Sergei Rachmaninoff on Music Theory Print

Aleko (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Performance history#

The Bolshoi Theatre’s premiere took place on 9 May (O.S. 27 April) 1893 in Moscow. The composer conducted another performance in Kiev on 18/30 October 1893. (Tchaikovsky had attended the Moscow premiere of Aleko, and Rachmaninoff had intended to hear the premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony on 16/28 October, but had to catch a train for Kiev to fulfill his Aleko conducting engagement. ) A Pushkin centenary celebration performance on 27 May 1899 at the Tauride Palace in Saint Petersburg featured Feodor Chaliapin in the title role, and utilized the chorus and ballet of the Mariinsky Theatre. The opera had its first performance in England on 15 July 1915 at the London Opera House under the direction of Vladimir Rosing. The New York City Opera’s 2016/17 season opened in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall with a double bill of Aleko and Pagliacci, an opera that also premiered in May 1892. James Meena conducted and Stefan Szkafarowsky sang the title role. In 2024 Opera North presented Aleko following Cavalleria rusticana in a double-bill with Robert Hayward singing both Alfio and Aleko.

All-Night Vigil (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Composition history#

Rachmaninoff composed the All-Night Vigil in less than two weeks in January and February 1915. The All-Night Vigil is perhaps notable as one of two liturgical settings (the other being the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom) by a composer who had stopped attending church services. As required by the Russian Orthodox Church, Rachmaninoff based ten of the fifteen sections on chant. However, the five original sections (numbers 1, 3, 6, 10, & 11) were so heavily influenced by chant that the composer called them “conscious counterfeits”. Rachmaninoff’s work is a culmination of the preceding two decades of interest in Russian sacred music, as initiated by Tchaikovsky’s setting of the all-night vigil. The similarities between the works, such as the extensive use of traditional chants, demonstrates the extent of Tchaikovsky’s influence; however, Rachmaninoff’s setting is much more complex in its use of harmony, textual variety and polyphony.

Caprice bohémien

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Rachmaninoff began work on the piece in the summer of 1892, writing in August in a letter to his friend, the baritone Mikhail Slonov, that he would write the composition for piano four hands first, and orchestrate it at a later date. Rachmaninoff completed this orchestral version two years later, halfway through the September of 1894. Rachmaninoff dedicated the work to Pyotr Lodyzhensky, the husband of the gypsy Anna Alexandrovna Lodyzhenskaya, to whom he later dedicated his First Symphony. The piece was given its premiere in Moscow, on 22 November 1894, with Rachmaninoff himself conducting, as part of a tour with the violinist Teresina Tua. Rachmaninoff later went on to form a strong dislike for the piece. In 1908, he called it one of three of his compositions which “frightened” him, and would like to make revisions to, along with his First Piano Concerto and First Symphony, though he didn’t ever revise the capriccio. In 1930, he described it as the only one of his works which he would “prefer to disown”.

Cello Sonata (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

After the failure of the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 (Op. 13) in March 1897, Rachmaninoff continued to compose some short pieces for piano, song and choral work while appearing in a number of concerts as an opera conductor. Just as he was finally beginning to recover from his ordeal, in January 1900, he had the opportunity to meet with Leo Tolstoy. However, he once again lost confidence after receiving harsh criticism for his original song “Fate” (Op. 21-1). After an unsuccessful meeting with Tolstoy meant to revoke his writer’s block, relatives decided to introduce Rachmaninoff to the neurologist Nikolai Dahl, to which Rachmaninoff agreed without resistance. Between January and April 1900, Rachmaninoff underwent hypnotherapy and supportive therapy sessions with Dahl on a daily basis for over three months, specifically structured to improve his sleep patterns, mood, and appetite and reignite his desire to compose. That summer, Rachmaninoff felt that “new musical ideas began to stir” and successfully resumed composition. In July 1900, Rachmaninoff finally composed the “Love Duet”, a key scene in the opera Francesca da Rimini, which was to be completed in 1906. This song was written earlier than his Piano Concerto No.2, which he began composing in the autumn of 1900, and the “Love Duet” became an important work that marked Rachmaninoff’s rebirth as a composer. In particular, there are natural similarities in their lyricism between the three works composed around the same time: Suite No. 2 for Two Pianos (Op. 17), Piano Concerto No. 2 (Op. 18), and the Cello Sonata (Op. 19). The opening of the first movement of the cello sonata alludes to Rachmaninoff’s “signature” Gregorian chant, “Dies irae”, and the first two cello notes imply the hidden word “Warum?” (German for “Why?”). The latter was revealed in Yuki Ito’s 2023 monograph commemorating the composer’s 150th birth anniversary. This “Warum?” motif appears frequently in the sonata in different forms. Throughout the work, there are references to the bells of Russian Orthodox churches (carillons) and homages to Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 1, which he held dear for his entire life, making this sonata a masterpiece that displays Rachmaninoff’s distinctive characteristics.

Études-Tableaux, Op. 33

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Rachmaninoff composed the Op. 33 Études-Tableaux at his Ivanovka estate in Tambov, Russia between August and September 1911, the year after completing his second set of preludes, Op. 32. Rachmaninoff biographer Max Harrison calls the Études-Tableaux “studies in musical composition”; while they explore a variety of themes, they “investigate the transformation of rather specific climates of feeling via piano textures and sonorities. They are thus less predictable than the preludes and compositionally mark an advance” in technique. Rachmaninoff initially wrote nine pieces for Op. 33 but published only six in 1914. One étude, in A minor, was subsequently revised and used in the Op. 39 set; the other two appeared posthumously and are now usually played with the other six. Performing these eight études together could be considered to run against the composer’s intent, as the six originally published are unified through “melodic-cellular connections” in much the same way as in Robert Schumann’s Symphonic Studies. Differing from the simplicity of the first four études, Nos. 5–8 are more virtuosic in their approach to keyboard writing, calling for unconventional hand positions, wide leaps for the fingers and considerable technical strength from the performer. Also, “the individual mood and passionate character of each piece” pose musical problems that preclude performance by those lacking strong physical technique.

