# Rachmaninoff's 2nd piano concerto's troublin' me!



## kly45 (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi all! I'm a new member and a huge rachmaninoff fan.

Right now i'm studying his 2nd piano concerto and I am a tad confused. 
The arpeggios he plays during the first subject are troubling me, it looks like he's playing 17 quavers per bar which isn't possible. Is it?

I get the feeling that I'm reading it completely wrong though. Please help!


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## opus67 (Jan 30, 2007)

Hi, Kly45. I just have a welcome message for you.  Welcome aboard!


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

Hello, kly45 - Glad to have you here at TC.
I'll leave answering your question to those members here who are more qualified than myself for this kind of information.


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## BuddhaBandit (Dec 31, 2007)

Hi kly45,
I love this concerto (especially the great opening bell-like chords) and own a copy of the score. The eigth notes (quavers) that you're referring to aren't really eigth-notes. If you look at the arpeggios, they're spaced much more tightly than typographic standards require, implying that the pianist should not play them as notated but just as smooth, quick arpeggios (each note should be slightly less than a semiquaver). The important deal here is to use the opening theme as a guide and to accent the alternating bass notes; i.e., make sure the piano notes that line up with the clarinet/string notes are played simultaneously.


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## trojan-rabbit (Nov 27, 2007)

Thanks Bandit, I found that useful also.

What are quavers, though? I've never heard of them.


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## BuddhaBandit (Dec 31, 2007)

trojan rabbit said:


> Thanks Bandit, I found that useful also.
> 
> What are quavers, though? I've never heard of them.


That's the British/UK term for eighth notes... 16th notes are semiquavers, 32nd notes are demisemiquavers.


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## kly45 (Jan 3, 2008)

BuddhaBandit said:


> Hi kly45,
> I love this concerto (especially the great opening bell-like chords) and own a copy of the score. The eigth notes (quavers) that you're referring to aren't really eigth-notes. If you look at the arpeggios, they're spaced much more tightly than typographic standards require, implying that the pianist should not play them as notated but just as smooth, quick arpeggios (each note should be slightly less than a semiquaver). The important deal here is to use the opening theme as a guide and to accent the alternating bass notes; i.e., make sure the piano notes that line up with the clarinet/string notes are played simultaneously.


Hey thanks for that, I was thinking that it might be that but i wasn't sure if you were allowed to do that!

I also didn't know that 'quaver' was only a British term!

Yes I really enjoy this piece, I barely play piano but i've been practising this for weeks and I'm actually getting it. I also find it amazing how much more difficult the opening chords are than they sound.


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