Who is Afraid of Rachmaninoff?

Many are, but really no one should be! A least not if his works are performed by young vibrant musicians, like they were yesterday at the concert that I scheduled months ago for my music appreciation students. Of course, students or not, everyone was invited.

Jacque-Pierre Malan

Two friends and graduate students of Peabody Conservatory, pianist Solomon Eichner and cellist Jacques- Pierre Malan, treated us to an exciting 45-minute long program, which consisted of Cello Sonata in E Minor by Brahms and Cello Sonata in G minor by Rachmaninoff. This event had more people in attendance that I could ever remember at any of my events, and not without a reason. More often than not, having given up their cars due to their age or illnesses, seniors do not have that many opportunities to enjoy live classical music. Even those who claimed to be “afraid” of Rachmaninoff because he is “too heavy”, never regretted that they attended.

Solomon Eichner

Thanks to the energy and passion of the young musicians and a cleverly selected program, both Brahms and Rachmaninoff’s pieces got a fresh vibrant treatment, which was deeply appreciated by the audience.

Maybe these guys were no Richter or Rostropovich (at least not yet), but their utmost dedication to music and passion for music making were quite sensational.
Needless to say, I planned this event with Troy in mind. Embracing music while real musicians play real instruments right in front of you, is a rare and very enriching experience for any music lover. Sitting in the very first row, right in front of Solomon and Jacques-Pierre, Troy was at his best behavior, listening to the music and watching the musicians’ hands very carefully. At the end of every movement he clapped and screamed “Bravo”.

Both the musicians loved him. After the concert was over, they invited him to come up for a real hands-on musical experience. Of course, because we have a piano at home, Troy was more intrigued by the cello. Having noticed his interest, not only did  Jacques-Pierre let Troy touch the cello, but also he showed him how to play it and Troy played it ( to the best of his ability, of course). Then Solomon played some notes and simple note combinations for Troy on the piano, and almost every time Troy repeated them correctly.

It goes without saying that Troy felt on top of the world and could not get enough of that communication.
I took the most fabulous pictures of Troy playing a gigantic cello and carrying a "grown-up" conversation with the musicians, but do not want to post them here, since this blog is open for anyone to read. However, I will be happy to share those pics with my friends. So if you are a friend of mine and are reading this blog, let me know and I'll be happy to share them with you.

And one more thing:  if you have been afraid of Rachmaninoff, that was probably because you did not know his music that well. Believe me, this composer is very enjoyable and not as "heavy" as some people think he might be.
Cheers!