Yuja Wang wins pole position in Rachmaninov Year
NewsThe Chinese-American pianist is kicking off the anniversary year this week with all four concertos and the Paganini Rhapsody at the Philhadelphia Orchestra.
Who pays? Lead support for the Rachmaninoff 150 Celebration is provided by Tatiana Copeland. Mrs. Copeland’s mother was the niece of Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Tatiana Copeland was named after the composer’s daughter, Tatiana Sergeyevna Rachmaninoff.
Quite a feat!!!!!!!!!
Ms. Wang also recently performed all four Rachmaninoff concertos in one weekend with Eric Jacobsen and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra:
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/arts-and-theater/os-et-yuja-wang-rachmaninoff-concertos-20221226-jduoc4ebmvdxthzdo2kstwvzv4-story.html
Good Lord! How does she do it?
Will be done @ Carnegie Hall this Saturday, as well.
Yuja goes to Los Angeles in February to perform her Rachmaninov Marathon.
With 2 intermissions, during which she will take a short nap and soak her fingers. I’m looking forward to it! Maybe as an encore she will play the first version of the 1st concerto and the first TWO preliminary versions of the 4th concerto (and, maybe go back and play both cadenzas to the third).
In 1965, Earl Wild met Jascha Horenstein in London and then two days later they recorded their superlative set of these Rachmaninoff pieces. Recorded one a day over five consecutive days. In his memoirs Wild said they played each piece through once then listened to the recording, made a few minor touchups as needed, and that was it. Remarkable, really.
My records indicate the set was recorded over the period May 20 – June 21, 1965. A great set, but a pity he took cuts in the Third Concerto (second and third movements). By 1965, taking cuts was happening less often.
From the original LPs:
Recorded:
25th May 1965 (Concerto No.3)
26th May 1965 (Concerto No.2)
27 & 28th May 1965 (Isle of the Dead)
31st May 1965 (Rhapsody)
1st June 1965 (Concerto No.4)
2nd June 1965 (Concerto No.1)
These were recorded–with a small budget–by RCA for Readers Digest.
I read somewhere, Minnesota, that Arthur Rubinstein used to go into the studio and play whatever repertoire was to be recorded three times through without stopping, with the tapes rolling. Then he exited and left it up to the editor to patch together a finished product.
(Solo works, of course – I don’t think even AR would be able to do that with a concerto.)
She is also playing them in LA in sold-out concerts!
Why do people, including Slipped Disc still spell Rachmaninoff incorrectly. Every single official document from 1918 onwards that exist show it as Rachmaninoff. There are no letters in existence after this date where the composer signs it in any way other than with ‘FF’. He insisted on this dpelling and it is spelt this way on his grave. Don’t forget that a person’s name belongs to that person and not country where he might have been born.
We accept the English spelling of Handel and don’t refer to Gustav von Holst so why do people and websites like Slipped Disc continue to disrespect this great composer by spelling his name in a way he didn’t wish. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
At least in Birmingham the CBSO, University and Conservatoire, amongst others, have seen the light and are showing the respect S R deserves.
It was a standard practice romanisation of the cyrillic, but only through conformity rather than necessarily expressing any personal wishes. Phonetically Rachmaninov is (more) correct so that’s why we use it….
It has nothing to do with any translation from Cyrillic. The composer’s name belongs to him not Russia or any organisation or person who has no respect to the composer’s wishes. He insisted on his name being spelled RACHMANINOFF and anyone who disrepects his specific wishes is nothing more than inconsiderate IDIOTS.
I fear you’re slightly shouting into the wind here Tim. I would personally think Rachmaninov wouldn’t give a flying fig about how people were spelling his last name, as alongside having an exceptional sense of humor, he was almost singularly minded about his music.
There are a couple of theories behind the use of ‘ff’ over ‘v’ to do with regional pronunciations and softening of the Russian letter ‘в’ (‘v’), but for the most part it was borrowed from the French transliteration model of the 19th century, which was not created with English-speaking countries in mind.
The convention shifted in the latter half of the 20th century to using ‘v’. Rachmaninov having died in 1943 wouldn’t have known the alternative spelling. It’s true that one shouldn’t presume his preference, but that really does work both ways.
I wonder if Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri considered a circle for pedants?
Rachmaninovff was reported to have said “If the check clears, the piano was great”. Don’t think he’d care about the spelling of his name, as long as it was being mentioned.
You should not be insulting people by calling them names even when they may be mistaken, if you don’t want to become a target of similar insults yourself, particularly after lecturing others about “dpelling” as you did in one of your comments above here.
Actually, fyi is wrong about that. Letter «в» at the end of Russian surnames ending with «ов» and «ев» (including Рахманинов) is always pronounced by Russian language speakers as “f” – not “v”. The second “f” is superfluous in English, but still “ff” is more correct “phonetically” than “v”.
I must agree with Tim Walton here. If Rachmaninoff chose this spelling when he came to the US, and identified himself with this spelling, then it is the least one can do to respect that. Another example of this is Leonard Slatkin, who recently paid tribute to his brother Frederick Zlotkin. The family chose the Slatkin spelling, while Frederick chose Zlotkin for himself, which he felt was closer to the original pronunciation. Frederick will always be remembered as Zlotkin while Leonard will always be Slatkin, even though they are brothers. For others to choose a spelling based on what they perceive the pronunciation should be is disrespectful.
As far as I know, there is no clear evidence that he “chose” the spelling. Much more likely, it was chosen for him when he left Russia and settled temporarily in Dresden – hence this Germanic-looking spelling. He did not have any reason to change it when he later moved to Unites States because, as I commented earlier here, in English-speaking world “off” ending sounds closer to Russian pronunciation of such names than “ov” does.
Same, Prokofieff. Though he never became a U.S. citizen, he signed his name this way during his touring here. (I do not know how he signed his name in Europe.) I have had this same discussion with other members of the Board of our local community orchestra, re the spelling of the names of these two great composers on our programs. It’s a difficult sell, when others have seen Rachmaninov and Prokofiev all the heir lives, on record jackets, CD covers, and in professional orchestra program books.
Yuja Wang is definitely good on a pole. Amazingly nimble.
The above doesn’t make it clear that all 4 Concerti and the Rhapsody will be done in one concert-not over a week and not over a weekend.
One concert.
Unfortunately in London recently she only played the first piano concerto, when originally scheduled to play the first and the Paganini Rhapsody.
We missed out there.
If only her playing were as interesting as her fashion…
One program at Carnegie Hall, two programs in Philadelphia, performed twice. I had the privilege to attend the first program (1, 2 and Paganini): beautiful, insightful, memorable.