Études-Tableaux, Op. 39

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Structure#

The Op. 39 set comprises nine études: # Allegro agitato in C minor (“The Sea”), a study in arpeggiated “swirls” # Lento assai in A minor (“The Sea and the Seagulls”) # Allegro molto in F minor (“The Day of Wrath”), a study targeting the weak fingers of the hand # Allegro assai in B minor (“Dying Birds”) a fusion of a Hopak and a Gavotte which functions as a study on repeated notes # Appassionato in E minor, a study in octaves # Allegro in A minor (“Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf”), a study in repeated notes and jumps # Lento lugubre in C minor (“Funeral March”), based on the painting Self-Immolation by Grigoriy Myasoyedov, a study in thick chords and luminous bell sounds # Allegro moderato in D minor, based on the painting A Road in the Rye by Grigoriy Myasoyedov, a lyrical study in double notes which quotes Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No. 5 near the end # Allegro moderato. Tempo di marcia in D major, a study in jumps, octaves and repeated notes

Francesca da Rimini (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Synopsis#

The setting is the Malatesta castle around the end of the 13th century

Prologue#

The ghost of Virgil leads the poet Dante to the edge of the first circle of the Inferno. They descend into the second, where the wordless chorus of the damned souls is heard. Virgil tells Dante that this is the realms where sinners given over to lust are punished, buffeted by an eternal whirlwind. Dante asks two such souls, Francesca and Paolo, to tell their story.

Isle of the Dead (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

For two years, Rachmaninoff looked for inspiration for a symphonic poem, and in November 1906, he wrote to his friend Nikita Morozov, seeking ideas for a subject for such a work, but was uninspired by his suggestions. Then, in Paris in May 1907, he saw a black and white reproduction of Arnold Böcklin’s painting Isle of the Dead, and, inspired by the painting, he used it as the basis for his symphonic poem, on the suggestion of his friend Nikolai Struve. He composed the piece from January to March of 1909, with the work’s manuscript dated to 17 April, the day before it received its premiere in Moscow, under the composer’s baton. Rachmaninoff was disappointed by the original painting when he later saw it, saying, “If I had seen first the original, I, probably, would have not written my Isle of the Dead. I like it in black and white.” Rachmaninoff made numerous later revisions to the Isle of the Dead after writing the piece. He made several alterations to the score before its printing in June 1909, writing to Morozov that “I have made a great many corrections” and that “it does seem to me that now this composition is improved and will sound better”. Before recording the piece in April 1929, Rachmaninoff made significant cuts to the work, removing 62 bars in total, and in January 1930 wrote to the publishing director Gavriil Paichadze that he wanted to implement several further cuts and revisions in a new revision of the work.

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Rachmaninoff composed the work in July, 1910 at his summer estate Ivanovka, following his American tour of 1909. Writing to his friend Nikita Morozov, Rachmaninoff said of the work, “I have been thinking about the Liturgy for a long time and for a long time I strove to write it. I started to work on it somehow by chance and then suddenly became fascinated with it. And then I finished it very quickly. Not for a long time have I written anything with such pleasure.” The work premiered November 25, 1910 in Moscow. Russian Orthodox ecclesiastical authorities strongly objected to the work’s “spirit of modernism” and refused to sanction it for use during church services. This reconstruction was the subject of a PBS documentary entitled Rediscovering Rachmaninoff, produced by KTEH television in San Jose, California.

Miscellaneous solo piano compositions (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Works#

In the autumn of 1885, the twelve-year-old Rachmaninoff entered the home of Nikolai Zverev to receive private piano instruction and at the end of May 1886, Zverev took his students to Crimea, where Rachmaninoff continued his studies, hoping to gain entrance to Anton Arensky’s harmony class at the Moscow Conservatory. It was during this time that Rachmaninoff created his first composition, a two-page Étude in F major (the manuscript is now lost). After admission to the class, he produced more exercises, the earliest of which is a Lento in D minor; it is the only surviving piece of ten he is said to have composed. Now beginning to compose independently, Rachmaninoff’s next project was a group he titled Three Nocturnes, and is regarded as his first serious attempt at writing for the piano. The first nocturne, in F minor, was written 14–21 November 1887, and has three parts: a beginning and an end in andante cantabile and a central section in allegro. The slower andantes are gentle sections, influenced by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, while the allegro is unnatural and stiff and unusually fast for a nocturne. The second piece, in F major, followed on 22–25 November, also contains a slower portion coupled with a quick section. No. 3, in C minor, took more than a month to compose, dated from 3 December 1886 to 12 January 1887. With a chordal texture spread over the entire keyboard, it is reminiscent of the music of Robert Schumann. The nocturnes were published posthumously in Moscow in 1949, but were not assigned an opus number. The Four Pieces of 1887 are perhaps Rachmaninoff’s first comprehensive works. Each has a clear aim and method to attain it, and all unfold with a fluency significantly more advanced than that shown in the previous nocturnes. The opening Romance, in F minor, harks back to Frédéric Chopin’s tenderness. The E minor Prelude is an unremarkable but well-thought out piece. The third, a Mélodie in E major, is modestly expressive, but the Gavotte in D major is, although repetitive, the most energetic and vigorous piece. These were published posthumously in Moscow in 1948, without an opus number. The suite is in four movements: Lento: Allegro moderato in D minor, Lento in B minor, Menuetto in F major, and Allegro in D major. He spent much of the next few years writing some of his orchestral pieces, including The Rock (1893) and Caprice bohémien (1895). His return to pianistic work in early 1896 was marked by his contribution to Four Improvisations, a collaboration with Anton Arensky, Alexander Glazunov, and Sergei Taneyev. After the Six moments musicaux were completed in 1896, Rachmaninoff composed a single Morceau de Fantaisie in G minor on 11 January 1899. He subtitled it “Delmo”, however what this means is unknown. It is two pages long and features an emphatic, if not brief, climax. He also produced a Fughetta in F major in February of that year, which is also short and has clean counterpoint. He composed most of his published works in this period, starting with the Chopin Variations. In 2003, while researching Rachmaninoff material at the Library of Congress, the Australian pianist Scott Davie discovered a two-page sketch of a previously unknown Rachmaninoff work, a Piano Piece in A major. While he was able to make a pencil copy, it wasn’t until later he realized that the sketch was complete. Davie was given permission to make use of the piece by the composer’s great-granddaughter, Natalie Wanamaker Javier, while attending the 2006 International Rachmaninoff Conference in Amsterdam. The piece was recorded and released by ABC Classics on his Pictures from an Exhibition CD. Since then the piece has also been recorded by Vladimir Ashkenazy and released by Decca.

