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Thursday, June 21, 2007 - 7:24pmSanction this postReply
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I have read Atlas over and over while listening to the Russian romantics, but mostly to Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto.

Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto
(Variour artists)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPBl0SIV3Do
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y53dmY8OB4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQmakMcLDhg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RjW3JHq79g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEL0Mre4a9g


For me, the intro to Atlas, how the movie opens up, "The Theme"
Weissenberg and Karajan
Rachmaninoff: piano concerto no. 2 3-1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RjW3JHq79g



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Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 9:16pmSanction this postReply
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After years and years (and years) of happily steeping my brain in the music of Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and other Romantics, I finally (at the age of 59) happened recently upon the music of Alexander Borodin, one of the Mighty Five (including Rimsky-Korsakov and Mussorgsky), and I find that his music appeals to me even more than the others. What a revelation -- and what a feast! I can only wonder why he has been so neglected by Objectivists...

I find the scherzo movement to Borodin's 2nd symphony particularly delightful and his "In the Steppes of Central Asia" very enjoyable, but I especially like the overture to his opera, Prince Igor, and I am thinking that I would like to have it (the overture, not the entire opera!) performed at my funeral. No time soon, of course. (I've even fantasized about faking my own death, a la Huck and Tom, so I could lurk behind a curtain and watch people's reactions to the music that occurs after the somber opening section.) :-)

REB

P.S. -- I also am tickled by the fact that Borodin was, by profession, an accomplished chemist, and that he was just a "weekend warrior" in relation to his composing career. That is an intriguing parallel to (or reversal of) my own vocation of music and avocation of philosophy.


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Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 11:29pmSanction this postReply
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You might also find this of interest.......

http://dismuke.org/aynrand/selections.html


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Monday, July 30, 2007 - 6:25amSanction this postReply
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Roger,
Wasn't the old favorite "Stranger in Paradise" based on a melody from Borodin?
Thanks,
Glenn


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Monday, July 30, 2007 - 8:17amSanction this postReply
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Robert, yes, I've been familiar for a while now with the Dismuke web page on Rand's musical favorites. It acquainted me with a wonderful old recording by Austrian tenor Richard Taubert of "Dein Is Mein Ganzes Herz" (You Are My Heart's Delight) from Franz Lehar's operetta The Land of Smiles. I was so taken by it, that I decided to include it on the concert that pianist Ben DiTosti and I performed last summer at The Atlas Society's Summer Seminar in Orange, California. It was well received, and Tibor Machan delightedly remarked of the memories it revived of him hearing it as a child back in Hungary.

Glenn, hi! Yes, one of the Polovtsian Dances from Borodin's opera Prince Igor was adapted in the 1950s as the song "Stranger in Paradise" in the Broadway play Kismet. Interestingly, another of his luscious melodies, this one from one of his string quartets, was morphed into the popular song "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads," which got a lot of airplay during the 50s, as I recall.

I'm currently reading a biography of Rachmaninoff (Rachmaninoff: Life, Works, Recordings by Max Harrison), and the author opines that Borodin was more of an influence on Rachmaninoff's lyric style than has previously been realized or acknowledged. After hearing Borodin's music and getting premonitory echoes of Rachmaninoff's rhapsodic and heroic themes, I'm not surprised at all. Borodin was kind of the Henry Cameron to Rachmaninoff's Howard Roark, if you follow the analogy. (Though Rachmaninoff was not known to have studied composing under Borodin, nor worked for him in his chem lab. :-)

REB


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Monday, July 30, 2007 - 10:56amSanction this postReply
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This is My Beloved is another song from Kismet that got around.  It's from the same quartet as Baubles, Bangles and Beads.  In fact the "luscious melody" you mention is probably this (the Nocturne movement) and not Baubles, Bangles and Beads (the last movement).

I think Rachmanninoff (as well as Stravinsky and Prokofiev) studied with Rimsky-Korsakov, an associate of Borodin.  My favorite Borodin is the last movement of the 2nd symphony.


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Monday, July 30, 2007 - 6:16pmSanction this postReply
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Hi, Peter, thanks for your comments. No, the melody I was referring to was indeed the one that became "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads," but it is probably better described as "schmaltzy" than "luscious." My fault for being a bit overly enthusiastic in my praise of it. The Borodin melody that became "This is My Beloved" is a more profoundly beautiful one, I agree.

REB


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Monday, August 13, 2007 - 2:31amSanction this postReply
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I've long been a fan of Polovtsian Dances, will have to check out more of Borodin.

As an aside, why are there so many great Russian composers and so few French and only imported English ones?

Ted

Post 8

Sunday, July 19, 2015 - 8:41amSanction this postReply
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I love Alexander Borodin!



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Saturday, August 8, 2015 - 10:48amSanction this postReply
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https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=alexander+borodin



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Tuesday, August 11, 2015 - 10:07amSanction this postReply
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Many great suggestions in this forum! I'll definitely listen to some Rachmaninoff next time I read Atlas Shrugged.



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