work. No words can describe the beauty within and the deep feelings that bring to your soul.
06:00-09:00. Possibly the most beautiful three minutes of music ever written. Everyone always talks about the adagio with this piece, but for me the hidden gem is the largo.
From Rach's perspective: he had that failure of Symphony No.1, he had his contemporaries composing "ground-breaking" avant-garde music, he could only earn his daily bread and butter by performing as a pianist........to sum up, he did not know he could become such a great composer. Ironically, a lot of the then-popular superstar composers are now in the rubbish bin.
@@TheAskald still imagine what would be us hearing a clarinet concerto, a violin concerto or cello concert from him. i think the same with schubert smh
@@ososnake97 I'm sure it would have been amazing. Imagine a triple concerto with the clarinet in slow movement, and cello/violin in fast movements... It's too bad that Rachmaninoff was busy performing instead of composing more.
There are parts of this symphony that are so achingly beautiful I find my self choking tears back. And this is a fabulous performance. No wonder this work is performed around the world. And what a tribute to the psychoanalyst who helped Rachmaninoff to recover from a terrible depression. Kudos to everyone, including the videographers.
In 1992, I was hired to go to Jamaica and bring a 53' Gulfstar motorsailor back to Fort Lauderdale. The trip was the most adventurous and tumultuous I have ever done, and for reasons I will not write about here. Many moments stand out from that voyage but the most remarkable concerns this music. I had the morning watch from 0600-0800 as we approached the passage between the southeast point of Cuba to the west and Haiti to the east. We had gone through a tough night and had a tropical depression pass over that torn away the mainsail. Fortunately, the old "iron jenny" kept turning. The crew was passed out below and I was alone at the helm listening to Rachmaninoff #2 on an old Sony Walkman cassette player. We were right in the middle of the Windward Passage. As the sun rose it illuminated the steep, dry, rocky coast of southern Cuba east of Guantanamo about 25 miles to the north. To my right I could barely make out the dim outline of the mountains of the northern Haitian peninsula at Cap a Foux. It was an awe inspiring sight. With the blue Caribbean Sea all around me, having survived the toughest storm I have ever been through, and this music in my ears damned if I did not feel like Francis Drake. It is a moment that will live with me until they feed me to the fish.
What a beautiful memory to have from Rachmaninoff I wish you luck I thoroughly enjoyed your tale of the high seas and your beautiful description regards.
@@gregson99 Thanks Spill Burg. You are very kind. I was stationed in Netherlands back in 77-78 and love hearing the language. Maybe that is why I selected this rendition. All the best, meneer.
I can relate to your experience. Sailing a boat in conditions that are way beyond ones comfort levels, puts one in a heightened Sereal state of consciousness .This, coupled with the aloneness of the ocean and being alone at the helm, just exasperates the intensity of the experience. This already is enough to be an experience of a lifetime, but that wasn't enough for you, you went ahead and added this symphony to the experience!! We have much to be grateful for, living in these modern times ,that can make such an experience possible for the brave and adventurous. I doubt that even Francis Drake enjoyed a moment like that!
Your recounting of this harrowing experience took me back there with you. And to have Rach as a part of your adventure gave it even more drama. I enjoyed your ability to share with us the many levels of danger/ beauty and solitude that you survived and let the fish go elsewhere for their daily needs.
It is a wonder that Rachmaninov composed another symphony after the disatrous premier of his first symphony. A bad conductor, an un -rehearsed orchestra, and terrible reviews led to his mental breakdown. He found a physician that could get him back on track. He took his family to Dresden, Germany where he got to making music. He was scheduled to tour the United States. He was better known as a conductor at this time. He conducted the premiere of this work and got back his confidence. It was noted at the time that his performance took a little over an hour. The fact that this work was very long began the shortening of the composition by many conductors. On TH-cam we see the symphony played at many different speeds. To shorten the work repeats are not played, speeds are whatever a conductor wishes, or whatever. This video gives us about the right speed for the composer. At under 50 minutes we can conclude that we are not hearing the whole of the work. Since Rachmaninov is considered our most Romantic composer the slower speed will be the way we want to hear it. Everything about this video seems just fine. A great hall, fine orchestra, and a competent conductor. About the way we expect the composer to conduct the work.
I try to write music a little--a Christian light classical genre--and at times I have wished I could sit and talk with Rachmaninov. I, too, have felt I was going nuts, and at other times I wrote to keep from going nuts. It worked, I think... Does anyone else ever feel that way?
He composed the second piano concerto as he recovered from self-doubt and depression brought on by that first fiasco and by the ruthless treatment he got from the critics. He dedicated this second piano concerto to his friend and therapist Dr. Dahl, who helped him recover his confidence in his talent and zest for life. Gabe Meruelo.
All i was trying to say was that Rachmaninov helped his confidence with the success of his second symphony. However, it is well known that confidence was a problem for him through his life. Most great musicians have some doubts that continue to shade them.
Brings me to tears with its beauty, thinking how humans are so preoccupied with insane things. I meditate daily with Rachmaninoff's works, so many are beyond this world.
I’m so glad Rachmaninov lived and composed this beautiful heavenly music! His music sums up the majesty of human life, its passion, its beauty and sadness. If only we humans could live up to its extraordinary ideals.
Very moving... I used to play Rachmaninoff at school, as there was a Steinway grand in the music suite that had belonged to. the composer. Nowadays - after a career in banking which left little time for music-making - I play only the organ in public, but it is always a special treat to hear Rachmaninoff's music.
