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Rachmaninoff, in his later years, toured the United States extensively, and remained there from 1918 until his death.
Rachmaninoff, in his later years, toured the United States extensively, and remained there from 1918 until his death. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff[a] (Russian: Сергей Васильевич Рахманинов, Sergej Vasil’evič Rakhmaninov, 1 April 1873 [O.S. 20 March]–28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1873 ( MDCCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance A pianist (/'piənɪst/ is a Musician who plays the Piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces play with an ensemble or Orchestra Conducting is the act of directing a Musical performance by way of visible gestures He was one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, the last great representative of Russian late Romanticism in classical music. Romantic Music is a Musicological term referring to a particular period theory compositional practice and canon in European music history from about 1815 to 1910 Early influences of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and other Russian composers gave way to a thoroughly personal idiom which included a pronounced lyricism, expressive breadth, structural ingenuity and a tonal palette of rich, distinctive orchestral colors. Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov ( Николай Андреевич Римский-Корсаков, Nikolaj Andreevič Rimskij-Korsakov) also Nikolay [1]

Understandably, the piano figures prominently in Rachmaninoff's compositional output, either as a solo instrument or as part of an ensemble. He made it a point, however, to use his own skills as a performer to explore fully the expressive possibilities of the instrument. Even in his earliest works, he revealed a sure grasp of idiomatic piano writing and a striking gift for melody. In Music, a melody (from Greek μελῳδία - melōidía, "singing chanting" also tune, voice, or In some of his early orchestral pieces, he showed the first signs of a talent for tone painting which he would perfect in The Isle of the Dead,[2] and he began to show a similar penchant for vocal writing in two early sets of songs, Opp. Isle of the Dead, Op 29 is a Symphonic poem composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff. 4 and 8. [3] Rachmaninoff's masterpiece, however, is his choral symphony The Bells, in which all of his talents are fused and unified. A choral symphony is a large Musical composition, generally including an Orchestra, a Choir and soloists which adheres to some extent The Bells (Колокола Kolokola) Op 35 is a Choral symphony by Sergei Rachmaninoff, written in 1913 [4]

Rachmaninoff sometimes felt threatened by the success of modernists such as Scriabin and Prokofiev and wondered whether to cease composing even before he left Russia. Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Скря́бин Aleksandr Nikolaevič Skrjabin; sometimes transliterated as Skriabin Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Серге́й Серге́евич Проко́фьев Sergéj Sergéjevič Prokófjev) ( - 5 March 1953 was a Russian composer who [5] His musical philosophy was rooted in the Russian spiritual tradition, where the role of the artist was to create beauty and to speak the truth from the depths of his heart. [6] In his last major interview, in 1941, he admitted his music, like Russian music, was a product of his temperament. [7] He said, on another occasion, "The new kind of music seems to create not from the heart but from the head. Its composers think rather than feel. They have not the capacity to make their works exalt—they meditate, protest, analyze, reason, calculate and brood, but they do not exalt. "[8]

Contents

Life

Main article: Life of Sergei Rachmaninoff
Rachmaninoff at age 10
Rachmaninoff at age 10

Youth

Rachmaninoff was born in Semyonovo, near Novgorod, in north-western Russia, into an aristocratic family with strong musical and military leanings. Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff ( &ndash 28 March 1943 Russian composer and pianist lived through tumultuous times Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod Northwestern Federal District (Се́веро-За́падный федера́льный о́круг tr Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations His parents were both amateur pianists. When he was four, his mother gave him casual piano lessons,[9] but it was his paternal grandfather, Arkady Alexandrovich Rachmaninoff, who brought Anna Ornatskaya, a teacher from Saint Petersburg, to teach Sergei in 1882. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Ornatskaya remained for "two or three years", until the family home had to be sold to settle debts and the Rachmaninoffs moved to Saint Petersburg. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Sergei studied at the Conservatory before moving to Moscow alone to study piano under Nikolai Zverev and Alexander Siloti (who was his cousin and a former student of Franz Liszt). The NA Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory ( Russian: Санкт-Петербургская государственная консерватория имени Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Nikolai Sergeyevich Zverev (Николай Сергеевич Зверев sometimes transliterated Nikolai Zveref; 1832&ndash was a Russian Pianist Alexander Ilyich Siloti (also Ziloti, Алекса́ндр Ильи́ч Зило́ти Aleksandr Iljič Ziloti) ( 9 October 1863 near He also studied harmony under Anton Arensky and counterpoint under Sergei Taneyev. In Western music, harmony is the use of different pitches simultaneously and chords actual or implied in Music. Anton Stepanovich Arensky (Антон Степанович Аренский ( –) was a Russian Composer of Romantic classical music, a Pianist In Music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and Rhythm, and interdependent in Harmony Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev (Pronounced Ta-'ñe-jəv (also Taneev or Taneiev, Russian: Сергей Иванович Танеев Sergej Ivanovič Rachmaninoff was found to be quite lazy, failing most of his classes, and it was the strict regime of the Zverev home that instilled discipline in the boy. [10]

In his early years, he showed great skill in composition. While still a student, he wrote the one-act opera, Aleko, for which he was awarded a gold medal in composition, his First Piano Concerto, and a set of piano pieces, Morceaux de Fantaisie (Op. Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto Aleko ( Алеко) is the first of three completed operas by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Sergei Rachmaninoff composed his Piano Concerto No 1 in F-sharp minor, Op Morceaux de Fantaisie ( French for "Fantasy Pieces" Пьесы Фантазии Pyesy Fantazii) Op. 3, 1892), which includes the popular and famous Prelude in C-sharp minor. Prelude in C-sharp minor (Прелюдия op 3 no 2 is one of Sergei Rachmaninoff 's most famous compositions The composer later became annoyed by the public’s fascination with this piece, composed when he was just 19 years old. He would often tease an expectant audience in the days when it was traditional for the audience to request particular compositions, by asking, "Oh, must I?" or claiming inability to remember anything else. [11] In Moscow, he met the prominent composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who became an important mentor and commissioned the teenage Rachmaninoff to arrange a piano transcription of the suite from his ballet The Sleeping Beauty. Ballet is a formalized form of Dance with its origins in the French court further developed in France and Russia as a Concert dance The Sleeping Beauty ( Спящая Красавица, Spyashchaya Krasavitsa) is a Ballet in a prologue and three acts Opus 66 by Pyotr Rachmaninoff confided in Zverev his desire to compose more, requesting a private room where he could compose in silence. Zverev saw him only as a pianist and severed his links with the boy, refusing to even speak to him for three years. Rachmaninoff moved out and continued to compose. [10]

Even after vacationing at Ivanovka the following summer, the failure of his Symphony No. 1 (Op. 13, 1896) bothered Rachmaninoff for years.
Even after vacationing at Ivanovka the following summer, the failure of his Symphony No. 1 (Op. For the village and municipality in Azerbaijan see İvanovka. Sergei Rachmaninoff 's Symphony No 1 in D minor Op 13 was written in 1895 and premiered in 1897 13, 1896) bothered Rachmaninoff for years.

