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Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18

190134 min

This guide follows Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 (1901) in three parts: Moderato (sonata form), Adagio sostenuto and Allegro scherzando.

Recording: Denis Kozhukhin (piano), hr-Sinfonieorchester, Marin Alsop

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AnalysisComments
  1. I · Sonata form
  2. II
  3. III
ISonata form0:36–11:17

The piano alone begins with a slow series of , bell-like chords that build tension, until strings and first clarinet bring in the over the piano's rippling arpeggios. The , in E-flat major, enters on the piano. The is unstable and . In the a horn introduces the , and the ends fortissimo in C minor.

  2. :
II 11:35–22:31
III 22:32–34:19

Section boundaries in music are not always sharp; a transition may be felt over a pause or a held chord.

At a glance

  1. I. ModeratoSonata form · 11 min · 375 bars
  2. II. Adagio sostenuto11 min · 170 bars
  3. III. Allegro scherzando12 min · 478 bars · half note ≈ 113 bpm

Instruments: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Brass, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, Timpani, Percussion, Piano, Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, Double bass

Sergei Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, III. Allegro scherzando: first page of the score
Full score

Questions

How long is Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18?
About 34 min in this recording, in 3 movements: I 11 min, II 11 min and III 12 min.
What form are its movements in?
I: sonata form.
Which instruments play in Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18?
Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Brass, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, Timpani, Percussion, Piano, Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello and Double bass.
How fast is it played?
In this recording, measured from the score: III half note ≈ 113 bpm.
Is there a score of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18?
Yes, of III.

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BachTrio Sonata No. 1 in E-flat major, BWV 5251730HaydnSymphony No. 1 in D major, Hob. I:11759HaydnHorn Concerto in D major, Hob. VIId:31762HaydnPiano Sonata in A-flat major, Hob. XVI:461770HaydnPiano Sonata in C minor, Hob. XVI:201771HaydnString Quartet in A major, Op. 20 No. 61772HaydnString Quartet in C major, Op. 20 No. 21772HaydnString Quartet in D major, Op. 20 No. 41772HaydnString Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 20 No. 11772HaydnString Quartet in F minor, Op. 20 No. 51772

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Path 11

The concerto, 1721 to 1959

Soloist and orchestra across two and a half centuries, from Bach's harpsichord to Rostropovich's cello.

Bach → Vivaldi → Mozart → Beethoven → Mendelssohn → Tchaikovsky → Dvořák → Rachmaninoff → Ravel → Shostakovich

10 works · 4 h 49 min

Path 16

Russian voices

From Glinka to Shostakovich: a century of Russian music, in the order it was written.

Glinka → Balakirev → Mussorgsky → Borodin → Rimsky-Korsakov → Tchaikovsky → Rachmaninoff → Scriabin → Prokofiev → Shostakovich

10 works · 4 h 29 min

In the catalog

Sergei RachmaninoffConcertosLate Romantic periodC minorSonata form

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