I'm having a hard time trying to explain what I felt when I heard the first few notes of Adagio (31:57). I'm no stranger to classical music (as influenced by my grandfather), but I've never cried to a piece in my life before. Not until I heard Adagio. There's just this incredible warmth that wraps you when you hear this. It might be the coronavirus pandemic talking, but I really believe that people are forgetting the simple things in life. I'm grateful that we have masterpieces like this to remind us to take things slow. P.S. to anyone who's reading, let this be a reminder for you to check up on your parents, grandparents, siblings, and children. A simple hello would do :)
The impression Rachmaninoff gives to me is that he is trying to read my mind, every note seems made on purpose. I really cannot describe this feeling, but he is the only one that reaches the same wave length of my vital energy. I am fully, deeply in love with his music. It gives me shivers everytime I listen to it.
I love how you can hear Rachmaninoff's trepidation at the beginning. It's so obvious that after the flop that was his first symphony, he was afraid of failing again. He gains confidence throughout the piece and that's really evident. Love this piece, great performance.
Ah, Rachmaninoff! How could such wondrous music come from this sad man. My journey with Rach came first with his Piano Concerto #2 at the age of 8, Prelude in C# Minor at the age of 11 and when I finally heard his Symphony #2, I realize that he was a messenger for the ages to touch the hearts and ears of future young people who require less brains and more feeling in their classical music. Rach won't let classical music die because he goes to the heart and and makes "brother and sisters" of us all. He goes to the heart of what music represents and pulls us to the realities of love and sadness and does it through musical instruments playing together. To me his Second Symphony is the touch of God into our hearts and the potential unity of all peoples through our shared emotions. God bless Rach!
@@willgregory5847 Hi Will, I am 84 years old. I heard the Rach 2 played by Arthur Rubinstein in a Hollywood movie the title I can't remember. Rachmaninov 's 2nd Piano Concerto was very popular in the late 40's and it made it into two movies (beside the one I quoted) and the 78 record of this piece was bought off the shelf. My lifelong love of classical music really began when as a Jr. High student after 4 years of piano lessons I found Rach's Prelude in C# Minor in one of my piano books and found that I could play it without my teacher's direction. While it was not well played, I got through the notes and so my life-long love of Rachmaninoff began. When I heard the Rach 2, I fell madly in love with it. I consider Rachmaninoff's Symphony #2 the greatest symphony. Rachmaninoff music means "tears" for me since I find his music sooo emotional.
@@leoinsf Thank you. Listen to The last 4 Songs by Strauss. Strauss was 83 when he wrote it. It's absolutely beautiful. Considering what the composer were going through in that era. And yet they produce beautiful music. And am 61 male.
@@willgregory5847 I agree! Please know that I am 84 and my love for classical music and my lifelong piano skill keep getting better. Currently, I am in a Ravel phase. After learning his arrangement of "La Valse", I am currently learning his piano arrangement of "Daphnis et Chloe". With classical music, life goes on and on!
Such a pity many people don't appreciate classical music at all and might go missing on gems like this completely. This whole piece is a masterpiece and brilliant throughout
This is probably the most sublime symphony by Rachmaninoff, who was not just one of the greatest Russian composers of the late romantic era, but also one of the greatest pianists of all time. Moreover, the orchestra performs with extreme clarity, and, of course, with ultimate expressive power. I believe that there were many audiences in the concert hall who were overwhelmed by this glorious performance. Thank you very very much for sharing.
After hearing the fiull performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 all I can say is that a nice CD recording of it should be placed into a time capsule and then sent off into deep space. I would have the engraved message saying this is one of mankind's finest contributions to the overall culture of planet Earth!
OboeWhizzy and also [for good measure] "throw into" that time capsule a copy of Joaquim Rodrego's "Concierto de Aranjuez"! That 2nd movement of that is a little piece of pure Heaven.
It fills me with *hope* that, even with classical music "laid-out on the slab, waiting for the funeral", that nearly 3 million people have selected this performance of "Rach 2"...
When it comes to classical music, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff created the most beautiful and magical works of that genre - end of the story .... Tremendous performance by this orchestra, as well !
A GENUINE MASTERPIECE....THE WORK OF A VERY SENSIBLE COMPOSER....SO GREAT...THANK YOU SERGEI RACHMANINOV FOR ALL THE PLEASURE YOU GAVE US THROUGH THIS SYMPHONY.... A BEAUTIFUL SOUL IS REVEALED HERE.....
Beautiful music sensitively conducted, exquisitely performed. Rachmaninov once said "I have hunted three hares. Can I be sure I have captured one of them?" He meant conducting, performing, and composing.
I think he caught at least two. That he was a great composer goes without saying. That he was a great conductor was proved by the sucess of the first performance of this symphony . K
This is the best performance of the epic Rach 2nd symphony I have heard. It's like a long, perfect ballad rendered flawlessly. Eivind Gullberg is an underappreciated genius.
When I listen to the third movement my heart is exploding inside my chest my mind feels as though I'm flying high above the beautiful earth. When I think it can't get any more powerful it does and I feel my inner thoughts feelings and innermost peace are all exploding in bliss that I don't normally feel. I've never said before how it makes me feel it's incredible I get such a high coming from a Man that has Endured Severe Depressive Illness for more than 40 year's , I wish I could tell Rachmaninoff or anyone what a true effect his music has on me ....
This symphony is with me already from my youth, and I find it particularly comforting that this performance on TH-cam has already over 2.4 million views...!
Rachmaninoff piano concerto no.3 is, and always will be, my favorite music of all times... This symphony has some reflexes of that concerto. For sure another precious music to be heard for a lifetime.
One of my favorite pieces of all time! Gorgeous! When I was a child growing up in San Francisco, the classical music station, KKHI, used to play the beginning of the third movement as one of their themes. I fell in love with it, and then when I heard the whole thing, I thought I must have died and gone to heaven.
The Adagio is just wonderful. The theme just runs through my mind like a gentle mountain stream. The strings and french horns with the woodwinds are just so moving. Truly a slice of heaven.
