I have two prized performances in my possession. Okay, I really only own one because the other is publicly accessible. What are they?
Rachmaninoff plays Rachmaninoff. That’s right, I have a recording of Sergei Rachmaninoff playing his own 3rd Piano Concerto (Rachmaninoff is the pianist).
I adore this Concerto like no other (It’s why I have four recordings of it).
I have Horowitz plays Rachmaninoff’s 3rd, which really delivers a voicing like no other. I have Martha Argerich playing. Her performance is lucid and soft like water. In contrast, Horowitz’s playing is cold and harsh, but beautiful despite his interpretation allowing you to hear things no other pianist delivers. Honestly, Horowitz’s playing reminds me of the 3rd Reich. I don’t know why.
And then there is Rachmaninoff’s performance. This recording is conducted by Leopold Stokowski. You know Stokowski! *grin* He was the conductor in Disney’s “Fantasia” when Mickey walks up to the conductor and says, “Mr. Stokowski.” In Bugs Bunny it is he who Bugs impersonates when the orchestra says, “Leopold!”
Rachmaninoff plays his composition here with the New York Philharmonic. From Rachmaninoff, you hear it as the composer intended it to be heard.
The second piece is The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennsyon. If you haven’t heard this poem…oh! You are missing out! Gorgeous composition. Wikipedia provides the 1890 recording of the author actually reading his own poem on an Edison wax cylinder. Just…listen.
See? Audio gold! Here is the poem in its entirety so you can follow along with the audio.
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
“Forward, the Light Brigade!
“Charge for the guns!” he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismay’d?
Not tho’ the soldier knew
Someone had blunder’d:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley’d and thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.
Flash’d all their sabres bare,
Flash’d as they turn’d in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder’d:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro’ the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel’d from the sabre stroke
Shatter’d and sunder’d.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley’d and thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro’ the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made,
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.
Can you imagine hearing Poe read The Raven? Beethoven playing Beethoven? OCH! Rowling reading Potter. This brings me to my next project…I will be doing a select reading of certain poems and excerpts. Just because the concept of an author reading their own work really appeals to me! And I will not be using the Edison wax cylinder from 1890.