Setbacks and recovery

The sudden death of Tchaikovsky in 1893 made a strong impression on Rachmaninoff; he immediately began writing a second Trio élégaique to his memory, clearly revealing the depth and sincerity of his grief in the music's overwhelming aura of gloom. On November 6 1893, nine days after the premiere of his Sixth Symphony, the Pathétique, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky died [12] His First Symphony (Op. Sergei Rachmaninoff 's Symphony No 1 in D minor Op 13 was written in 1895 and premiered in 1897 13, 1896) premiered on 27 March 1897 in one of a long-running series of "Russian Symphony Concerts," but was likened by nationalist composer and critic César Cui to a depiction of the ten plagues of Egypt, suggesting it would be admired by the "inmates" of a music conservatory in hell. The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation César Antonovich Cui ( Цезарь Антонович Кюи, Tsezar' Antonovič Kjui) ( - March 13, 1918) was a Russian of French The Plagues of Egypt ( the Biblical Plagues or the Ten Plagues ( are the ten calamities imposed upon Egypt by God in the Bible [13] (The fact the piece had been given a poor performance under Glazunov was not taken into consideration at the time. Aleksandr Konstantinovich Glazunov (Александр Константинович Глазунов Aleksandr Konstantinovič Glazunov; Glazounov Glasunow &ndash 21 March He made poor use of rehearsal time and was premiering two other works in the same concert. His alcoholism may have also been a factor,[14] as the composer's wife attested years later. ) This horrific reception, two disastrous visits to writer Leo Tolstoy's estate and his distress over the Russian Orthodox Church's objection to his marrying his cousin, Natalia Satina, contributed to a period of severe depression that lasted three years, during which he wrote virtually no music. Leo Tolstoy, or Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy ( –) (Лев Никола́евич Толсто́й, was a Russian Writer widely regarded See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure In the fields of Psychology and Psychiatry, the terms depression or depressed refer to both expected and pathologically chronic or severe [15]

One stroke of good fortune came from impresario Savva Mamontov, who two years earlier had founded the Moscow Private Russian Opera Company. Savva Ivanovich Mamontov ( Савва Иванович Мамонтов, 15 October 3 October 1841 Yalutorovsk, now Tyumen Oblast — He offered Rachmaninoff the post of assistant conductor for the 1897-8 season, which the cash-strapped composer accepted. The rehearsal for the first opera he was slated to conduct, Glinka's A Life for the Tsar, went badly because he did not know he had to cue the singers. A Life for the Tsar ( Жизнь за царя, Zhizn' za tsarya) as it is known in English although its original name was Ivan Susanin ( Once he learned this lesson, his experience that season was a fruitful one, giving him valuable experience in conducting an orchestra. The musical success of the performances and the consequent public approval persuaded him to take a more positive look at himself, and the intense hard work left him no room for introspection. He also met the bass Fyodor Chaliapin through Mamontov's opera company, starting what would become a long, deep friendship. Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin ( Russian: Фёдор Ива́нович Шаля́пин Fyodor Ivanovich Shalyapin; &ndash April 12, 1938) [16]

In 1900, Rachmaninoff began a course of autosuggestive therapy with psychologist Nikolai Dahl, himself an amateur musician. The term autosuggestion is used for positive or negative physical Symptoms explained by the thoughts and beliefs of a person Mental health professional A psychologist is a practitioner of Psychology, the systematic investigation of the mind including Behavior, Cognition, Nikolai Vladimirovich Dahl (Николай Владимирович Даль (1860 - 1939 was a Russian Physician. Rachmaninoff quickly recovered confidence and overcame his writer's block. Writer's block is a Phenomenon involving temporary loss of ability to begin or continue writing usually due to lack of inspiration or Creativity. A result of these sessions was the composition of Piano Concerto No. 2 (Op. Piano Concerto No 2, Op. 18 is a work in C minor for Piano accompanied by Orchestra, composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff between the 18, 1900–01), dedicated to Dr. Dahl. The piece was very well received at its premiere, at which Rachmaninoff was soloist, and remains one of his most popular compositions. Rachmaninoff's spirits were further bolstered when, after years of engagement, he was finally allowed to marry Natalia. They were married in a suburb of Moscow by an army priest on 29 April 1902, using the family's military background to subvert the church. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities Although he had an affair with the 22-year-old singer Nina Koshetz in 1916[1], his and Natalia's union lasted until the composer's death. Nina Koshetz (* 30 December 1891 in Kiev, Russia; † 14 May 1965 in Santa Ana, California) was a After several successful appearances as a conductor, Rachmaninoff was offered a job as conductor at the Bolshoi Theater in 1904, although political reasons led to his resignation in March 1906, after which he stayed in Italy until July. The Bolshoi Theatre (Большой театр Bol'shoy Teatr Great Theatre) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by famed architect Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest He spent the following three winters in Dresden, Germany, intensively composing, and returning to the family estate of Ivanovka every summer. Dresden (etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest, Drježdźany is the Capital city of the German Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. For the village and municipality in Azerbaijan see İvanovka. [17]

Rachmaninoff made his first tour of the United States as a pianist in 1909, an event for which he composed the Piano Concerto No. 3 (Op. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor Op 30 by Sergei Rachmaninoff (colloquially known as the "Rach 3") is famous for its technical and musical demands 30, 1909) as a calling card. This successful tour made him a popular figure in America. Nevertheless, he loathed the tour and declined offers of future American concerts. [17]

Rachmaninoff statue at World's Fair Park in Knoxville, Tennessee
Rachmaninoff statue at World's Fair Park in Knoxville, Tennessee

Emigration

The Russian Revolution of 1917 meant the end of Russia as the composer had known it. See also Russian Revolution (1905 The Russian Revolution of 1916 refers to a series of popular revolutions in Russia, and the events surrounding them With this change followed the loss of his estate, his way of life, his livelihood and essentially his world. On 22 December 1917, he left St. Petersburg for Helsinki with his wife and two daughters on an open sledge, having only a few notebooks with sketches of his own compositions and two orchestral scores: his unfinished opera Monna Vanna and Rimsky-Korsakov's opera The Golden Cockerel. Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov ( Николай Андреевич Римский-Корсаков, Nikolaj Andreevič Rimskij-Korsakov) also Nikolay The Golden Cockerel ( Золотой Петушок, Zolotoy Petushok) is an Opera in three acts (with short prologue and even shorter epilogue (The latter would become the indirect source of the opening motif for Rachmaninoff's final composition, the Symphonic Dances. The Symphonic Dances, Op 45 is an Orchestral suite in three movements ) They took a train to Stockholm, arriving there for Christmas. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the They never returned to their homeland. The Rachmaninoffs settled in Copenhagen. Copenhagen (ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn is the capital and largest city He spent a year giving concerts in Scandinavia while also laboring to widen his concert repertory. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well He realized that his and his family's livelihood depended on a steady income and he was more likely to achieve this as a concert performer than as a composer. [18]