Ah perseverance his doctor told him that he would recover and that he would be a great composer.Thank God for that Doctor,now and until the days that the earth lasts we can enjoy Rachmaninoffs music.
Ah Sergei Rachamninov! - you ROCK my heart and soul! One of THE most beautiful/awesome pieces of music ever written. The last movement is Pure heavenly Glory.
I never listen this without feeling “I never need anything provided I can hear such a work.” In fact I don’t want anything, filled with a feeling of fullness. Especially sonorous horn tone on a final phase of Adiago seizes hold of my heart. I really thank you for sharing this unsurpassable performance.
This performance reveals an excellent orchestra and a very competent conductor. Some twerp on the internet has a vendetta against the poor man. Ignore such belligerent invective, this is a fine conducting performance and a very satisfying concert of this uplifting work.
I want to hear this symphony as I ascend into heaven. Yes the Adagio is my favorite movement too, but there are parts of the first movement that are very comforting as if the music is saying "There, there, everything is going to be all right."
Truly a beautiful symphony! My orchestra is playing it (I'm a cellist) but it doesn't sound nearly as good as this professional orchestra. I love this music!
The Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 had long been my all time favorite piece. In recent years others, like the Dvorak Symphony No, 8 and several choral works have worked its way to the top, but this one has always been in my top 5 - and I'm now enjoying it all over again.!
I fell in love with this symphony many decades ago, it has loved me back ever since. Shortly after my first hearing at a concert in London, at a party, I overheard the party 'bore' say, "Rachmaninoff reeks with self pity", I have been in love with Rachmaninoff ever since.
Eine der besten Leistungen der letzten Jahre. Eivind Gullberg Jensen kennt den Geist des Komponisten und hebt es mit kontemplativer Kunst durch die Winde und Streichern ... vielen Dank
This is a sublime performance with the best Adagio, the 3rd movement from 31:57 to 46:54, there is! From 37:44 (and particularly after 38:17) to 39:50 just has to be THE sexiest 2-minute passage in all of classical symphonic music - for me it beats Wagner’s Liebestod from Tristan & Isolde as the ultimate symphonic representation of a horizontal desire… From 41:02 to 46:54 I defy anyone not to start weeping. Arjan Woudenberg here joins a special elite band of principal clarinettists who do full justice to the dreamy solo of the 3rd movement. Eivind Gullberg Jensen the conductor has done a remarkable job throughout the whole symphony to bring out Rachmaninov’s interweaving melodies and counter-melodies, and delicious harmonies. You just know EVERY player is relishing this performance in one of Europe’s best concert halls, the renowned Concertgebouw Amsterdam. Thank you Avrotros Klassiek and the sound engineers of Netherlands Radio 4 for letting the world share the R.F.O’s beautiful interpretation - I’m going to my desert island with this, oh yes.
When I read your comment about represntation of horizontal desire, I thought "really?" - I've listened to this many times - especially this performance - and that hadn't occurred to me. Now I've heard it again with your words in front of me and - dammit, Keith, you're absolutely correct! You've managed to simultaneously increase my understanding of the music - and of me!
A magnificent orchestra, wonderful tone and precision with a conductor who obviously knows the work inside out. A landmark performance from musicians who know what phrasing and nuance is all about ! Long may such playing and interpretation continue to delight audiences. And as for the clarinet solo, words are not adequate to describe such finesse. Bravo indeed !
Many thanks for writing this comment. It is excellent. A great piece of writing that says exactly what needs to be said about this marvelous music performed by exactly the right orchestra led by exactly the right conductor.
51:37 The conductor is so overwhelmed he brushes away a tear-also my favourite moment in the whole symphony, (Edit: yes, yes, yes, it's probably perspiration he's wiping off, but suffice to say this moment makes me choke up without fail.)
Part of Rachmaninoff's Symphony no.2 was used in the movie Birdman, check it out in our classical music in the movies compilation video: th-cam.com/video/B4h0sCHd7Eg/w-d-xo.html
AVROTROS Klassiek fàure àdagio
I need to see that movie then!!!!
birdman was overrated. it was like a single mildly amusing pun dragged into a 2 hr movie. yaaawwwwwwnnnnn
I am afrawid that I haven't yet had the priviledge of seeing "Birdman" starring Michael Keaton.
@@steveburrus9347 It's a one trick pony. They do these funky long cuts and it's a bit of a play on Michael Keaton having once played Batman. But ultimately, it's a movie without a lot of substance and quite dull. A bit of hollywood ego masturbation if you ask me.
people who don't even try classical music are missing out so bad. I don't know how anyone could dislike this.
You don't know how someone could dislike this? I'm dying in my youth orchestra trying to learn this ridiculous piece ;-; then again, I still didn't dislike this, and I only have myself to blame since I never practiced... meh
I can. It is boring... Why should everyone has the same taste as you have ?
There is nothing like a music to be liked by everyone.
I think that speaks to a higher problem in that I don't think you really like classical/romantic music considering this is a more energetic and richer symphony than most. correct me if i'm wrong.
jay hutzler I guess everyone has their type.
Laurent Pagani I don't believe everyone should have the same taste as I. The world would be without variety that way. I just think people need to at least appreciate it.
The adagio is the most beautiful piece of music ever written. To me nothing even comes close. I can listen to it endlessly.
You're correct.
Maybe the most, but others do come close. Try listening to the adagietto from Mahler's 5th symphony.
Ronald Beield I listen to Mahler’s 5th symphony quiet often and agree that it is quite beautiful, but, imho, nothing compares to this.