Monna Vanna

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Synopsis#

:Time: 15th-century :Place: Pisa, Italy, during an armed conflict with the city under siege. Act I is divided into three scenes. Guido, the military commander in Pisa, learns from his father that the enemy will cease conflict if Monna Vanna, wife of Guido, goes to the enemy’s camp, but dressed only in a mantle. Monna Vanna agrees to this demand.

Recordings#

Chandos CHAN 8987 (1991): Sherrill Milnes (Guido), Seth McCoy (Marco), Blythe Walker (Monna Vanna), Nickolas Karousatos (Torello), Jon Thorsteinsson (Borso); Icelandic Opera Chorus; Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Igor Buketoff, conductor and arranger (sung in English)
Ondine ODE12492: Moscow Conservatory Opera Soloists: Evgeniya Dushina, Vladimir Avtomonov, Dmitry Ivanchey, Edward Arutyunyan, Mikhail Golovushkin Moscow Conservatory Students Choir, Moscow Conservatory Students Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor, piano; orchestrated by Gennadi Belov. June 2014 (sung in Russian).

Morceaux de fantaisie

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

1. Elegie in E minor#

Elegie (Элегия, Elegiya) is a musical elegy at moderato tempo.

2. Prelude in C minor#

The second piece, Prelude (Прелюдия, Prelyudiya) is the most famous of the set.

3. Melodie in E major#

Melodie (Мелодия, Melodiya) is a short piece played Adagio sostenuto. It was rewritten by Rachmaninoff in 1940, along with the Serenade.

4. Polichinelle in F minor#

The fourth piece, called Polichinelle (Полишинель, Polishinyelʹ), is in an ambiguous key although often referred to as “in F minor” (the F minor triad has never been established throughout), and played Allegro vivace. It is a character piece, based on the Commedia dell’arte character Pulcinella (Polichinelle is the French translation of this word) from which Punch (from Punch and Judy) derives. It is in ternary form (ABA), beginning and ending with a fast section that gives way to a slower, lyrical melodious passage in the middle.

Morceaux de salon, Op. 6 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The two Morceaux de salon were composed in the summer 1893, when Rachmaninoff was already established as a composer and pianist. His Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3, had already been published, and he had completed the Suite for two pianos, Op. 5. The Morceaux de salon are similar in scope and structure to the Pieces for cello and piano, Op. 2, which consists of a Prélude, and a Danse orientale. It is likely that they were dedicated to Julius Conus, whose son would later marry the daughter of Rachmaninoff.

Piano Concerto No. 1 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Instrumentation#

2 flutes
2 oboes
2 clarinets
2 bassoons
4 french horns
2 trumpets
3 trombones
Timpani
Percussions (Triangle and Cymbals)
String section
Solo piano

Structure#

The work is in three movements:

I. Vivace – Moderato#

This contrast with the later works can be heard from the opening bars of the first movement, where a brass fanfare precedes a flourish of double octaves and chords on the piano – a musical gesture similar to the Schumann and Grieg piano concertos. This flourish occurs later in the movement, as well, an important factor in the symmetry of the movement. The main theme (like the other themes in this work common to both versions) is short by Rachmaninoff’s standards but already shows the sequential devices and arch-like design inherent in his later works. :

Piano Concerto No. 2 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

Sergei Rachmaninoff had been working on his First Symphony from January to September 1895. In 1896, after a long hiatus, the music publisher and philanthropist Mitrofan Belyayev agreed to include it at one of his Saint Petersburg Russian Symphony Concerts. However, there were setbacks: complaints were raised about the symphony by his teacher Sergei Taneyev upon receiving its score, which elicited revisions by Rachmaninoff, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov expressed dissatisfaction during rehearsal. Eventually, the symphony was scheduled to be premiered in March 1897. Before the due date, he was nervous but optimistic due to his prior successes, which included winning the Moscow Conservatory Great Gold Medal and earning the praise of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The premiere, however, was a disaster; Rachmaninoff listened to the cacophonous performance backstage to avoid getting humiliated by the audience and eventually left the hall when the piece finished. The symphony was brutally panned by critics, and apart from issues with the piece, the poor performance of the possibly drunk conductor, Alexander Glazunov, was also to blame. César Cui wrote: If there were a conservatoire in Hell, if one of its talented students were instructed to write a programme symphony on “The Seven Plagues of Egypt”, and if he were to compose a symphony like Mr Rachmaninoff’s, then he would have fulfilled his task brilliantly and delighted the inmates of Hell. Rachmaninoff initially remained aloof to the failure of his symphony, but upon reflection, suffered a psychological breakdown that stopped his compositional output for three years. He adopted a lifestyle of heavy drinking to forget about his problems. Depression consumed him, and although he rarely composed, he still engaged in performance, accepting a conducting position by the Russian entrepreneur Savva Mamontov at the Moscow Private Russian Opera from 1897 to 1898. It provided income for the cash-strapped Rachmaninoff; he eventually left as it didn’t allow time for other activities and due to the incompetence of the theater, which turned piano lessons into his main source of income. At the end of 1898, Rachmaninoff was invited to perform in London in April 1899, where he was expected to play his Second Piano Concerto. However, he wrote to the London Philharmonic Society that he couldn’t finish a second concerto due to illness. The society requested he play his First Piano Concerto, but he declined, dismissing it as a student piece. Instead, he offered to conduct one of his orchestral pieces, to which the society agreed, provided he also performed at the piano. He made a successful conducting debut, performing The Rock and playing piano pieces such as his popular Prelude in C-sharp minor. The society secretary, Francesco Berger invited him to return next year with a performance of the First Concerto. However, he promised to return with a newer and better one, although he did not perform it there until 1908. Alexander Goldenweiser, a peer from the same conservatory, wanted to play his new concerto at a Belyayev concert in Saint Petersburg, thinking its consummation was inevitable. Rachmaninoff, who had thoughts of composing it three years earlier, sent a letter to him stating that nothing had been penned so far. For the rest of the summer and autumn of 1899, Rachmaninoff’s unproductiveness worsened his depression. A friend of the Satins (relatives of Rachmaninoff), in an attempt to revoke the depressed composer’s writer’s block, suggested he visit Leo Tolstoy. However, his visit to the querulous author only increased his despondency, and he became so self-critical that he was rendered unable to compose. The Satins, anxious about his well-being, persuaded him to visit Nikolai Dahl, a neurologist who specialized in hypnosis, with whom they had a good experience. Desperate, he agreed without hesitation. From January to April 1900, he treated him daily free of charge using hypnotherapy. Dahl restored Rachmaninoff’s health and his confidence to compose. Himself a musician, Dahl engaged in lengthy conversations surrounding music with Rachmaninoff, and would repeat a triptych formula while the composer was half-asleep: “You will begin to write your concerto … You will work with great facility … The concerto will be of an excellent quality”. Even though the results were not readily evident, they were still successful.