Near the end of 1918, he received three offers of lucrative American contracts. Although he declined all three, he decided the United States might offer a solution to his financial concerns. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the He left from Kristiania (Oslo) to New York on 1 November 1918, which marked the beginning of the American period of the composer's life. (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Once the family arrived in New York, Rachmaninoff quickly chose an agent, Charles Ellis, and accepted the gift of a piano from Steinway before playing 40 concerts in a four-month period. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous For other people called Charles Ellis see Ellis (disambiguation page Charles Ellis is a deceased U Steinway & Sons (often called Steinway) is a Piano maker since 1853 in New York City, USA. At the end of the 1919-20 season, he also signed a contract with the Victor Talking Machine Company. In 1921, the Rachmaninoffs bought a house in the USA, where they consciously recreated the atmosphere of Ivanovka, entertaining Russian guests, employing Russian servants, and observing Russian customs. [18]

Due to his busy concert career, Rachmaninoff's output as composer slowed tremendously. Between 1918 and his death in 1943, while living in the U. S. and Europe, he completed only six compositions. This was partly due to spending much of his time performing in order to support himself and his family, but the main cause was homesickness. [19] When he left Russia, it was as if he had left behind his inspiration. His revival as composer became possible only after he had built himself a new home, Villa Senar on Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, where he spent summers from 1932 to 1939. Senar is a villa built in Switzerland by the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. Lake Lucerne ( German: Vierwaldstättersee, lit "Lake of the Four Forest Cantons " is a Lake in central Switzerland, the Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation There, in the comfort of his own villa which reminded him of this family estate, Ivanovka, back in Russia, Rachmaninoff composed the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, one of his best known works, in 1934. For the village and municipality in Azerbaijan see İvanovka. The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Рапсодия на тему Паганини Rapsodiya na temu Paganini) in A minor, opus 43 is a concertante He went on to compose his Symphony No. 3 (Op. Sergei Rachmaninoff composed his Symphony No 3 in A minor Op 44 between 1935 and 1936 44, 1935–36) and the Symphonic Dances (Op. The Symphonic Dances, Op 45 is an Orchestral suite in three movements 45, 1940), his last completed work. Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra premiered the Symphonic Dances in 1941 in the Academy of Music. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Eugene Ormandy ( November 18, 1899 &ndash March Rachmaninoff fell ill during a concert tour in late 1942 and was subsequently diagnosed with advanced melanoma. Melanoma is a Malignant Tumor of Melanocytes which are found predominantly in skin but also in the Bowel and the Eye (see The family was informed but the composer was not.

The grave of Sergei Rachmaninoff in Kensico Cemetery
The grave of Sergei Rachmaninoff in Kensico Cemetery

Well before this diagnosis Rachmaninoff had decided the 1942-43 season would be his last as a concert pianist. Towerkensicojpg|thumb|The Tower at the upper entrance to Kensico Cemetery]] Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, Westchester County New York, was founded Every year since his arrival in the United States he had taken exhausting tours, and he had recently been suffering from lumbago, arthritis and extreme fatigue. Low back pain (sometimes referred to generally as lumbago) is a common symptom of musculoskeletal disorders or of disorders involving the Lumbar vertebrae. Arthritis (from Greek arthro-, joint + -itis, inflammation plural arthritides is a group of conditions involving damage to the Joints of the body By January 1943 he was clearly ill. A Russian doctor diagnosed pleurisy. Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is an Inflammation of the pleura the lining of the Pleural cavity surrounding the Lungs Pleurisy has a variety Rachmaninoff insisted the tour go on. He and his wife became American citizens on 1 February 1943. His last recital, given on 17 February 1943 at the Alumni Gymnasium of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, prophetically featured Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat Minor, which contains the famous Funeral March. The University of Tennessee (also known as UT) sometimes called the University of Tennessee Knoxville ( UT Knoxville, or UTK) is the flagship Frédéric Chopin composed his Piano Sonata No 2 in B-flat minor Op A funeral march or dead march is a march, usually in a Minor key, in a slow "simple duple" metre, imitating the solemn pace of a funeral A statue called "Rachmaninoff: The Last Concert", designed and sculpted by Victor Bokarev, now stands in World Fair Park in Knoxville as a permanent tribute to Rachmaninoff. He became so ill after this recital that he had to return to his home in Los Angeles. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West [20]

As Rachmaninoff became more and more aware of the fact that he would never again return to his beloved homeland, he was overwhelmed with melancholia. Most people who knew him later in life described him as the saddest man they had ever known. In a 1961 interview, conductor Eugene Ormandy declared, "Rachmaninoff was really two people. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Eugene Ormandy ( November 18, 1899 &ndash March He hated his own music and was usually unhappy about it when he performed or conducted it in public so that the public saw only this side of him. But, among his close friends, he had a very good sense of humor and was in good spirits. "[2]

Death

Rachmaninoff died of melanoma on March 28, 1943, in Beverly Hills, California, just four days before his 70th birthday. Melanoma is a Malignant Tumor of Melanocytes which are found predominantly in skin but also in the Bowel and the Eye (see He had wanted to be buried at the Villa Senar in Switzerland but the conditions of World War II made fulfilling this request impossible. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including [21] He was therefore interred on June 1 in Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. Towerkensicojpg|thumb|The Tower at the upper entrance to Kensico Cemetery]] Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, Westchester County New York, was founded Valhalla is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP located in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County New York, [22]

Works

Oeuvre

Main article: List of compositions by Sergei Rachmaninoff

Rachmaninoff wrote five works for piano and orchestra—four concerti plus the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. The compositions of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873&ndash1943 cover a variety of musical forms and genres The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Рапсодия на тему Паганини Rapsodiya na temu Paganini) in A minor, opus 43 is a concertante Of the concerti, the Second and Third are the most popular. Piano Concerto No 2, Op. 18 is a work in C minor for Piano accompanied by Orchestra, composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff between the The Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor Op 30 by Sergei Rachmaninoff (colloquially known as the "Rach 3") is famous for its technical and musical demands The Third, widely considered one of the most difficult piano concertos, is a favorite among virtuosos. The composer also preferred the Third over the Second because it "fell more easily under the fingers"[23] than the famous Second and was thus more comfortable to play. The composer himself admired the way Vladimir Horowitz and Walter Gieseking played the Third, observing that Horowitz "swallowed it whole" when they played the work together on two pianos in the basement of Steinway & Sons in New York. Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (ולדימיר הורוביץ Владимир Самойлович Горовиц Vladimir Samojlovič Gorovits; Володимир Самійлович Walter Wilhelm Gieseking ( November 5, 1895 &ndash October 26, 1956) was a French - German Pianist and Composer Steinway & Sons (often called Steinway) is a Piano maker since 1853 in New York City, USA. However, the story that Rachmaninoff himself seldom played the concerto afterwards is a legend, carefully fostered by Horowitz. The composer actually played it 85 times during his concert career. [24]Moreover, Horowitz initially did not have such good luck with the piece himself, as he told Philip Ramey in 1977:

I played it in Italy at La Scala [and] in Paris, where they didn't like Rachmaninoff too much. Phillip Ramey (b Elmhurst, Illinois, United States, September 12, 1939) is an American composer pianist and writer on music Perhaps the piece was too modern for them; I mean "modern" as a concerto conception, not as music. When Rachmaninoff premiered it the virtuosi were playing concertos by Anton Rubinstein, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Liszt. A virtuoso (from Italian virtuoso, late Latin virtuosus, Latin virtus meaning skill manliness excellence is an individual This article is about the 19th century Russian pianist and composer Maybe they thought the Rachmaninoff was too long and diffuse, too complicated, too thick textured. The piano part is somewhat overwritten. "[25]