You are so right 🍀
I got to know the piece only last week and have been listening to the 3rd movement for days 🦋
Mozart flute and harp concerto second movement
00:39 Largo. Allegro moderato
21:19 Scherzo (allegro molto)
31:57 Adagio
47:11 Allegro vivace
You deserve more likes.
maxcgerer god bless you
+maxcgerer Sorry 31:57 should be adiago
Thanks:^)
but it's in description as well ... or was it put there later?
The third movement is one of the most beautiful things in life
I could not agree more.
I agree.
I totally agree 100%
A friend of mine in tenth grade, back around 1967, suggested that I listen to this. I knew next to nothing about classical music since I was a total devotee of rock and roll. This symphony helped transform my life. It expressly sounded forth what I had been feeling in my heart from my youth, though I didn't know it at first. The Adagio remains my all-time favorite piece of classical works. It still takes me to places that are majestic and mysterious, pulling me back to God. He does, indeed, invite us to feel.
Michael Patterson :)
I've been a great fan of classical music since my maternal grandfather introduced me to it around 1950, when I was 7.
Rachmaninoff died March 28, 1943, 11 days before I was born. I like to fantasize that I have a mental connection to him. I wish that were possible. I simply adore ALL his music.
woah
This is why it is true when people say classical music can bring you somewhere
Wow!
You've seen and lived through a lot of societal changes. Must be awesome!
This may sound crazy, but this piece of music is so emotional that I have to ration myself. When I listen to it, it is spinning around my head for months. Does anyone else feel the same way?
This piece is just so beautiful, no words can describe better than beautiful
It is certainly not crazy. I am the same way with Vitali's (much shorter) chaconne, or this one, which I had in my head every day for four months: th-cam.com/video/jFsRZYPAprY/w-d-xo.html. And I agree with Kua Ying Hau, there are no better words, except for magnificent.
Absolutely! My FAVORITE ear worm! I’ve asked my wife to play it as I breathe my last in this world.
I have to ration myself between the third movement of Rachmaninoff's 2nd Symphony and the second movement of Tschaikowsky's 5th Symphony.
yes!!
This music is literally the most beautifully written suite in existence. I have actually played this music with my orchestra, the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra, and there was nothing more satisfying than coming in to orchestra every week and getting to play this absolutely monstrous but beautiful piece. It is so difficult to put this suite together, especially when working with people all below the age of twenty or so. We took this on tour with us to Italy and the great sense of pride and accomplishment I took away from our performances of this will stay with me forever. Such a fabulously composed suite, I could not have asked for more of a challenge and more of a beauty to play.
Marry me.
@@jaquesfrancais3030 Right?
@@breakthrough673 never too late.
@@samuelg.feinbergcomposer5452 is Lisa famous (break through on different account)
@@samuelg.feinbergcomposer5452 ohh
The third movement is absolutely one of the most beautiful things in the world, no doubt about that‼🎶🎵👍😉
The whole symphony is
Classical music needs to be listened over and over again, ideally in a quiet, restful environment. Listening once only is not enough.
The greater it is, the more listens it requires to be appreciated to its fullest
Like a really good work of literature it is like swimming in a pool of water, and no matter how far down you swim you can't touch the bottom.
The adagio melts my soul. Everyone should listen to this masterpiece at least once per day. Simply brilliant.
That is Russian soul. True face of God. An incredible journey into world of longings and galaxy. Rachmaninov was late romantic genius. His music is ethernal chat with angels and souls of past. The third movement is just... incredible. It restores faith in humanity. A true treasure of art, poetry and music.
....muy buen comentario, lo comparto y lo disfruto contigo.......
Нет. Вы не правы. Это лишь часть нашей души.
Perfectly said!
IMO, Rachmaninov's hands were touched by God. To play any of his compositions are beyond difficult.
Well said sir! Rachmaninov was absolutely brilliant! There is this great sense of majesty, a deep royal power, with a deep and complex past in his music.
Could you imagine sitting in an orchestral hall and listening to the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra and listening to Rachmaninoff conducting his 2nd Symphony?
I wish I could say I did this, but at 85, I am too young to say I did.
This symphony knocks me out and if I want an emotional moment with lots of tears, I will turn this on.
Yearning is the word for many moments of this symphony. Rach yearns magnificently!
How could heaven contain this yearning human being who is no longer with us except in his music: an eternal yearning!!
The Adagio is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard. Absolutely stunning performance!
The third movement just makes me want to cry it’s so beautiful!
No life is complete until you listen (and understand) this remarcable musical work. No words can describe the beauty within and the deep feelings that bring to your soul.
06:00-09:00. Possibly the most beautiful three minutes of music ever written. Everyone always talks about the adagio with this piece, but for me the hidden gem is the largo.
Agreed
Yes, goosebumps!
The whole piece is gorgeous
@@Dylonely42 I wholeheartedly agree, it is one I could listen to on repeat and never get tired of.
Thank you for mentioning it!
Love this symphony since my teens. Fell in love with eternal Rachmaninov since then. I’ m 78 now. Music that justifies to be alive and listen to it.
If Rachmaninoff had composed a Violin Concerto we'd have flying cars by now
From Rach's perspective: he had that failure of Symphony No.1, he had his contemporaries composing "ground-breaking" avant-garde music, he could only earn his daily bread and butter by performing as a pianist........to sum up, he did not know he could become such a great composer. Ironically, a lot of the then-popular superstar composers are now in the rubbish bin.
He wrote the Cello Sonata so it's ok.
@@TheAskald still imagine what would be us hearing a clarinet concerto, a violin concerto or cello concert from him. i think the same with schubert smh
@@ososnake97 I'm sure it would have been amazing. Imagine a triple concerto with the clarinet in slow movement, and cello/violin in fast movements... It's too bad that Rachmaninoff was busy performing instead of composing more.
@@ososnake97 Yeah agreed, but luckily for me as a cellist I have one amazing sonata from each!