Piano Concerto No. 3 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background and premiere#

Rachmaninoff composed the concerto in Dresden completing it on September 23, 1909. Contemporary with this work are his First Piano Sonata and his tone poem The Isle of the Dead. Owing to its difficulty, the concerto is respected, even feared, by many pianists. Josef Hofmann, the pianist to whom the work is dedicated, never publicly performed it, saying that it “wasn’t for” him. Gary Graffman lamented he had not learned this concerto as a student, when he was “still too young to know fear”. Due to time constraints, Rachmaninoff could not practice the piece while in Russia. Instead, he practiced it on a silent keyboard that he brought with him while en route to the United States. The concerto was first performed on Sunday, November 28, 1909, at the New Theatre in New York City. Rachmaninoff was the soloist, with the New York Symphony Society with Walter Damrosch conducting. The work received a second performance under Gustav Mahler on January 16, 1910, an “experience Rachmaninoff treasured”. Rachmaninoff later described the rehearsal to Riesemann: The score was first published in 1910 by Gutheil. Rachmaninoff called the Third the favorite of his own piano concertos, stating that “I much prefer the Third, because my Second is so uncomfortable to play.”

Piano Concerto No. 4 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Form#

Compared with its predecessors, the Fourth Concerto contains sharper thematic profiles along with a refinement of textures in keyboard and orchestra. These qualities do not lead to greater simplicity but to a different sort of complexity. It was also a continuation of Rachmaninoff’s long-range creative growth: the Third Concerto and the recomposed First Concerto were less heavily orchestrated than the Second Concerto. In keeping with its general character, the Fourth Concerto is lighter still, yet more oblique. The concerto is in three movements: Rachmaninoff had already been making a more extensive use of short thematic motifs and strong rhythmic patterns in his Op. 32 Preludes, in place of what was called the “unmentionable restlessness” that made his work, especially the concertos, a distressing experience for some musicians. This refinement of musical language, especially in orchestration, went back at least to The Bells and a more astringent tone was already noticeable in songs like “The Raising of Lazarus”, Op. 34, No. 6. The orchestra consists of piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (triangle, tambourine, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals), and strings.

Piano Sonata No. 1 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

In November 1906, Rachmaninoff, with his wife and daughter, moved to Dresden primarily to compose a second symphony to diffuse the critical failure of his first symphony, but also to escape the distractions of Moscow. but even without distraction he had considerable difficulty in composing his first piano sonata, especially concerning its form. Begrudgingly, Rachmaninoff decided to attend only for the money, since he would have preferred to spend time on this and his Symphony No. 2 (his opera project, Monna Vanna, had been dropped). Writing to Morozov before he left in May 1907, he expressed his doubt in the musicality of the sonata and deprecated its length, even though at this time he had completed only the second movement.

Piano Sonata No. 2 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

Three years after his third piano concerto was finished, Rachmaninoff moved with his family to a house in Rome that Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky had used. It was during this time in Rome that Rachmaninoff started working on his Second Piano Sonata.

Composition#

The sonata is in three interrelated movements: It is unified by two Non allegro bridges between the movements. The outer movements follow sonata form.

I. Allegro agitato#

The first movement of the second piano sonata is in sonata allegro form. The exposition begins with the first theme, which has a descending arpeggio that ends with a low B octave followed by a B minor chord. The first theme area lasts until a cadenza-like passage creates a bridge into the second theme area. The second theme is in D major, with a chorale-like texture that contrasts with the brilliance of the first theme. In the development section, which is split into three parts, there is much tonal instability with constantly changing key centers. Parts of this section use the left hand to imitate bells, with chromatic descending, alternating sevenths and thirds. The recapitulation restates the first two themes in B minor. The final section of an extension to the recapitulation alternates between B major and B minor, leaving the tonic unclear until the coda. The coda, clearly in B minor, repeats two themes seen earlier in the movement.

Polka de W.R.

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Composition#

Rachmaninoff wrote the arrangement on 24 March 1911, the day after the premiere of the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom in Saint Petersburg. He dedicated it to Leopold Godowsky. It was published the same year, as part of an album of Russian pieces called Nouvelle Collection de Musique; the other composers represented in the album were Alexander Scriabin, Nikolai Medtner, Sergei Taneyev, Georgy Catoire and Alexander Goedicke.

