“All-Rachmaninoff” At The Hollywood Bowl!
It is truly one of the most magical places to see a live concert: at the iconic Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood California.
And my wife Alex and I had tickets to a night of “All-Rachmaninoff!”
So who was Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff?
Well, this from wikipedia: he was born 1 April 1873 – 28 March 1943: a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music. Early influences of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and other Russian composers gave way to a thoroughly personal idiom notable for its song-like melodicism, expressiveness, dense contrapuntaltextures, and rich orchestral colours. The piano is featured prominently in Rachmaninoff’s compositional output and he used his skills as a performer to fully explore the expressive and technical possibilities of the instrument.
In mid-August, a special night of “Rachmaninoff and only Rachmaninoff” music was performed by The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, with a very famous Guest:
Born in 2001, Alexander Malofeev became known as the young “Russian genius” after winning the International Tchaikovsky Competition and rising to worldwide fame. On this night at the Bowl, he performed Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
Consisting of 24 variations of a popular violin tune, the concerto-like piece lets Malofeev “[lead] us, like a tornado, towards excess and madness” (Crescendo Magazine). Dima Slobodeniouk—an International Classical Music Award-winning conductor—makes his LA Phil debut in Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony, guiding its gorgeous melodies that wander back and forth between heartrending slow movements, a brass-heavy scherzo, and a lively finale.
Here is a taste of the his incredible performance:
What a night! I’m a neophyte when it comes to classical, but there is no better way to learn more than with music like this!
Let me know what you think!
Categories: Art, Hollywood, Music, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, Travel Adventures
johnrieber 
My goodness, that must have been spectacular. Such talent in someone so young. I was there once, perhaps 50 years ago, to a Liza Minelli concert. What a venue!
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Yes it’s an amazing venue and seeing Liza there must have been spectacular! Thanks for sharing that!
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She was! The other performing group with Liza was the Marcels singing “Blue Moon”. It was a great show.
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stunning and that clip, gave a great taste of his skill. what an amazing setting for this beautiful performance with the virtuoso and the entire orchestra. how about that red harp? !
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I do love Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.You must watch Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeve. They use this piece so brilliantly in the movie.
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YES! My wife reminded me of that! And what a great film…
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It’s one of my favourites.. I reviewed it about 3 or 4 times, but in different ways. Your wife has good movies taste.
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WordPress has done it to me again. I wrote a comment, then it asked me to log in and the comment disappeared and it was so erudite as well!
Here goes again. I love Rachmaninov’s music and the piano is one of my favourite instruments. It must have been a great evening. I had to look up neophyte .. I hope you continue to find classics to enjoy.
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SO sorry about the WP stuff…I get that all the time as well…SO frustrating! Thanks for the extra effort it is much appreciated!
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You’re welcome John. Like button not working!
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I love Rachmaninov and that must have been a great evening. I had to look up neophyte… I hope you continue making discoveries of great music. My parents loved classical music so I was early at the feast. Music of all kinds is so accessible in our multi media lives, but you can’t beat a live concert.
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Great listening….thanx chuq
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That is such a wonderful venue, and perfect for that dignified classical music.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, some of our other shows have not had enough classical music…for an Orchestra of 80+ I want to hear it and got it good that night! Cheers!
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This young man is brilliant. And what a wonderful setting! I love Rachmaninoff!
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He was incredible, the music was terrific with a massive 80+ piece orchestra and the setting is magical indeed!
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