There are parts of this symphony that are so achingly beautiful I find my self choking tears back. And this is a fabulous performance. No wonder this work is performed around the world. And what a tribute to the psychoanalyst who helped Rachmaninoff to recover from a terrible depression. Kudos to everyone, including the videographers.
Quite Right Sir!
Michael, let the tears flow. The catharsis will cleanse you. I know this.
Wonderful playing video and sound. Top notch. I love this particular hall.
I have had 3 different recordings of this absolutely most beautiful work. I listened to them for years!
Verissimo è toccante e sublime
In 1992, I was hired to go to Jamaica and bring a 53' Gulfstar motorsailor back to Fort Lauderdale. The trip was the most adventurous and tumultuous I have ever done, and for reasons I will not write about here.
Many moments stand out from that voyage but the most remarkable concerns this music. I had the morning watch from 0600-0800 as we approached the passage between the southeast point of Cuba to the west and Haiti to the east. We had gone through a tough night and had a tropical depression pass over that torn away the mainsail. Fortunately, the old "iron jenny" kept turning. The crew was passed out below and I was alone at the helm listening to Rachmaninoff #2 on an old Sony Walkman cassette player.
We were right in the middle of the Windward Passage. As the sun rose it illuminated the steep, dry, rocky coast of southern Cuba east of Guantanamo about 25 miles to the north. To my right I could barely make out the dim outline of the mountains of the northern Haitian peninsula at Cap a Foux. It was an awe inspiring sight. With the blue Caribbean Sea all around me, having survived the toughest storm I have ever been through, and this music in my ears damned if I did not feel like Francis Drake.
It is a moment that will live with me until they feed me to the fish.
What a beautiful memory to have from Rachmaninoff I wish you luck I thoroughly enjoyed your tale of the high seas and your beautiful description regards.
You should write books! nice description felt like I was there too listening to rach.
@@gregson99 Thanks Spill Burg. You are very kind. I was stationed in Netherlands back in 77-78 and love hearing the language. Maybe that is why I selected this rendition. All the best, meneer.
I can relate to your experience. Sailing a boat in conditions that are way beyond ones comfort levels, puts one in a heightened Sereal state of consciousness .This, coupled with the aloneness of the ocean and being alone at the helm, just exasperates the intensity of the experience. This already is enough to be an experience of a lifetime, but that wasn't enough for you, you went ahead and added this symphony to the experience!! We have much to be grateful for, living in these modern times ,that can make such an experience possible for the brave and adventurous. I doubt that even Francis Drake enjoyed a moment like that!
Your recounting of this harrowing experience took me back there with you.
And to have Rach as a part of your adventure gave it even more drama.
I enjoyed your ability to share with us the many levels of danger/ beauty and solitude that you survived and let the fish go elsewhere for their daily needs.
Rachmaninoff never bores. It's always a flow of melodies and ideas. The possibilities are infinite. Gabe Meruelo.
Never found a more beautiful melody than the 3rd movement in my life.
That's because a more beautiful melody does not exist.
I wish I could thank each and every one of these magnificent musicians for bringing this masterpiece to life.
It is a wonder that Rachmaninov composed another symphony after the disatrous premier of his first symphony. A bad conductor, an un -rehearsed orchestra, and terrible reviews led to his mental breakdown. He found a physician that could get him back on track. He took his family to Dresden, Germany where he got to making music. He was scheduled to tour the United States. He was better known as a conductor at this time. He conducted the premiere of this work and got back his confidence. It was noted at the time that his performance took a little over an hour. The fact that this work was very long began the shortening of the composition by many conductors. On TH-cam we see the symphony played at many different speeds. To shorten the work repeats are not played, speeds are whatever a conductor wishes, or whatever. This video gives us about the right speed for the composer. At under 50 minutes we can conclude that we are not hearing the whole of the work. Since Rachmaninov is considered our most Romantic composer the slower speed will be the way we want to hear it. Everything about this video seems just fine. A great hall, fine orchestra, and a competent conductor. About the way we expect the composer to conduct the work.
+Bill Sullivan
Thank you for that Bill. I love the piece, but didn't know the history and optimum play style.
+Bill Sullivan I believe it was the 2nd piano concerto, not the 2nd symphony, which signaled Rachmaninoff's emergence from depression.
I try to write music a little--a Christian light classical genre--and at times I have wished I could sit and talk with Rachmaninov. I, too, have felt I was going nuts, and at other times I wrote to keep from going nuts. It worked, I think... Does anyone else ever feel that way?
He composed the second piano concerto as he recovered from self-doubt and depression brought on by that first fiasco and by the ruthless treatment he got from the critics. He dedicated this second piano concerto to his friend and therapist Dr. Dahl, who helped him recover his confidence in his talent and zest for life. Gabe Meruelo.
All i was trying to say was that Rachmaninov helped his confidence with the success of his second symphony. However, it is well known that confidence was a problem for him through his life. Most great musicians have some doubts that continue to shade them.
Brings me to tears with its beauty, thinking how humans are so preoccupied with insane things. I meditate daily with Rachmaninoff's works, so many are beyond this world.
0:40 begins | 2:59 beautiful | 3:47 | 16:29 gentleness | 17:08 gentle string build up | 22:38 | 23:09 beauty/romantic
28:24 magical/awe/tender | 28:57 beauty/romantic | 32:00 romantic piece begins | 36:54 flying playing | 37:32
38:16 string struck | 38:32 pause | 38:34 climax | 43:41 mountain 46:00 realization end | 54:29 Awaken to last section
57:03 circus | 58:16 circus | 1:00:05 moment | 1:00:37 building up | 1:01:06 explosion | 1:01:26 Final happy piece begins
1:01:39 | 1:01:43 trumpet note
❤❤❤
I’m so glad Rachmaninov lived and composed this beautiful heavenly music! His music sums up the majesty of human life, its passion, its beauty and sadness. If only we humans could live up to its extraordinary ideals.
