What a wonderful picture!!!

Just what I was wanting--- a photo of Rach driving his speedboat. And I'm still waiting for one of the poker parties he used to have at his summer home. Got to be some shots of that somewhere; it's too choice.

I snapped these when I was in the Library of Congress seven years ago.

A very idyllic desk to compose upon! Did you check the drawers for any lost compositions??

Thank you so so so much for these unique photos! What a beautifull piece of furniture!

Library of Congress I guess has many more rare unique treasures about Rachmaninoff... Wish I will be still alive when they will be revealed... Are there no researchers that have true interest in Rachmaninoff that could publish something from his archives that are kept in Library of Congress?

One new rare picture



S.V.Rachmaninoff with Serge Jaroff and his Don Cossack choir

They say Rachmaninoff taught Jaroff how to direct the orchestra.

I wish I knew, whether there has been done a complete record of Rachmaninoff's Vespers by Serge Jaroff Don Cossack Choir, or Rachmaninoff Liturgy of St. John Chrysostem?

I've come across only two records, one is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhHAEzM57hU

Rejoce, O Virgin

The other one (To Thee we sing) I will upload later.
I am really interested in rare records of Rachmaninoff works, if you can help, please write! Thank you!

One more archive photo of Rachmaninoff

SV Rachmaninoff with his wife Natalie, his daughter Irina and grand-daughter Sofia

1920-es

They see me rollin', they hatin',

They say this is somewhere in New York subway. I wish I knew when it was made!

What would be really cool: seeing the original hand-written scores for some of his pieces.
Nice Pictures.

Thank you, Batuhan! A photo with Walt Disney and Horowitz :-)

JesseOffy, will this do?

AWESOME! I went from being half asleep to fully excited! Thanks.

You are welcome!!!

Here is one more rare photo

It's been said that R. may not have been a great composer, but he was for sure the composer of a few great pieces. The world would be lesser without his works.

What a thoroughly fascinating thread, Marianne! I had seen it previously, but this is the first time I've gone through it.

I agree with the person who indicated that Rachmaninov's choral music is the most overlooked area of his compositional output, and IMO his best. About 35 - 40 years ago, I was part of a choral group who presented several unpublished Rachmaninov works, compliments of a Russian emigre who sang bass in that choir and provided them to the director. They were very gripping, very haunting. I speak as one who has never been a great fan of Rachmaninov's piano music and overall esthetic (I'm much more of a Prokofiev fan), but his choral compositions are very considerable indeed.

What an enjoyable thread! I'm inspired to practice. Maybe Rachmaninoff today.

I was thinking the same. Maybe I should visit the middle section of the C-sharp minor Prelude.

I've seen most of the photos above, but a few I've never seen anywhere before. Thanks to all for posting them. I have a few of Rach myself and will try to add them at some point. Did I read that someone said Rach 3 is basically a repeat of the 2nd? Ummm, hello! The 3rd blows everything else clean out of the water and the 2nd doesn't even come close.

Brahms 1 and 2?? Beethoven 4??

Ok, so I should have maybe chosen my wording a little more carefully. Rach 3 is my favorite concerto...ever. It doesn't blow EVERYTHING else out of the water, but there isn't another concerto that I know of that will take it's place for me. I suppose it's because I became attached to Rach 3 (with Horowitz) when I was still very young (about 13). I wore out that recording and to this day there are only a few pianists who have convinced me with their take. It does, however, blow Rach2 out of the water...sorry 2 fans.

I guess the same is with me and Brahms 1, because I first heard it when I was not much older than that. I really shouldn't be learning it now (it's too daunting for me to actually play it well), but I can't help it.

Many of my friends say the second is superior, and as much as I do love the B flat, and maybe it is superior, but... They can have fun with that, I'll have fun with the D Minor.

You are welcome! If You have a chance, please do! We will all be most gratefull to You!

One more rather rare photo!

What a great thread with some very cool pics and some very cool information. Thank you all for the postings! Rach is my favorite composer. His music is just so powerful and moving.

That photo was taken at a concert at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts in the 1940s.

There is a pic of Rachmaninoff before the concert in the Green Room warming his hands with an electric heating pad and greeting some of the Wellesley girls in the booklet that comes with the "Earl Wild's Legendary Rachmaninoff Song Transcriptions" CD. You can download the booklet here:

http://www.ivoryclassics.com/releases/74001/

and direct link to pdf:

http://www.ivoryclassics.com/releases/74001/pdf/booklet.pdf

There are some great photos of Rachmaninoff in the booklet.


And of course the CD is wonderful.



A bargain at $9.50 from Amazon sellers:

http://www.amazon.com/Earl-Wilds-Legendary-Rachmaninoff-Transcriptions/dp/B00022LJ4C

Beautiful music by Rachmaninoff, and fantastic transcriptions and passionate playing by Earl Wild.


Mel

These wonderful original transcriptions Wild wrote of the Rach songs are among the most beautiful piano recordings I have ever heard!