The cadenza of Piano Concerto No. 3 is famous for its large chords.
The cadenza of Piano Concerto No. 3 is famous for its large chords. The Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor Op 30 by Sergei Rachmaninoff (colloquially known as the "Rach 3") is famous for its technical and musical demands

Works for piano solo include the Preludes, ten in Op. 23 and thirteen in Op. 32. Ten Preludes, Op 23 is a set of ten preludes for solo Piano, composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff in 1901 Thirteen Preludes (Тринадцать прелюдий Trinadtsat prelyudiy) Op. Together with the Prelude in C-sharp minor (Op. Prelude in C-sharp minor (Прелюдия op 3 no 2 is one of Sergei Rachmaninoff 's most famous compositions 3 No. 2) from Morceaux de Fantaisie (Op. Morceaux de Fantaisie ( French for "Fantasy Pieces" Пьесы Фантазии Pyesy Fantazii) Op. 3), they traverse all 24 major and minor keys. Especially difficult are the two sets of Études-Tableaux, Opp. The Études-tableaux are two sets of piano études composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff, arranged under Opus numbers 33 and 39 33 and 39, which are very demanding study pictures. Stylistically, Op. 33 hearkens back to the preludes, while Op. 39 shows the influences of Scriabin and Prokofiev. Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Скря́бин Aleksandr Nikolaevič Skrjabin; sometimes transliterated as Skriabin Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Серге́й Серге́евич Проко́фьев Sergéj Sergéjevič Prokófjev) ( - 5 March 1953 was a Russian composer who There are also the Six Moments Musicaux (Op. Six Moments Musicaux ( French for "Six Musical Moments" Шесть Музыка́льных Моме́нтов Shestʹ Muzykálʹnykh Moméntov 16), the Variations on a Theme of Chopin (Op. Variations on a Theme of Chopin (Вариации на тему Ф 22), and the Variations on a Theme of Corelli (Op. Variations on a Theme of Corelli (Вариации на тему А 42). He wrote two piano sonatas, both of which are large scale and virtuosic in their technical demands. The Baroque keyboard sonata In the Baroque era the use of the term "sonata" generally referred to either the Sonata da chiesa ( Church sonata Rachmaninoff also composed works for two pianos, four hands, including two Suites (the first subtitled Fantasie-Tableaux), a version of the Symphonic Dances (Op. 45), and an arrangement of the C sharp minor Prelude. He also wrote a Russian Rhapsody and arranged his First Symphony (below) for piano four-hands. Both these works were published posthumously.

Rachmaninoff wrote three symphonies, of which, the first in D minor was a gargantuan failure at its premiere. Sergei Rachmaninoff 's Symphony No 1 in D minor Op 13 was written in 1895 and premiered in 1897 For many years it was believed lost; however after his death, the orchestral parts were found in the Leningrad Conservatory and the score was reconstructed, leading to its second performance (and American premiere) on 19 March 1948 at an all-Rachmaninoff concert, marking the fifth anniversary of the composer's death. Events 1279 - A Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The second and third symphonies are both considered among his greatest works. Sergei Rachmaninoff composed his Symphony No 2 in E minor Op 27 in 1906–07 Sergei Rachmaninoff composed his Symphony No 3 in A minor Op 44 between 1935 and 1936 Other orchestral works include The Rock (Op. The Rock Op 7 (Утёс is a fantasia for orchestra written by Sergei Rachmaninoff in the summer of 1893 7), Caprice Bohémien (Op. Caprice Bohémian, Op. 12 is a Symphonic poem for full orchestra composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff in 1892-1894 12), The Isle of the Dead (Op. Isle of the Dead, Op 29 is a Symphonic poem composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff. 29), and the Symphonic Dances (Op. The Symphonic Dances, Op 45 is an Orchestral suite in three movements 45).

Rachmaninoff wrote two major a cappella choral works: the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and the All-Night Vigil (also known as the Vespers). A cappella (Italian or Latin "From the chapel/choir" Music is Vocal music or Singing without instrumental Accompaniment Liturgy of St John Chrysostom (Литургия Иоанна Златоуста Op For the liturgical service see All-night vigil The All-Night Vigil (Всенощное бдение Vsenoshchnoe bdenie) Opus 37 His choral symphony The Bells is based on the translated poetry of Edgar Allan Poe; its four-movement program signifies the circle of life: youth, marriage, maturity, and death. A choral symphony is a large Musical composition, generally including an Orchestra, a Choir and soloists which adheres to some extent The Bells (Колокола Kolokola) Op 35 is a Choral symphony by Sergei Rachmaninoff, written in 1913 Edgar Allan Poe (January 19 1809 – October 7 1849 was an American poet, short-story Writer, editor and Literary critic, The Spring Cantata is lesser known and rarely performed; the same can be said about his Three Russian Songs and his early Concerto for Choir (a cappella). Sergei Rachmaninoff wrote his Vesna ("Spring" Cantata for Baritone Chorus and Orchestra Op The All-Night Vigil and The Bells are widely admired: Rachmaninoff himself considered them his favorites among all his works. [26] He also completed three operas: Aleko, The Miserly Knight, and Francesca da Rimini. Aleko ( Алеко) is the first of three completed operas by Sergei Rachmaninoff. The Miserly Knight, also The Covetous Knight, ( Скупой рыцарь, Skupóy rïtsár) is a Russian Opera in one act with music Francesca da Rimini (Франческа да Римини Op 25 is an Opera in two acts by Sergei Rachmaninoff to a Russian Libretto by He started another opera in 1907, based on a work by Maurice Maeterlinck, titled Monna Vanna, but did not finish it. Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Count Maeterlinck ( August 29, 1862 - May 6, 1949) was a Belgian Poet, Playwright, Monna Vanna (Монна Ванна is an unfinished opera by Sergei Rachmaninoff ( 1873 - 1943) after a play by Maurice Maeterlinck. It was completed by Igor Buketoff and had its first performance in 1984.

His chamber music includes two piano trios, both which are named Trio Elégiaque (the second of which is a memorial tribute to Tchaikovsky), and a Cello Sonata. Sergei Rachmaninoff 's Cello Sonata in G minor, op. 19 a Sonata for Cello and Piano, was composed in 1901 and published a year later In his chamber music, the piano tends to be perceived by some to dominate the ensemble. He also composed many songs for voice and piano, to texts by Aleksey Tolstoy, Aleksandr Pushkin, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Victor Hugo and Anton Chekhov, among others. Aleksei Nikolaevich Tolstoi (Алексей Николаевич Толстой ( January 10, 1883 ( December 29, 1882 ( O ˈjoːhan ˈvɔlfgaŋ fɔn ˈgøːtə (in English generally ˈgɝːtə 28 August 1749 22 March 1832 was a German writer Percy Bysshe Shelley (August 4 1792 – July 8 1822 ˈpɝːsɪ ˈbɪʃ ˈʃɛlɪ was one of the major English Romantic poets and is widely considered to be among Victor-Marie Hugo ( ( February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885) was a French Poet, Playwright, Novelist Anton Pavlovich Chekhov ( –) (Анто́н Па́влович Че́хов) was a Russian short-story writer and Playwright, considered to be one Among his most popular songs is the wordless Vocalise. Vocalise Op 34 No 14 is a Song by Sergei Rachmaninoff, published in 1912 as the last of his Fourteen Songs Opus 34.