Oh my God, look at this: almost 4 million hits for this devastatingly beautiful work! There really is hope for the world.
Excellente remarque ! C'est en effet très réconfortant, pour nous en général...et pour le grand Serge en particulier, même si c'est à titre posthume !
My favorite symphony. Listened to it perhaps 1000 times since 1964. This is a great performance.
Very moving... I used to play Rachmaninoff at school, as there was a Steinway grand in the music suite that had belonged to. the composer. Nowadays - after a career in banking which left little time for music-making - I play only the organ in public, but it is always a special treat to hear Rachmaninoff's music.
The third movement is really unforgettable ... He touches our souls....
the adagio movement is what I imagine falling in love feels like
37:30 through 39:47. The genius of the Rachmaninoff long build up of tension and crescendo, then climax, and relaxation. Miraculous.
He actually payed attention during his music theory classes lol
It happens here as well 3:47
Michael Williams True, 🤣.
I can NEVER get through it without weeping...thank you for the excerpt!
relaxation.. are you serious 🧐
I'm having a hard time trying to explain what I felt when I heard the first few notes of Adagio (31:57). I'm no stranger to classical music (as influenced by my grandfather), but I've never cried to a piece in my life before. Not until I heard Adagio. There's just this incredible warmth that wraps you when you hear this.
It might be the coronavirus pandemic talking, but I really believe that people are forgetting the simple things in life. I'm grateful that we have masterpieces like this to remind us to take things slow.
P.S. to anyone who's reading, let this be a reminder for you to check up on your parents, grandparents, siblings, and children. A simple hello would do :)
Same thing happened to me 20 years ago! Good health to you!
Yeah well I understand but, let's face it, in classical music in general... adagios FUCKING SUCK!
@@mackdaddy798 Mensa card says otherwise.
oh man...right on...this piece gives me chills
It just makes your hair stand!!! The best romantic symphony ever composed!
The impression Rachmaninoff gives to me is that he is trying to read my mind, every note seems made on purpose. I really cannot describe this feeling, but he is the only one that reaches the same wave length of my vital energy. I am fully, deeply in love with his music. It gives me shivers everytime I listen to it.
The Divine hears through us. I listen to this music while offering it up. Indescribable.
Adagio... always feel like returning home after very long adventure.
I love how you can hear Rachmaninoff's trepidation at the beginning. It's so obvious that after the flop that was his first symphony, he was afraid of failing again. He gains confidence throughout the piece and that's really evident. Love this piece, great performance.
I find every kind of beauty and depth in Rachmaninoff's music. His legacy lives forever .
Ah, Rachmaninoff!
How could such wondrous music come from this sad man.
My journey with Rach came first with his Piano Concerto #2 at the age of 8, Prelude in C# Minor at the age of 11 and when I finally heard his Symphony #2, I realize that he was a messenger for the ages to touch the hearts and ears of future young people who require less brains and more feeling in their classical music.
Rach won't let classical music die because he goes to the heart and and makes "brother and sisters" of us all.
He goes to the heart of what music represents and pulls us to the realities of love and sadness and does it through musical instruments playing together.
To me his Second Symphony is the touch of God into our hearts and the potential unity of all peoples through our shared emotions. God bless Rach!
Leo. How old are you now? I listened to Rachmaninoff piano nb 2 when I was 25. Am 61. Pure genius.
@@willgregory5847
Hi Will, I am 84 years old.
I heard the Rach 2 played by Arthur Rubinstein in a Hollywood movie the title I can't remember.
Rachmaninov 's 2nd Piano Concerto was very popular in the late 40's and it made it into two movies (beside the one I quoted)
and the 78 record of this piece was bought off the shelf.
My lifelong love of classical music really began when as a Jr. High student after 4 years of piano lessons I found Rach's Prelude in C# Minor in one of my piano books and found that I could play it without my teacher's direction.
While it was not well played, I got through the notes and so my life-long love of Rachmaninoff began.
When I heard the Rach 2, I fell madly in love with it. I consider Rachmaninoff's Symphony #2 the greatest symphony.
Rachmaninoff music means "tears" for me since I find his music sooo emotional.
@@leoinsf Thank you. Listen to The last 4 Songs by Strauss. Strauss was 83 when he wrote it. It's absolutely beautiful. Considering what the composer were going through in that era. And yet they produce beautiful music. And am 61 male.
@@willgregory5847 I agree! Please know that I am 84 and my love for classical music and my lifelong piano skill keep getting better.
Currently, I am in a Ravel phase. After learning his arrangement of "La Valse", I am currently learning his piano arrangement of "Daphnis et Chloe".
With classical music, life goes on and on!
@@leoinsf Enjoy. And may God b with you.
This is the best rendition of this Symphony you'll ever hear. Trust me.
Yaps Why not?
This one is my favorite :
th-cam.com/video/988oByOK9CA/w-d-xo.html
i believe so as well. but i'm also exploring other interpretations. any recommendations?
@@peaelle42vasily petrenko’s and the oslo philharmonic is very good as well
Hard to listen to Rach even a highly compressed TH-cam version. He's the most romantic of the romantics, always leaves me emotionally drained.
Such a pity many people don't appreciate classical music at all and might go missing on gems like this completely. This whole piece is a masterpiece and brilliant throughout
True!
My older brother always made fun of me for liking classical music but I think he was wrong.
32:33 This amazing performance from the clarinetist is too much for me, perfect work!
I listen to this often because this is such a glorious masterpiece and the clarinet player is perfection.