Analysis#

Polka de W.R. is in A major and in time. The piece starts with semi-quavers in the right-hand and a melody in the left. After four bars, this then progresses to a melody with a quaver followed by triplet semi-quavers underneath. Meanwhile, the left-hand plays a typical polka oom-cha rhythm with firstly a bass note and then a chord above. After 12 bars of this, there is then a melody in the right-hand and chords in the left. This continues for 16 bars. There is then semi-quaver runs with the right hand, accompanied by more chords in the left. The tempo then changes to Poco piu mosso and the main theme starts. This is then followed by another tempo change to Meno mosso and a key change to C minor. There is then another theme, followed by intricate arpeggio patterns in both hands. After several bars of this, there is another modulation back to A major. Another theme then proceeds until there are two bars of fast, arpeggiated patterns with a sustained chord in the left-hand. This is followed by a further theme until the end, where there is an arpeggio in both hands, a tempo change to Meno mosso, a short, two bar phrase with a melody above and chords below. There is then a penultimate, low pitched chord; followed by a higher pitched chord with a dynamic marking of pianissimo (pp)

Prelude in A-flat major (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Structure#

The work is three-part ternary; however, it assumes monothematic characteristics. The first occurrence Section A comprises measures 1–19, Section B of 19–43, Section A returns from measures 43–70, and the coda is placed at measures 70–78. A right hand figuration extends over a descending quarter-note melody in the first two bars, outlining the A chord. This motive repeats, and then is varied in measures 5–8, in succession. From measures 9–18, the section is restated though a transient modulation to E major (at measure 15). An imperfect cadence in the tonic bridges the transitory gap in measure 18 to the B section in E. Measures 19–20 introduce a variant of the main motive. Now in a new key, the bass melody changes, descending chromatically in an eighth-note figure. : :Measure 19 A transition section comes together though the combination of ascending and descending chromatic scale fragments at measures 31–41. Measures 30 and 31 contain a subtle but clear motive (in the left hand) that reappears again (in a slightly different manner) in the 2nd Symphony (1st movement). Vertiginous modulations swing through E – G – C – F – A and B, before settling into E at measures 39–41. : :Measures 32 and 33 The original statement occurs beginning at measure 42, and then a progression at measures 54–62 through F- B – D and F minor provides a link to measures 61–70, where the harmonies become vague and indistinguishable: : :Measures 61 and 62 The coda exhibits a gradual breakdown of the forward motion, and, with a quarter-note progression in the final three bars, the A tonality is reestablished. : :Measures 76–78

Prelude in B-flat major (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Structure#

This virtuoso piece is rhythmically complex, contrasting a thunderous left-hand ostinato against a jagged right-hand melodic line. As in Chopin’s Revolutionary Etude, the performer must possess considerable left-hand endurance to maintain a consistent legato throughout the piece. The structural form of the piece is ternary, roughly “ABA” with a coda. The main “idea” of the composition appears in measure 3: : :Measure 3 Here, the left-hand ostinato continues unimpeded as the treble line, accented and marked sempre marcato and fortissimo makes a regal entrance. By measure 20, the kernel of measure 3 is varied drastically, into a transcendent sequence that introduces an inner voice and offsets the main theme. : :Measure 20 In measures 28–37, the Prelude transitions back to the main theme in a mini-encapsulation of classic first rondo form. The quasi-rondo section forecasts the return of the A section, which is in fact restated in measure 30, albeit disguised in a different key and form. : :Measure 30 With the exception of measure 52, measures 38–54 are an exact repetition of the main theme. Measure 52 is pure Rachmaninoff: a vertigo-inducing cluster no doubt inspired by the composer’s stupendous chord-playing technique. : :Measure 52

Prelude in C minor (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Structure#

While the form of this Prelude may at first appear to be ternary, the actual structure is in fact a distorted version of strict ternary form. The A section is a single phrase at measures 1–16 which repeats in measures 16–32. The sixteenth-note figure that spreads throughout the work is introduced in measure 1 over a tonic pedal point. The first note of each measure through measure 10 reveals a descending chromatic pattern, perhaps adding to the sense of dread or urgency of the work. Parallel to the descending first note of each line is another descending chromatic pattern on the melodic quarter-note on the third beat of each measure, creating interplay between the two parts. Measures 13–16 outline the chromatic figure on the first beat of each measure in the left hand with similar suggestions in the treble half-notes. : :Measures 13 and 14 : :Measures 15 and 16 Following a cadence in C minor, the B section enters at measures 33 and continues to measure 37. The division consists of a descending half-note melody in the bass opposed by the sixteenth note accompaniment. The B section repeats serially at measures 37–41 and 41–44. Measures 45–48 are a transition, composed of ascending chromatic octaves that form a quasi cadenza at measures 49–52. : :Measures 49 and 50 The “A section” returns at measure 53, but is varied with increased modulation, an arpeggiated left hand figure, and the addition of octaves : :Measure 53 In measure 69, an unusual variation is introduced: the sixteenth-note motive overruns the augmentation of the fragmented theme. : :Measure 69 The passages that follow modulate in rapid succession through C minor – G- E flat – F – G – A flat – F minor – D flat – G and diminished and augmented chords in measures 83. The Prelude ends in a series of embellishing diminished, half-diminished and dominant seventh chords which all contain the tonic note (C). The work draws shut with a perfect cadence. : :Measures 87–91 : :Measure 10

Prelude in C-sharp minor (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

This work was one of the first that the 19‑year‑old Rachmaninoff composed as a “Free Artist”, after he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory on 29 May 1892. He performed this new work for the first time at one of the concerts of the Moscow Electrical Exhibition on 26 September 1892. It was printed the following year as the second of five Morceaux de fantaisie (Op. 3), all dedicated to Anton Arensky, his harmony teacher at the Conservatory. Because at the time Russia was not party to the 1886 Berne Convention, Russian publishers did not pay royalties, so the only financial return he ever received for this piece was a publishing fee of 40 rubles (about two months’ wages for a contemporary factory worker).