Composition style

Portrait of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1925) by Konstantin Somov
Portrait of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1925) by Konstantin Somov

Rachmaninoff's style is fundamentally Russian: his music showed initially the influence of Tchaikovsky. Konstantin Andreyevich Somov ( Russian: Константин Андреевич Сомов November 30, 1869 — May 6, 1939) was Beginning in the mid-1890s, his compositions began showing a more individual tone. Even his First Symphony has many original features. Its brutal gestures and uncompromising power of expression were unprecedented in Russian music at the time. Its flexible rhythms, sweeping lyricism and stringent economy of thematic material were all features he would keep and refine in subsequent works. Rhythm (from Greek ῥυθμός - rhythmos, "any measured flow or movement symmetry" is the variation of the length and accentuation of After the three fallow years following the poor reception of the symphony, Rachmaninoff's style began developing significantly. He started leaning towards sumptuous harmonies and broadly lyrical, often passionate melodies. In Western music, harmony is the use of different pitches simultaneously and chords actual or implied in Music. His orchestration became subtler and more varied, with textures carefully contrasted, and his writing on the whole became more concise. [27]

Especially important is Rachmaninoff's use of unusually wide-spread chords for bell-like sounds: this occurs in many pieces, most notably in the choral symphonyThe Bells, the Second Piano Concerto, the E flat major Etude-Tableaux (Op. A choral symphony is a large Musical composition, generally including an Orchestra, a Choir and soloists which adheres to some extent 33 No. 7), and the B-minor prelude (Op. 32 No. 10). He was also fond of Russian Orthodox chants. He uses them most perceptibly in his Vespers, but many of his melodies found their origins in these chants. The opening melody of the First Symphony is derived from chants. (Note that the opening melody of the Third Piano Concerto is not derived from chants; when asked, Rachmaninoff said that "it had written itself"). [28]Rachmaninoff's frequently used motifs include the Dies Irae, often just the fragments of the first phrase. Dies Irae (Day of Wrath is a famous thirteenth century Latin Hymn thought to be written by Thomas of Celano. This is especially prevalent in The Bells, The Isle of the Dead, the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, and in all of his symphonies.

Rachmaninoff had great command of counterpoint and fugal writing, thanks to his studies with Taneyev. In Music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and Rhythm, and interdependent in Harmony In Music, a fugue (ˈfjuːg is a type of contrapuntal composition or technique of composition for a fixed number of parts, normally referred The above-mentioned occurrence of the Dies Irae in the Second Symphony is but a small example of this. Very characteristic of his writing is chromatic counterpoint. The chromatic scale is a Musical scale with twelve pitches each a Semitone or Half step apart This talent was paired with a confidence in writing in both large- and small-scale forms. The Third Piano Concerto especially shows a structural ingenuity, while each of the preludes grows from a tiny melodic or rhythmic fragment into a taut, powerfully evocative miniature, crystalizing a particular mood or sentiment while employing a complexity of texture, rhythmic flexibility and a pungent chromatic harmony. The Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor Op 30 by Sergei Rachmaninoff (colloquially known as the "Rach 3") is famous for its technical and musical demands [29]

His compositional style had already began changing before the October Revolution deprived him of his homeland. The October Revolution (Октябрьская революция Oktyabrskaya revolyutsiya) also known as the Soviet Revolution The harmonic writing in The Bells (composed in 1913 but not published until 1920[30][31]) became as advanced as in any of the works Rachmaninoff would write in Russia, partly because the melodic material has a harmonic aspect which arises from its chromatic ornamentation. In Western music, harmony is the use of different pitches simultaneously and chords actual or implied in Music. In Music, chromaticism is a Compositional technique interspersing the primary Diatonic pitches and chords with other pitches of the Chromatic In Music, ornaments are musical flourishes that are not necessary to carry the overall line of the melody (or harmony but serve instead to decorate or "ornament" [32] Further changes are apparent in the revised First Piano Concerto, which he finished just before leaving Russia, as well as in the Op. Sergei Rachmaninoff composed his Piano Concerto No 1 in F-sharp minor, Op 38 songs and Op. 39 Études-Tableaux. The Études-tableaux are two sets of piano études composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff, arranged under Opus numbers 33 and 39 In both these sets Rachmaninoff was less concerned with pure melody than with coloring. His near-Impressionist style perfectly matched the texts by symbolist poets. Impressionism was a 19th-century Art movement that began as a loose association of Paris -based Artists exhibiting their art publicly in the 1860s [33] The Op. 39 Études-Tableaux are among the most demanding pieces he wrote for any medium, both technically and in the sense that the player must see beyond any technical challenges to a considerable array of emotions, then unify all these aspects[34]

The composer's friend Vladimir Wilshaw noticed this compositional change continuing in the early 1930s, with a difference between the sometimes very extroverted Op. 39 études (the composer had broken a string on the piano at one performance) and the Variations on a Theme of Corelli (Op. Variations on a Theme of Corelli (Вариации на тему А 42, 1931). The variations show an even greater textural clarity than in the Op. 38 songs, combined with a more abrasive use of chromatic harmony and a new rhythmic incisiveness. This would be characteristic of all his later works — the Piano Concerto No. 4 (Op. Sergei Rachmaninoff completed his Piano Concerto No 4 in G minor, Op 40, 1926) is composed in a more emotionally introverted style, with a greater clarity of texture Nevertheless, some of his most beautiful (nostalgic and melancholy) melodies occur in the Third Symphony, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, and Symphonic Dances. Sergei Rachmaninoff composed his Symphony No 3 in A minor Op 44 between 1935 and 1936 The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Рапсодия на тему Паганини Rapsodiya na temu Paganini) in A minor, opus 43 is a concertante The Symphonic Dances, Op 45 is an Orchestral suite in three movements [35]

Theme from opening movement of First Symphony (first on clarinet, then in oboes). He would quote it in the Symphonic Dances.
Theme from opening movement of First Symphony (first on clarinet, then in oboes). He would quote it in the Symphonic Dances.

