I had invented an alternative piano technique for the concerto's 2nd movement in the scherzo/waltz part (F-sharp minor, key center, 3/8 meter) where the rapid-fire C-sharps one octave above middle C in sixteenth triplets happen. You can alternate 3rd fingers in each hand in each sixteenth triplet. But be sure that you get the accuracy of the triplets down pat rhythmwise, because the orchestra obbligato (which does a sort of waltz-reprise of the 1st movement's 1st theme of the concerto) does not stop, although there is at least one "ritardando" or two where you can get away from "tempo giusto" feeling.
What great advice about shaping the lines and bringing out special moments! Can't wait until you discuss the beginning measures of the third movement, as Rach writes something the LH should not be asked to do!
Thinking also in the "Eb major" section of the 3rd movement - Rachmaninov focuses on cyclic form in the 1st movement's 2nd theme at the beginning. The opening measures of that - think of the drums of the Russian cossack infantry coming in, and the hints of Soviet Communist revolutionism coming 9 years later. The opening has a rhythm often seen in military drums in peacetime or in battle - "de de DA, de de DA....de de de, DA DA DA DA, de de DA....." While that is going on, the orchestra keeps silent in longer notes than in the piano solo part, but keeps it quite martial, as if it was the heartbeat going on. Keenly, this is a rhythmic variation of that 1st movement's 2nd theme - patriotic, chauvinistic, and "think soldier" here in this passage.
Really enjoyed the first two pages.... I'm now ready for the next 2 here! 😁🎶🎼🎵🎹 spent what seems an age on that next page. 😳 gotta get those notes under the fingers with no mistakes.
My understanding is that some of the tempos on the original Rach recordings we're a little higher than normal due to the time constraints of the 78rpm records? He had to play faster to make them fit without having a break in the middle of a movement?
I find these first few pages harder than the rest of the concerto. This sounds ridiculous but I'm serious. The voicing is quite difficult and playing evenly has become my bane. The more chordal stuff is so much easier for me.