Prelude in G minor (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Structure#

The Prelude’s taut structure is in ternary form, consisting of an opening “A” section with punctuated sixteenth-note chords (marked: Alla marcia, march), a more lyrical and melancholy “B” section with sweeping arpeggios in the left hand (marked: Poco meno mosso), a transition into the original tempo, and a recapitulation of the initial march. The Alla marcia section is in itself in ternary ABA form. Within the first three measures of the Prelude, Rachmaninoff introduces the unifying factors of the piece (notwithstanding the Poco meno mosso section). First, the chordal march of measure one; second, the fragment on the second half of the beat in measure two; third, the fragment on the second half of beat two in measure three. Measures 1–9 expand on the march theme. Following a cadence in the dominant, the section repeats in measures 10–16 with slight alterations and concludes in a G minor perfect cadence. The “B” subsection of the Alla marcia section (measures 17–24) mirrors the rhythm of the first measure, presenting a sequence of related chords beginning with E. In contrast to the Alla marcia, the “B” section introduces a lyrical chordal melody over an extended arpeggiated figure. Beginning in measure 35, a two-measure phrase is repeated and then serially extended in measures 39–41. A counter melody appears at measure 42 in the middle voice, intensifying the passage. Following the middle section, the Prelude transitions to a recapitulation of the march section by gradual increases in tempo and dynamics. The section uses chromatically upward moving chords following embellished diminished seventh figures. Finally, the piece ends in a highly original way: a short arpeggiated run to a high G, marked pianissimo. \new Staff = “LeftHand” \clef bass \autoBeamOff \key g\minor a,,8 r r r d16 ( e fis8 ) » author=Measure 84

Preludes (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

First attempts#

Rachmaninoff’s first known composition to be designated a “prelude” was a piece in the key of E minor, one of the Four Pieces for piano solo dating from 1887. In July 1891, he wrote a Prelude in F major for piano solo, which he later arranged for cello and piano. Neither of these was published in his lifetime.

Prelude in C minor, Op. 3#

In 1892, Rachmaninoff published his Op. 3, consisting of five assorted piano pieces under the collective title Morceaux de fantaisie. The second piece in the set was the Prelude in C minor, which became a massive popular “hit” - so much so that the composer came to dislike the piece, and to refer to it as his “Frankenstein” (alluding to a creation that got out of control).

Preludes, Op. 23 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Composition#

Op. 23 is composed of ten preludes, ranging from two to five minutes in length. Combined, the pieces take around thirty minutes to perform. They are: * No. 1 in F minor (Largo) * No. 2 in B major (Maestoso) * No. 3 in D minor (Tempo di minuetto) * No. 4 in D major (Andante cantabile) * No. 5 in G minor (Alla marcia) * No. 6 in E major (Andante) * No. 7 in C minor (Allegro) * No. 8 in A major (Allegro vivace) * No. 9 in E minor (Presto) * No. 10 in G major (Largo) Rachmaninoff composed Prelude No. 5 in 1901. The remaining preludes were completed after Rachmaninoff’s marriage to his cousin Natalia Satina, with nos. 1, 4, and 10 being premiered in Moscow on February 10, 1903, and the remaining seven being completed soon thereafter. The years 1900–1903 were difficult for Rachmaninoff, and his motivation for writing the Preludes was predominantly financial. Rachmaninoff composed the works while living in the Hotel America as a guest of his cousin Alexander Siloti, and he dedicated the set to Siloti in gratitude.

Preludes, Op. 32 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Pieces#

Opus 32 contains 13 preludes: *No. 1 in C major (Allegro vivace) *No. 2 in B minor (Allegretto) *No. 3 in E major (Allegro vivace) *No. 4 in E minor (Allegro con brio) *No. 5 in G major (Moderato) *No. 6 in F minor (Allegro appassionato) *No. 7 in F major (Moderato) *No. 8 in A minor (Vivo) *No. 9 in A major (Allegro moderato) *No. 10 in B minor (Lento) *No. 11 in B major (Allegretto) *No. 12 in G minor (Allegro) *No. 13 in D major (Grave – Allegro)

Rhapsody (Ashton)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Choreography#

Ashton had stated that his inspiration was “not just from the nineteenth-century classics, but from classicism.” He added, “I’ve worked to develop my classicism so as to enrich and fit in with the repertory of a classical company.” The contrast becomes less obvious when the principal male role is danced by Royal Ballet-trained dancers. The two mostly dance separately, but the moments when they are together have been compared to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. While the two leads are the main focus of the ballet, the ensemble also has its own dances.

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Instrumentation#

The piece is scored for piano and orchestra: Woodwinds :2 flutes :piccolo :2 oboes :cor anglais :2 clarinets in B :2 bassoons Brass :4 horns in F :2 trumpets in C :3 trombones :tuba Percussion :timpani :snare drum :triangle :cymbals :bass drum :glockenspiel Strings : 1st violins : 2nd violins : violas : cellos : double basses : concert harp

Structure#

The piece is a set of 24 variations on the twenty-fourth and last of Niccolò Paganini’s Caprices for solo violin, which has inspired works by several composers. The whole composition takes about 22–24 minutes to perform. All variations are in A minor except where noted. * Section 1: ** Introduction: Allegro vivace ** Variation 1: (Precedente) ** Theme: L’istesso tempo ** Variation 2: L’istesso tempo ** Variation 3: L’istesso tempo ** Variation 4: Più vivo ** Variation 5: Tempo precedente ** Variation 6: L’istesso tempo ** Variation 7: Meno mosso, a tempo moderato ** Variation 8: Tempo I ** Variation 9: L’istesso tempo ** Variation 10: L’istesso tempo * Section 2: ** Variation 11: Moderato ** Variation 12: Tempo di minuetto (D minor) ** Variation 13: Allegro (D minor) ** Variation 14: L’istesso tempo (F major) ** Variation 15: Più vivo scherzando (F major) ** Variation 16: Allegretto (B minor) ** Variation 17: (Allegretto) (B minor) ** Variation 18: Andante cantabile (D major) * Section 3: ** Variation 19: A tempo vivace ** Variation 20: Un poco più vivo ** Variation 21: Un poco più vivo ** Variation 22: Marziale. Un poco più vivo (Alla breve) ** Variation 23: L’istesso tempo ** Variation 24: A tempo un poco meno mosso (A minor → A major) Although Rachmaninoff’s work is performed in one stretch without breaks, it can be divided into three sections, as shown above. These correspond to the three movements of a concerto: up to variation 10 corresponds to the first movement, variations 11 to 18 are the equivalent of a slow movement, and the remaining variations make a finale.

