hey guys

i'm looking to extend my repertoire (hope that's spelt correctly) by introducing some of Rachmaninoff's music. Does anyone have any suggestions on which pieces would be good to start off with?
David.

Posted: 26 Aug, Revised: 27 Aug:

I presume that you mean piano repertoire, and that your tag line is accurate - that you play between grade 5 and grade 6 standard - because most Rachmaninoff is quite tricky just to play all the notes in the correct tempo ... never mind to get it sounding like music, and I don't know a single Rachmaninoff piece that is playable at that level. It is not like Mozart or many other classical composers where at least the notes are playable, even if the musical result is less than perfect.

As you have chosen Rachmaninoff, you must know something about his music. Which of his piano compositions do you like? What made you choose him, rather than say, Chopin, Grieg, Schumann, Schubert, Ravel, Prokofiev, or any of a couple of dozen more composers?

If we knew which Rachmaninoff pieces you actually like we could suggest which are worth having a go at, and which are best avoided for now.

Opus 16, No.5. This is the only Rach. that I have come accross which a) I like and b) is just about playable at Grade 5. I don't actually know but estimate that it is probably G6? I have been working on it for a little while but am still some way off playing it for an audience. Hope to one day. I too would be interested to know of any other Rach. G5 pieces.

http://www.edexcel.org.uk/VirtualContent/4...web_version.pdf


gives all these as grade 8

Rachmaninoff Elegie in E flat minor Op 3/1
Rachmaninoff Moment musical in D flat Op16/5
Rachmaninoff Prelude in C sharp min Op 3/2
Rachmaninoff Prelude in G sharp minor Op 32/12
Rachmaninov Prelude in F Op.32 No.7

http://www.pianostreet.com/Graded_Pieces_All.xls.
[u]
says

8 Rachmaninoff Elegie in Ebm , Op. 03 No. 01
8 Rachmaninoff Mélodie in E, Op 3/3
8 Rachmaninoff Prelude in F, Op 32/7
8 Rachmaninoff Prelude in G# minor, Op 32/12
8 Rachmaninoff Prelude in G, Op 32/5
7 Rachmaninoff Romance


You may need to re-enter the www links as I don't think just clicking on them will work There's an underscore between web and version in the first and graded and pieces and all in the second which isn't very clear

I agree - it all comes down to whether you are playing the notes or playing the piece

I can actually play around grade 7/8 with ease...however I don't have the necessary theory to allow me to continue...yet! A piece i liked was the Prelude in G minor (op.23 no. 5) and also the three nocturnes.

The G Minor Prelude might be a bit of a stretch - it's on the LRSM syllabus.

Once you crack 5 v 3 rhythm it is mostly straightforward, but with a handful or horribly difficult bits. They don't look like they should be as hard to get right as they actually are and, to make things worse, for the right effect they have to sound effortless.