Agreed
This is probably the most sublime symphony by Rachmaninoff, who was not just one of the greatest Russian composers of the late romantic era, but also one of the greatest pianists of all time. Moreover, the orchestra performs with extreme clarity, and, of course, with ultimate expressive power. I believe that there were many audiences in the concert hall who were overwhelmed by this glorious performance. Thank you very very much for sharing.
After hearing the fiull performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 all I can say is that a nice CD recording of it should be placed into a time capsule and then sent off into deep space. I would have the engraved message saying this is one of mankind's finest contributions to the overall culture of planet Earth!
Nice! It is a pity we are alone in the universe...
Yes!! And be sure to throw Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov in there as well. Along with the Mona Lisa.
OboeWhizzy and also [for good measure] "throw into" that time capsule a copy of Joaquim Rodrego's
"Concierto de Aranjuez"! That 2nd movement of that is a little piece of pure Heaven.
Anb let's be sure to "throw in" also the Beethoven Symphony number 9, the "Chorale" symphony in D minor op. 125.
really?
The 3rd movement is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever.
Whole piece too
No, but 22:53
It's so moving... It's the sound of falling in love for the first time
@@mangomerkel2005 I'm sure each person will have their own favorite passage. I love this whole segment 🥰
This conductor is so subtle and expressive in his movements. Joy to watch. The orchestra, the very good orchestra is molded and complemented by him.
It fills me with *hope* that, even with classical music "laid-out on the slab, waiting for the funeral", that nearly 3 million people have selected this performance of "Rach 2"...
+ CLASSICALFAN100 "Rach 2" this is Piano Concerto №2
RffCLASSICALFAN100
It may be 3 million or 300, but the funeral will never come
This beauty has become my bedtime anthem, it seems.
Your videos have become my bedtime anthem.
Good one!
Espectacular, és una de las millors sinfonías que se escoltan a tot el mon
Lourdes pujol montserrat TENS TOTA LA RAO DEL MON
Mmmmmm, nice idea. But, aren't you afraid that, when you hear the end, it'll be morning? :>)
I don't know how someone could listen to this before going to bed, it keeps me moving the entire time I listen to it!
I'm listening to this before going to bed. But tonight is Yom Kippur. St. Sergei's music is just right.
Adagio verse is so beautiful
When it comes to classical music, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff created the most beautiful and magical works of that genre - end of the story ....
Tremendous performance by this orchestra, as well !
Quite agree.
Replace Tchaikovsky with Mahler and now that statement becomes true
A GENUINE MASTERPIECE....THE WORK OF A VERY SENSIBLE COMPOSER....SO GREAT...THANK YOU SERGEI RACHMANINOV FOR ALL THE PLEASURE YOU GAVE US THROUGH THIS SYMPHONY.... A BEAUTIFUL SOUL IS REVEALED HERE.....
We can bravely say that the Adagio is the peak of Western classical music
Baloney! Have you ever listened to Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, etc.?
Western???
Well it is not
Хуяпадной... Кретин.
that's quite the statement
Beautiful music sensitively conducted, exquisitely performed. Rachmaninov once said "I have hunted three hares. Can I be sure I have captured one of them?" He meant conducting, performing, and composing.
I think he caught at least two. That he was a great composer goes without saying. That he was a great conductor was proved by the sucess of the first performance of this symphony . K
@@katharinedavis4947 he's also known to be the best pianist who ever lived. His hands could play anything and prefectly
@@RACHMNV wasn't that title deserved by Liszt and Alkan?
Finally !!! I found the PERFECT PERFORMANCE !! 👍🎶🎻
This is the best performance of the epic Rach 2nd symphony I have heard. It's like a long, perfect ballad rendered flawlessly. Eivind Gullberg is an underappreciated genius.
Rachmaninoff has the superpower of layering. There is so much going on at once, yet it all makes sense
I'm fall in ...this conductor. He is really wonderful and beautiful.
When I listen to the third movement my heart is exploding inside my chest my mind feels as though I'm flying high above the beautiful earth. When I think it can't get any more powerful it does and I feel my inner thoughts feelings and innermost peace are all exploding in bliss that I don't normally feel. I've never said before how it makes me feel it's incredible I get such a high coming from a Man that has Endured Severe Depressive Illness for more than 40 year's , I wish I could tell Rachmaninoff or anyone what a true effect his music has on me ....
Wonderfully explained! I really feel the same!
Incredible orchestra, and a stunning concert hall. One of the best sounding concert halls in the world!!
Absolutely the best performance ever, I've listened to dozens over the years!
This symphony is with me already from my youth, and I find it particularly comforting that this performance on TH-cam has already over 2.4 million views...!
The 3rd mvt is just way too...........................speechlessly beautiful!!!
Rachmaninoff piano concerto no.3 is, and always will be, my favorite music of all times... This symphony has some reflexes of that concerto. For sure another precious music to be heard for a lifetime.
One of my favorite pieces of all time! Gorgeous! When I was a child growing up in San Francisco, the classical music station, KKHI, used to play the beginning of the third movement as one of their themes. I fell in love with it, and then when I heard the whole thing, I thought I must have died and gone to heaven.
The Adagio is just wonderful. The theme just runs through my mind like a gentle mountain stream. The strings and french horns with the woodwinds are just so moving. Truly a slice of heaven.
One of the best orchestra in the world !
1. Largo - Allegro moderato 00:35
2. Allegro molto 21:19
3. Adagio 31:53
4. Allegro vivace 47:10
Scherzo: 21:21
+Grammar Police Thanks! Don't know where my head was at.
Thank you!!
Ah perseverance his doctor told him that he would recover and that he would be a great composer.Thank God for that Doctor,now and until the days that the earth lasts we can enjoy Rachmaninoffs music.