The Symphonic Dances became an apropos summation of Rachmaninoff's compositional output in more ways than one. The work is fully representative of the composer's late style with its curious, shifting harmonies, almost Prokofiev-like grotesquerie of the outer movements and focus on individual instrumental tone colors throughout (highlighted by his use of an alto saxophone in the opening one). The alto saxophone is a member of the Saxophone a family of Woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. [36] The opening three-note motif, introduced quietly but soon reinforced by heavily staccato chords and responsible for much of the movement's rhythmic vitality, is reminiscent of the Queen of Shemakha's theme from Rimsky-Korsakoff's opera The Golden Cockerel,[37] the only music by another composer he had taken out of Russia with him in 1917. Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov ( Николай Андреевич Римский-Корсаков, Nikolaj Andreevič Rimskij-Korsakov) also Nikolay The Golden Cockerel ( Золотой Петушок, Zolotoy Petushok) is an Opera in three acts (with short prologue and even shorter epilogue The Dances allowed him to indulge in a nostalgia for the Russia he had known, much as he had done in the Third Symphony,[38] as well as to effectively sum up his lifelong fascination with ecclesiastical chants. He quotes in the first dance the opning theme of his First Symphony, itself derived from motifs characteristic of Russian church music. In the finale he quotes both the Dies irae and the chant "Blessed be the Lord" (Blagosloven yesi, Gospodi) from his Vespers. Dies Irae (Day of Wrath is a famous thirteenth century Latin Hymn thought to be written by Thomas of Celano. [36]

Fluctuating reputation

His reputation as a composer generated a variety of opinions, before his music gained steady recognition across the world. The 1954 edition of Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians notoriously dismissed his music as "monotonous in texture . The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is an Encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians . . consist[ing] mainly of artificial and gushing tunes" and predicted that his popular success was "not likely to last". [39] To this, Harold C. Schonberg, in his Lives of the Great Composers, responded, "It is one of the most outrageously snobbish and even stupid statements ever to be found in a work that is supposed to be an objective reference. Harold Charles Schonberg (November 29 1915 - July 26 2003 was an American Music critic and Journalist, most notably for The New York Times "[39] Indeed, not only have Rachmaninoff's works become part of the standard repertoire, but their popularity among both musicians and audiences has, if anything, increased since the middle of the twentieth century, with some of his symphonies and other orchestral works, songs and choral music recognized as masterpieces alongside the more familiar piano works. A symphony is a Musical composition, often extended and usually for Orchestra. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well A song is a Musical composition. Songs contain vocal parts that are performed 'sung' and generally feature Words ( Lyrics) commonly followed For the musical composition see Chorale. A choir, chorale, or chorus is a Musical ensemble of Singers

Pianism

Technique

Rachmaninoff possessed a formidable piano technique. His playing was marked by precision, rhythmic drive, a refined legato and an ability of maintaining complete clarity when playing works with complex textures. He applied these qualities to excellent effect in music by Chopin, especially the B flat minor Piano Sonata. Frédéric Chopin composed his Piano Sonata No 2 in B-flat minor Op The remainder of Rachmaninoff's repertoire, excepting his own works, were many standard 19th Century virtuoso works plus music by Beethoven, Borodin, Debussy, Grieg, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann and Tchaikovsky. [40]

Rachmaninoff as a young man. Note the hands.
Rachmaninoff as a young man. Note the hands.

Rhythmically, Rachmaninoff was among the best Romantic performers. He never lost the basic metric pulse and was always clearly defined, yet he constantly varied it. Harold C. Schonberg suggests the young Vladimir Horowitz might have gotten this kind of rhythmic snap from Rachmaninoff. Harold Charles Schonberg (November 29 1915 - July 26 2003 was an American Music critic and Journalist, most notably for The New York Times Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (ולדימיר הורוביץ Владимир Самойлович Горовиц Vladimir Samojlovič Gorovits; Володимир Самійлович In addition, Rachmaninoff's playing had extreme musical elegance, the melodic lines shaped with unquestionable authority. It possessed a masculine, aristocratic kind of poetry hard to describe. While never becoming sentimental, he managed to wring dry the emotional essence of the music. He did so through subtly nuanced phrasing within his strong, clear, unmannered projection of melodic lines. [41]

Unlike most pianists, Rachmaninoff possessed extremely large hands, with which he could easily maneuver through the most complex chordal configurations. His left hand technique was unusually powerful. His playing was marked by definition—where other pianists' playing became blurry-sounding from overuse of the pedal or deficiencies in finger technique, Rachmaninoff's textures were always crystal clear. Only Josef Hofmann shared this kind of clarity with him. Józef Kazimierz Hofmann (born January 20, 1876 in Krakau (Kraków Austria-Hungary; died February 16, 1957 in Los [42] Both men had Anton Rubinstein as a model for this kind of playing—Hofmann as a student of Rubinstein's[43] and Rachmaninoff from hearing his famous series of historical recitals in Moscow while studying with Zverev. This article is about the 19th century Russian pianist and composer [44]

Incidentally, it might not have been a coincidence that the two pieces Rachmaninoff singled out for praise from Rubinstein's concerts became cornerstones for his own recital programs. The compositions were Beethoven's Appassionata and Chopin's "Funeral March" Sonata. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. Ludwig van Beethoven 's Piano Sonata No 23 in F minor, opus 57, colloquially known as the Appassionata, is considered one of the three Frédéric Chopin composed his Piano Sonata No 2 in B-flat minor Op Moreover, he may have based his interpretation of the Chopin sonata on Rubinstein's. Rachmaninoff biographer Barrie Martyn points out similarities between written accounts of Rubinstein's interpretation and Rachmaninov's audio recording of the work[45].

Presence

It was not just Rachmaninoff's pianism which captured his audiences' attention, but also a sort of reverse charisma that may have been something else he inherited from Anton Rubinstein. The word charisma (origin from the Greek word χάρισμα (kharisma, "gift" or "divine favor" from kharizesthai, "to favor" Like Rubinstein, Rachmaninoff was able to perform with passion yet look completely uninvolved, his face looking as though carved from granite. Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. [46] Brachvogel wrote a passage about Rubinstein that could easily be mistaken for a Rachmaninoff review:

No artist has ever shown to his audiences so merciless a front. Both his programmes and his attitude are absolutely uncompromising. At first sight one is conscious stern, even inimical, in his bearing towards the audience, as though the chasm were fixed between them . . . He has the head of an inspired sphinx, upon whose face not even the paroxysms of enthusiasm can call forth a smile; if the color of life did not illuminate it, it might be of stone. [46]

Listeners were awed when Rachmaninoff—grave, stately, tall and unsmiling, with his slightly Mongoloid features and close-cropped head of hair—walked quietly to the piano. Gestures at the keyboard were down to a minimum. His body was immobile, with everything done with forearms and fingers. [47]

Tone

From those barely-mobile fingers came an unforced, bronzelike sonority and a feeling of infallibility. Rachmaninoff may have been one of the most accurate of pianists; correct notes seemed to be built into his very constitution, and a wrong note at a Rachmaninoff recital never seemed to occur. [48] Artur Rubinstein wrote:

He had the secret of the golden, living tone which comes from the heart . . . I was always under the spell of his glorious and inimitable tone which could make me forget my uneasiness about his too rapidly fleting fingers and his exaggerated rubatos. There was always the irresistible sensuous charm, not unlike Kreisler's'. [49]

Coupled to this tone was a vocal quality not unlike that of Chopin's playing. With Rachmaninoff's extensive operatic experience, he was a fine admirer of singing. As his records demonstrate, he possessed a tremendous ability to make a musical line sing, no matter how long the notes or how complex the supporting texture, with most of his interpretations taking on a narrative quality. With the stories he told at the keyboard came multiple voices—a polyphonic dialogue, no least in terms of dynamics. In Music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent Melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice ( Monophony His 1940 recording of his transcription of the song "Daisies" captures this quality extremely well. On the recording, separate musical strands enter as if from various human voices in eloquent conversation. This ability came from an exceptional independence of fingers and hands. [50]