Russian Rhapsody (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

While still a student at Moscow Conservatory, Rachmaninoff wrote to Natalia Skalon on mentioning that he had begun work on a piece for two pianos that he wanted to play with his first cousin Alexander Siloti. He dated the manuscript January 12–15, 1891 O.S. , implying that he had the composition in his head at the time of the letter, and only recorded the days he notated it on paper. Despite his stated intentions, he began rehearsing with Leonid Maximov, who had been a fellow student of Nikolai Zverev and pupil of Siloti, to play at a student concert at the Conservatory on March 8, 1891. However, Zverev, still upset over Rachmaninoff’s request for a separate composing room, did not allow them to play together, so at the concert Rachmaninoff ended up conducting his choral work Deus Meus (1890) instead. The Rhapsody received its first performance after he graduated, on October 29, 1891, played by Rachmaninoff and Josef Lhévinne at the Conservatory.

Salammbô (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

After his two recent operas, The Miserly Knight (Op. 24, 1904) and Francesca da Rimini (Op. 25, 1905), achieved little success, Rachmaninoff eagerly considered another, larger project. Svobodin did not respond, so Morozoff attempted to write some, but Rachmaninoff rejected his work in favor of another friend, Mikhail Slonoff. Slonoff worked for a few weeks, but Rachmaninoff was never satisfied, and on May 24 wrote to Slonoff reporting that he was unable to compose anything. A few days after the letter, Rachmaninoff’s wife and daughter became sick and the project was terminated.

Scherzo in D minor (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Six moments musicaux (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

By the fall of 1896, 23-year old Rachmaninoff’s financial status was precarious, not helped by his being robbed of money on an earlier train trip. On December 7, he wrote to Aleksandr Zatayevich, a Russian composer he had met before he had composed the work, saying, “I hurry in order to get money I need by a certain date … This perpetual financial pressure is, on the one hand, quite beneficial … by the 20th of this month I have to write six piano pieces.” Despite the hasty circumstances, the work evidences his early virtuosity, and sets an example for the quality of his future works. and created a foundation of inner voices that he would elaborate on in his Preludes (Op. 23) and Études-Tableaux (Op. 33).

Suite No. 1 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Symphonic Dances (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

Rachmaninoff composed the Symphonic Dances four years after his Third Symphony, mostly at the Honeyman estate, “Orchard Point”, in Centerport, New York, which overlooked Long Island Sound. Its original name was Fantastic Dances, with movement titles of “Noon”, “Twilight”, and “Midnight”. While the composer had written to conductor Eugene Ormandy in late August 1940 that the piece was finished and needed only to be orchestrated, the manuscript for the full score bears completion dates of September and October 1940. The work is representative of the composer’s later style with shifting harmonies, outer movements in a manner similar to Sergei Prokofiev, and a focus on individual instrumental tone colors such as through the use of an alto saxophone in the opening dance, with this instrument encouraged by American orchestrator and composer Robert Russell Bennett. The opening three-note motif, introduced quietly but soon reinforced by heavily staccato chords and responsible for much of the movement’s rhythmic vitality. The rhythmic vivacity, a characteristic of Rachmaninoff’s late style, may have been further heightened in this piece following the success of his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini as a ballet in 1939 and wanted to write something with which to follow it up. No manuscript for the ballet is known to have survived, though he may have quoted the work. The work also includes several quotations from Rachmaninoff’s other works. The first dance ends with a modified quotation from his poorly received First Symphony (1897), rendered in a major key. The final dance introduces the Dies Irae theme, denoting Death, and a quotation from the ninth movement of his All-night Vigil (1915), representing Resurrection. The Resurrection theme proves victorious in the end (he wrote the word “Hallelujah” at this place in the score ). The second dance was called “Dusk” in some sketches.

Symphony No. 1 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

The First Symphony was actually Rachmaninoff’s second attempt in the genre. During 1890–91, his final year at the Moscow Conservatory, he had been assigned by one of his composition teachers, Anton Arensky, to write a symphony as an exercise. Rachmaninoff later told biographer Oskar von Riesmann that he had completed the work; however, three of the four movements subsequently vanished. The single surviving movement, approximately 12 minutes in length, was published posthumously in 1947 as Rachmaninoff’s Youth Symphony. This student work is written in traditional sonata form and modeled after the opening movement of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony. Rachmaninoff added that neither Arensky nor fellow-professor Sergei Taneyev was enthusiastic about the work, perhaps because of its lack of individuality. The First Piano Concerto, which he wrote later in 1891, showed a better indication of his ability to handle large-scale musical forces, and his transcription (1894) of Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony into a piano duet gave him further exposure to the symphonic genre.