And to think today we enjoy his Symphony No. 1 that he thought he had destroyed and removed from history~!
Ah Sergei Rachamninov! - you ROCK my heart and soul!
One of THE most beautiful/awesome pieces of music ever written. The last movement is Pure heavenly Glory.
Best version.... Wonderful conductor.
Yes, it's excellent, but try to watch the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (DRSO) with Dmitri Kitajenko conducting, you'll be delighted as well
Give yourself a treat and listen to this in the dark. It makes a stunning work phenomenal.
Simply the best of Rachmaninov, nobody can beat it.
I never listen this without feeling “I never need anything provided I can hear such a work.”
In fact I don’t want anything, filled with a feeling of fullness.
Especially sonorous horn tone on a final phase of Adiago seizes hold of my heart.
I really thank you for sharing this unsurpassable performance.
This performance reveals an excellent orchestra and a very competent conductor. Some twerp on the internet has a vendetta against the poor man. Ignore such belligerent invective, this is a fine conducting performance and a very satisfying concert of this uplifting work.
Jealousy can be very ugly. This conductor understands Rachmaninoff. To the depths of his soul.
One of the best young conductors out there. He brings out the soul of the music -- not just the technical aspects.
I want to hear this symphony as I ascend into heaven. Yes the Adagio is my favorite movement too, but there are parts of the first movement that are very comforting as if the music is saying "There, there, everything is going to be all right."
A miraculous piece of classical music which melts the soul and remolds it.
I have listened to other renditions, this is absolutely the most awesome, heart wrenching, the very best rainbow of sounds, saved in favorites.
I. Largo - Allegro moderato 00:40
II. Scherzo (Allegro molto) 21:05
III. Adagio 31:35
IV. Allegro vivace 47:10
Played it with our orchestra a few years ago...couldn't play it without tears in my eyes!
20 years ago, I listened this symphony in tape for countless time at night before sleeping. super love it.
Oh. My. Gosh. Good night with Rachmaninoff this evening. :)
I did not expect to see you here! So when are we going to hear your symphony, Kyle? ;)
A divinely inspired musical creation!
@@עמיתמשיח-צ1נ .1gi
Truly a beautiful symphony! My orchestra is playing it (I'm a cellist) but it doesn't sound nearly as good as this professional orchestra. I love this music!
The Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 had long been my all time favorite piece. In recent years others, like the Dvorak Symphony No, 8 and several choral works have worked its way to the top, but this one has always been in my top 5 - and I'm now enjoying it all over again.!
I fell in love with this symphony many decades ago, it has loved me back ever since.
Shortly after my first hearing at a concert in London, at a party, I overheard the party 'bore' say, "Rachmaninoff reeks with self pity", I have been in love with Rachmaninoff ever since.
Complete heaven hearing this, especially while embroidering -- thank you!
what a beautiful rendition of this synphony
I love this symphony as I love only a few. Rachmaninoff was not just a great composer for piano, but a true master of orchestration.
heheheha
@@robloxtop5009 🤣😭 the duality of man
Eine der besten Leistungen der letzten Jahre. Eivind Gullberg Jensen kennt den Geist des Komponisten und hebt es mit kontemplativer Kunst durch die Winde und Streichern ... vielen Dank
This is a sublime performance with the best Adagio, the 3rd movement from 31:57 to 46:54, there is! From 37:44 (and particularly after 38:17) to 39:50 just has to be THE sexiest 2-minute passage in all of classical symphonic music - for me it beats Wagner’s Liebestod from Tristan & Isolde as the ultimate symphonic representation of a horizontal desire… From 41:02 to 46:54 I defy anyone not to start weeping. Arjan Woudenberg here joins a special elite band of principal clarinettists who do full justice to the dreamy solo of the 3rd movement. Eivind Gullberg Jensen the conductor has done a remarkable job throughout the whole symphony to bring out Rachmaninov’s interweaving melodies and counter-melodies, and delicious harmonies. You just know EVERY player is relishing this performance in one of Europe’s best concert halls, the renowned Concertgebouw Amsterdam. Thank you Avrotros Klassiek and the sound engineers of Netherlands Radio 4 for letting the world share the R.F.O’s beautiful interpretation - I’m going to my desert island with this, oh yes.
When I read your comment about represntation of horizontal desire, I thought "really?" - I've listened to this many times - especially this performance - and that hadn't occurred to me. Now I've heard it again with your words in front of me and - dammit, Keith, you're absolutely correct! You've managed to simultaneously increase my understanding of the music - and of me!
Thank you for the closeups of these marvelous musicians.\ it adds so much to the enjoyment of the concert!
A magnificent orchestra, wonderful tone and precision with a conductor who obviously knows the work inside out. A landmark performance from musicians who know what phrasing and nuance is all about ! Long may such playing and interpretation continue to delight audiences. And as for the clarinet solo, words are not adequate to describe such finesse. Bravo indeed !
Many thanks for writing this comment. It is excellent. A great piece of writing that says exactly what needs to be said about this marvelous music performed by exactly the right orchestra led by exactly the right conductor.
Es gibt keinere bessere Musik auf dieser Welt als eine solche Art Symphonien
Yes, I agree.
As if it was composed yesterday... what a style rach has! it's simply brilliant, sublime! his music truly transcends time.
51:37 The conductor is so overwhelmed he brushes away a tear-also my favourite moment in the whole symphony, (Edit: yes, yes, yes, it's probably perspiration he's wiping off, but suffice to say this moment makes me choke up without fail.)
I believe he signaled to the orchestra to take a swift sad turn but anyway who would not shed a tear conducting this masterpiece of art.
And what about 44:02!
It is quite apparent that he is actually wiping away a drip of sweat that comes from his brow.
(i think it's sweat..)