Memory

Rachmaninoff also possessed an uncanny memory—one that would help put him in good stead when he had to learn the standard piano repertory as a 45-year-old exile. He could hear a piece of music, even a symphony, then play it back the next day, the next year, or a decade after that. Siloti would give him a long and demanding piece to learn, such as Brahms' Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel. Johannes Brahms ( pronounced ˈbʁaːms (May 7 1833 &ndash April 3 1897 was a German Composer The Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op 24 is a work for solo Piano written by Johannes Brahms in 1861 a set of twenty-five variations and Two days later Rachmaninoff would play it "with complete artistic finish. " Goldenweiser said, "Whatever composition was ever mentioned—piano, orchestral, operatic, or other—by a Classical or contemporary composer, if Rachmaninoff had at any time heard it, and most of all if he liked it, he played it as though it were a work he had studied thoroughly. "[51]

Interpretations

Regardless of the music, Rachmaninoff always planned his performances carefully. He based his interpretations on the theory that each piece of music has a "culminating point. " Regardless of where that point was or at which dynamic within that piece, the performer had to know how to approach it with absolute calculation and precision; otherwise, the whole construction of the piece could crumble and the piece could become disjointed. This was a practice he learned from Russian bass Fyodor Chaliapin, a lifelong friend. Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin ( Russian: Фёдор Ива́нович Шаля́пин Fyodor Ivanovich Shalyapin; &ndash April 12, 1938) [40]

He slowly learned the pieces he played, detail by detail. Abram Chasins told about visiting Rachmaninoff one day and stopping outside. Abram Chasins ( August 17, 1903 &ndash June 21, 1987) was an American Composer and Pianist. Rachmaninoff "was practicing Chopin's Étude in thirds but at such a snail's pace that it took me a while to recognize it because so much time elapsed between each finger stroke and the next. Fascinated, I clocked this remarkable exhibition: 20 seconds per bar was his pace for almost an hour while I waited riveted to the spot, quite unable to ring the bell. In Musical notation, a bar or measure is a segment of time defined as a given number of beats of a given duration "[52] Paradoxically, Rachmaninoff often sounded like he was improvising, though he actually was not. While his interpretations were comprised of mosaics of tiny details, when those mosaics came together in performance, they might, according to the tempo of the piece being played, fly past at great speed, giving the impression of instant thought. [53]

"One must play a piece a thousand times, making a thousand experiments, listening, comparing, judging," he said, "for only as the individual learns to decide and to control his musical effects does he become an interpreter and come near to the stature whose works he should recreate. And only through unceasing labor can he accomplish such a mission. "[54] Rachmaninoff built his interpretations methodically, down to the last, fleeting shadow-like nuance, putting together readings of perfect architectural balance and inexorable musical logic. [55] Josef Hofmann admitted to him, "I dare say that I do not plan how to build a composition and occasionally it happens to sound well. "[56]

One advantage Rachmannoff had in this building process over most of his contemporaries was in approaching the pieces he played from the perspective of a composer rather than that of an interpreter. He believed "interpretation demands something of the creative instinct. If you are a composer, you have a affinity with other composers. You can make contact with their imaginations, knowing something of their problems and their ideals. You can give their works color. That is the most important thing for me in my interpretations, color. So you make music live. Without color it is dead. "[57] Nevertheless, Rachmaninoff also possessed a sense of structure far better than many of his contemporaries, such as Hofmann, or the majority of pianists from the previous generation, judging from their respective recordings. [58]

A recording which showcases Rachmaninoff's approach is the Liszt Second Polonaise, recorded in 1925. Percy Grainger, who had been influenced by the composer and Liszt specialist Feruccio Busoni, had himself recorded the same piece a few years earlier. George Percy Grainger (8 July 1882&ndash20 February 1961 was an Australian born Composer, Pianist and champion of the Saxophone and the Ferruccio Dante Michelangiolo Benvenuto Busoni (April 1 1866 &ndash July 27 1924 was an Italian Composer, Pianist, musical educator and conductor. Rachmaninoff's performance is far more taut and concentrated than Grainger's. The Russian's drive and monumental conception bear a considerable difference to the Australian's more delicate perceptions. Grainger's textures are elaborate. Rachmninoff shows the filagree as essential to the work's structure, not simply decorative. [59]

Recordings

Rachmaninoff, from a 1921 Victor advertisement
Rachmaninoff, from a 1921 Victor advertisement

Phonograph

Many of Rachmaninoff's recordings are acknowledged classics. Victrola redirects here For other uses see Victrola (disambiguation The Victor Talking Machine Company ( 1901 – 1929 Rachmaninoff recorded first for Edison Records on their "Diamond Disc" records, since they claimed the best audio fidelity in recording the piano at the time. Edison Records was the first Record label, pioneering Recorded sound and an important player in the early Record industry. High fidelity or hi-fi reproduction is a term used by home stereo listeners and home audio enthusiasts ( Audiophiles to refer to high-quality reproduction The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers Rachmaninoff believed his own performances to be variable in quality and requested that he be allowed to approve any recordings for commercial release. Edison agreed but still issued multiple takes, a common practice in the gramophone record industry at the time. A gramophone This angered Rachmaninoff, and he left Edison and signed a contract with the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1920 and with its successor, RCA Victor. Victrola redirects here For other uses see Victrola (disambiguation The Victor Talking Machine Company ( 1901 – 1929 RCA Corporation, founded as Radio Corporation of America, was an electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986 The company was pleased to comply with Rachmaninoff's restrictions, and proudly advertised him as one of their great recording artists.

The Wall Street Crash of 1929 devastated the American recording industry. The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the ’29 Crash, the Crash of 1929, the Great Crash of 1929, the Great Crash of October 1929 Many of Rachmaninoff's contemporaries, such as Vladimir Horowitz, Arthur Rubinstein and Jascha Heifitz, signed recording contracts with Victor's British associate, His Master's Voice, whose catalog was still expanding. Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (ולדימיר הורוביץ Владимир Самойлович Горовиц Vladimir Samojlovič Gorovits; Володимир Самійлович Arthur Rubinstein KBE ( January 28 1887 &ndash December 20 1982) was a Polish - American pianist who is widely Jascha Heifetz (ˈhaɪfɪts was a Lithuanian born American Violin Virtuoso ( &ndash December 10, 1987) The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located His Master's Voice, today usually abbreviated to HMV, is a famous Trademark in the music business and for many years was the name of a large record label Rachmaninoff did not do this, instead electing to not make any recordings between 1930 and 1934. [60] Had he not gone into this self-imposed moratorium, Rachmaninoff would still have had to deal with a new recording head, Charles O'Connell, who cared neither for his pianism nor for his compositions. Charles "Charlie" O'Connell (born April 21, 1975) is an American Actor and Reality television personality [61] O'Connell was hired in 1931 and, arguably, was watching production expenses at the height of the Great Depression. However, he continued to refuse many of the composer's recording suggestions well after the economic tide had turned. [62] Because of continued friction with O'Connell, Rachmaninoff considered switching to EMI, even scheduling three days of recording sessions in September 1937 to conduct his Third Symphony and play his First Piano Concerto for them. The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in Sergei Rachmaninoff composed his Symphony No 3 in A minor Op 44 between 1935 and 1936 Sergei Rachmaninoff composed his Piano Concerto No 1 in F-sharp minor, Op Rachmaninoff was uncertain about these sessions, however; they were postponed, and eventually cancelled, even though EMI had already anounced the release of the planned recordings. [63]