Symphony No. 2 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

At the time his Symphony No. 2 was composed, Rachmaninoff had completed two successful seasons as the conductor of the Imperial Opera at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. He considered himself first and foremost a composer and felt that the performance schedule was detracting from his time to compose. He then moved with his wife and infant daughter to Dresden, Germany, to spend more time composing and to also escape the political tumult that would put Russia on the path to revolution. The family remained in Dresden for three years, spending summers at Rachmaninoff’s in-law’s estate of Ivanovka. It was during this time that Rachmaninoff wrote not only his Second Symphony, but also the tone poem Isle of the Dead. Rachmaninoff was not altogether convinced that he was a gifted symphonist. At its 1897 premiere, his Symphony No. 1 (conducted by Alexander Glazunov) was considered an utter disaster; criticism of it was so harsh that it sent the young composer into a bout of depression. Even after the success of his Piano Concerto No. 2 (which won the Glinka Award and 500 rubles in 1904), Rachmaninoff still lacked confidence in his writing. He was very unhappy with the first draft of his Second Symphony but after months of revision he finished the work and conducted the premiere in 1908 to great applause. The work earned him another Glinka Award ten months later. The triumph restored Rachmaninoff’s sense of self-worth as a symphonist. Because of its formidable length, Symphony No. 2 has been the subject of many revisions, particularly in the 1940s and 1950s, which reduced the piece from nearly an hour to as little as 35 minutes. Before 1970 the piece was usually performed in one of its revised, shorter, versions. Since then orchestras have used the complete version almost exclusively, although sometimes with the omission of a repeat of the exposition in the first movement. The 2016 Previn / LSO CD is one of the abridged versions still available (9026–60791–2).

Symphony No. 3 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Form#

The symphony contains only three movements, but its central one fulfills the dual role of slow movement and scherzo — a structural innovation with marked similarities to the third symphony of Antonín Dvořák. The work employs cyclic form, with the subtle use of a motto theme combined, as usual with Rachmaninoff’s works, with references to the plain-chant Dies irae. Also like Rachmaninoff’s motto themes — and thus differing from Tchaikovsky’s — it is short and, by tending to assume various shapes, is easily workable for further symphonic development. The piece is approximately 40 minutes long.

The Bells (symphony)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Composition#

Rachmaninoff wrote to his friend Nikita Morozov in December 1906, asking whether he could think of a suitable subject for a choral piece to follow his cantata Spring. Nothing came of this request. However, while on a holiday in Rome, Italy early in 1907, Rachmaninoff received an anonymous letter containing a copy of Balmont’s translation of The Bells. The sender asked him to read the verses, suggesting they were suitable for musical setting and would especially appeal to him. This suggestion was both extremely sensitive and opportune. It was only after the composer’s death that the identity of the sender was found to have been Maria Danilova, who was then a young cello student at the Moscow Conservatory.

The Miserly Knight

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Synopsis#

:Place: England :The Middle Ages

Scene 1#

Albert is a young knight who devotes himself to jousting and courtly pleasures, but is now deeply in debt as a result. His father, a very wealthy but equally frugal baron, refuses to support his son’s lifestyle. Albert’s ability to maneuver in society is now limited, and he tries to obtain a loan from outside his family. A money-lender denies Albert a loan, but instead offers Albert poison, to allow Albert to murder his father. Albert is appalled at such a suggestion. He resolves then to go to the Duke to make his appeal.

The Rock (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Inspiration#

As an epigraph for the composition, Rachmaninoff chose a couplet from a poem by Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov: The golden cloud slept through the night Upon the breast of the giant-rock He later admitted, however, to a second musical programme, drawn from a story by Anton Chekhov titled “Along the Way”, in which a young girl meets an older man during a stormy, overnight stop at a roadside inn on Christmas Eve. The man shares with her the story of his life, beliefs, and past failures, as a blizzard rages on through the night.

Three Russian Songs, Op. 41 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trio élégiaque No. 1 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The trio was written on January 18–21, 1892 in Moscow, when the composer was 18 years old. The work was first performed on January 30 of the same year with the composer at the piano, David Kreyn at the violin and Anatoliy Brandukov at the cello. It waited until 1947 for the first edition to appear, and the trio has no designated opus number. Rachmaninoff wrote a second Elegiac piano trio in 1893 after the death of Tchaikovsky.

Trio élégiaque No. 2 (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Structure#

The trio is in three movements, taking approximately 50 minutes to perform: The first movement starts with a sombre tone along with increasingly complex and powerful musical ideas, which return in both the second movement and at the close of the final movement. The opening bars of this movement return as the climax of the last movement. The second movement consists of eight variations upon the main theme of Rachmaninoff’s symphonic poem The Rock. The final movement, although short in comparison to the previous movements, is dominated by the unceasingly powerful and dramatic piano part. This piano trio is similar to Tchaikovsky’s Trio in A minor, which was dedicated to Nikolai Rubinstein; it follows the same basic structure.

Variations on a Theme of Chopin (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Variations#

The form of the piece is: :Theme: Largo, 9 bars

References#

;Notes ;Sources * * * * *

External links#

Piano.ru - Sheet music download
Chubrik.ru - Audio download
Rachmaninoff Variations on a theme by Chopin op.22. Performed by Marianna Prjevalskaya

Variations on a Theme of Corelli

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Structure#

The Theme is followed by 20 variations, an Intermezzo between variations 13 and 14, and a Coda to finish. All variations are in D minor except where noted. *Theme. Andante *Variation 1. Poco piu mosso *Variation 2. L’istesso tempo *Variation 3. Tempo di Minuetto *Variation 4. Andante *Variation 5. Allegro (ma non tanto) *Variation 6. L’istesso tempo *Variation 7. Vivace *Variation 8. Adagio misterioso *Variation 9. Un poco piu mosso *Variation 10. Allegro scherzando *Variation 11. Allegro vivace *Variation 12. L’istesso tempo *Variation 13. Agitato *Intermezzo *Variation 14. Andante (come prima) (D major) *Variation 15. L’istesso tempo (D major) *Variation 16. Allegro vivace *Variation 17. Meno mosso *Variation 18. Allegro con brio *Variation 19. Piu mosso. Agitato *Variation 20. Piu mosso *Coda. Andante Rachmaninoff noted in the score that variations 11, 12, and 19 could be omitted at the performer’s discretion.

Vocalise (Rachmaninoff)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Range#

Although the original publication stipulates that the song may be sung by either soprano or tenor voice, it is usually performed by a soprano. Though the original composition is in the key signature of C-sharp minor, it is sometimes transposed into a variety of keys, allowing a performer to choose a vocal range more suitable to the natural voice, so that artists who may not have the higher vocal range of a soprano can perform the song.