# Rachmaninov vs Tchaikovsky



## MrAtanasov (Jun 25, 2011)

Don't know if this is the right topic for this post,but as it's composing related,I'm posting it in here.A comparison of snippets out of two great works by two major composers,which sound pretty much similar-A short melody out of Rachmaninov's 1-st Piano Concerto,the 3-rd part,and Tchaikovsky's 6-th Symphony,the 1-st part.Just am wondering which of the two composers got inspired by this pretty little tune and nicked it from the other?Rachmaninov's 1-st Piano Concerto was finished earlier,in 1892,Tchaikovsky's 6-th Symphony was written and finished in 1893,so Tchaikovsky must have heard it and included it in his Symphony,or,because Rachmaninov revised his 1-st Piano Concerto in 1917,the version we know nowadays,he could have taken this little melody and included it in the 3-rd part of his 1-st Piano Concerto?What do you think?Who sampled who?Here's the clip:


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

I very much doubt that either one was inspired by the other because the similarity is actually pretty slim. The general shape of the melodies are similar, but the direction, feeling and harmony are so divergent that I see no reason to think they are related.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Polednice said:


> I very much doubt that either one was inspired by the other because the similarity is actually pretty slim. The general shape of the melodies are similar, but the direction, feeling and harmony are so divergent that I see no reason to think they are related.


Impressive restraint, _Poley_. I just think it's a dumb notion. In fact, at first I thought it was another poll started by...


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Hilltroll72 said:


> Impressive restraint, _Poley_. I just think it's a dumb notion. In fact, at first I thought it was another poll started by...


Gustav certainly likes his pointless threads.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Polednice said:


> Gustav certainly likes his pointless threads.


It's fun to be in the know.


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## Sofronitsky (Jun 12, 2011)

violadude said:


> It's fun to be in the know.


 I'll just awkwardly watch you guys be in the know 

I agree with Polednice, that neither were inspired by the other. Rachmaninoff was hugely influenced by Tchaikovsky, which might make up for why it sounds a bit similar. Both of those giants most have written a thousand melodies in those 2-3 years, and it's certain that few of them would sound similar to the other's. (Hope this makes sense, I haven't had a lot of sleep and am nervous about a performance tomorrow night.)


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