Despite being shoehorned into a far too short 45min, this classy Goldhawk production written by Martin Wade and directed by Cherry Cookson is well worth a listen.
Russ
Russ
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Russ - Thank you for this tip. I had it on my list - Rachmaninoff is one of my favourite composers and the 2nd piano concerto would be in my eight classical music selections for a Desert Island Discs - but your reminder prompted me to listen to the play.Originally posted by Russ View PostDespite being shoehorned into a far too short 45min, this classy Goldhawk production written by Martin Wade and directed by Cherry Cookson is well worth a listen.
Russ
I thought the play was pretty good. Certainly it conveyed Rachmaninoff's introspection and periodic depression. The latter often sounded rather more like melodrama but I suppose that was necessary for the drama. It would have been difficult to write a play based on silence. That emphasis also fitted in well with broader perceptions at that time about his work being just a little too emotional. By contrast, I feel that the concerto is unusual in that it expresses emotion both emphatically and deeply without ever resorting to schmaltz. Tchaikovsky is generally regarded as very accessible indeed but I find much of his work a bit syrupy.
As you say, the play was only 45 minutes long. I went to Google to discover more. I can't say that I have found out much about Anna who the play suggested was linked closely to his emotions, not without guilt. I feel though that they might have underplayed the role of Natalia who he eventually married. The Orthodox Church and her parents were both opposed to the idea of them becoming married. Then there was Glazunov who hardly helped, Tolstoy who might have helped more and Cui whose comments were designed to be devastating. The play was reasonably successful in describing how they impacted on his writer's block.
Perhaps the most interesting character was Dr Nicolai Dahl, the psychiatrist, who was very arguably the main reason why the concerto became written at all. For me, there was an interesting parallel there with the somewhat controversial role of Eugene Landy in the 1980s in the revival of Brian Wilson's writing. I thought that you might like to see this article which was written by the late Maurice Kouguell. This provides a different angle on Dahl but it fully endorses the idea that he was a man of integrity:
Last edited by Guest; 28-11-12, 19:37. -
Excellent, Lat, but I suspect the Landy manipulation of Brian Wilson was on an entirely different scale and depth. Back on topic, it would be useful to be able to listen again to this part of Robert Winston's excellent Musical Analysis series:
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