Particularly renowned are his renditions of Schumann's Carnaval and Chopin's Funeral March Sonata, which many consider the finest performance of that work, along with many shorter pieces. Robert Schumann, sometimes given as Robert Alexander Schumann (June 8 1810 &ndash July 29 1856 was a German Composer, Aesthete and influential Music critic Carnaval is a work by Robert Schumann for piano solo his op 9 written in 1834-1835 Frédéric Chopin composed his Piano Sonata No 2 in B-flat minor Op He recorded all four of his piano concertos with the Philadelphia Orchestra, including two versions of the second concerto with Leopold Stokowski conducting, and a world premiere recording of the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, soon after the first performance (1934) with the Philadelphians under Stokowski. The Philadelphia Orchestra is an Orchestra based in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, in the United States. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Leopold Stokowski (born Leopold Anthony Stokowski though on occasion The first, third, and fourth concertos were recorded with Eugene Ormandy. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Eugene Ormandy ( November 18, 1899 &ndash March Rachmaninoff wanted to record several other major piano works, including Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata, Liszt's Sonata in B minor and his own Symphonic Dances in a two-piano collaboration with Vladimir Horowitz, but RCA turned him down. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. The Piano Sonata No 21 in C major, Op53 nicknamed Waldstein, is considered to be one of Beethoven 's greatest piano sonatas, as The Piano Sonata in B minor (Klaviersonate h-Moll S178, is a musical composition for solo Piano by Franz Liszt. The Symphonic Dances, Op 45 is an Orchestral suite in three movements Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (ולדימיר הורוביץ Владимир Самойлович Горовиц Vladimir Samojlovič Gorovits; Володимир Самійлович His final recordings were made for RCA Victor in February 1942; a Musicians Union recording ban prevented him from making further recordings before his death the following year.

Rachmaninoff also made three greatly admired recordings conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra in his own Third Symphony, his symphonic poem Isle of the Dead, and his orchestration of Vocalise. The Philadelphia Orchestra is an Orchestra based in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, in the United States. Sergei Rachmaninoff composed his Symphony No 3 in A minor Op 44 between 1935 and 1936 Isle of the Dead, Op 29 is a Symphonic poem composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Vocalise Op 34 No 14 is a Song by Sergei Rachmaninoff, published in 1912 as the last of his Fourteen Songs Opus 34.

Piano rolls

Rachmaninoff was also involved in various ways with music on piano rolls. A piano roll is the music Storage medium used to operate the Player piano, pianola or a Reproducing piano. Several manufacturers, and in particular the Aeolian Company, had perforated his compositions on music rolls from about 1900 onwards. [64] His sister-in-law, Sofia Satina, remembered him at the family estate at Ivanovka, pedalling gleefully through a set of rolls of his Second Piano Concerto, apparently acquired from a German source,[65] most probably the Aeolian Company's Berlin subsidiary, the Choralion Company. Aeolian in London created a set of three rolls of this concerto in 1909, which remained in the catalogues of its various successors until the late 1970s. [66]

From 1919 he made a number of recorded piano rolls for the American Piano Company's Ampico re-enacting piano; according to the Ampico publicity department, he initially disbelieved that a roll of punched paper could provide an accurate record, so he was invited to listen to a proof copy of his first recording. Ampico (short for "American Piano Company" was one of the leading Reproducing piano technologies of the early 20th century the others being Duo-Art and After the performance, he was quoted as saying "Gentlemen — I, Sergei Rachmaninoff, have just heard myself play!" For demonstration purposes, he recorded the solo part of his Second Piano Concerto for Ampico, though only the second movement was used publicly and has survived. He continued to record until around 1929, though his last roll, the Chopin Scherzo in B♭ minor, was not published until October 1933. [67]

Music samples

Rachmaninoff and Marfan syndrome

Along with his musical gifts, Rachmaninoff possessed physical gifts that may have placed him in good stead as a pianist. These gifts included exceptional height and extremely large hands with a gigantic finger stretch. They and Rachmaninoff's slender frame, long limbs, narrow head, prominent ears, and thin nose suggest that he may have suffered from Marfan syndrome, a hereditary disorder of the connective tissue. Marfan syndrome (or Marfan's syndrome is a genetic disorder of the Connective tissue. Connective tissue is one of the four types of tissue in traditional classifications (the others being epithelial, Muscle, and Nervous tissue) This syndrome would have accounted for several minor ailments he suffered all his life. These included back pain, arthritis, eye strain and bruising of the fingertips. Arthritis (from Greek arthro-, joint + -itis, inflammation plural arthritides is a group of conditions involving damage to the Joints of the body [68]

Modern references

Rachmaninoff's music is heavily quoted, especially themes from his second and third piano concerto, and the eighteenth variation in Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Piano Concerto No 2, Op. 18 is a work in C minor for Piano accompanied by Orchestra, composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff between the The Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor Op 30 by Sergei Rachmaninoff (colloquially known as the "Rach 3") is famous for its technical and musical demands The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Рапсодия на тему Паганини Rapsodiya na temu Paganini) in A minor, opus 43 is a concertante The Conservatoire Rachmaninoff and Rachmaninoff vodka are named after the composer. The Conservatoire russe de Paris Serge Rachmaninoff ( English translation Sergei Rachmaninoff Russian Conservatory of Paris) is a professional music school Rachmaninoff is a German produced Vodka. The spirit is named after the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Bruce Beresford was signed in March 2006 to direct a feature film based on Rachmaninoff's life, as seen through the eyes of his widow, to be called Rhapsody. Bruce Beresford (born 16 August 1940 is an Academy Award -nominated Australian film director writer and producer [69]

Tom Ewell's character in The Seven Year Itch believes a Rachmaninoff recording is the key ingredient with which to seduce Marilyn Monroe. Tom Ewell ( April 29 1909 - September 12, 1994) was an American Tony Award -winning Actor. The Seven Year Itch is a three-act play written by George Axelrod. Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson, June 1 1926 &ndash August 5 1962 baptized Norma

See also

Bibliography

Notes

References

  1. ^ Norris, New Grove, 2nd. ed. , 707.
  2. ^ Norris, New Grove, 15:555
  3. ^ Norris, Oxford, 1025.
  4. ^ Kennedy, Oxford, 577.
  5. ^ Maes, 203.
  6. ^ Figes, 542.
  7. ^ Rakhmaninov, S. , Literaturnoe nasledie v-3-x tomakh (Moscow, 1978).
  8. ^ Cited in Hancock, J. , Rachmaninov (London, 1996), 82.
  9. ^ Shelokhonov, Steve (2007). Biography for Sergei Rachmaninoff. IMDb. Retrieved on 2007-12-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people
  10. ^ a b Norris, New Grove, 15:550.
  11. ^ Francis Crociata’s liner notes to RCA's 10-CD set of Rachmaninoff’s recordings
  12. ^ Norris, New Grove, 2nd. RCA Corporation, founded as Radio Corporation of America, was an electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986 ed. , 709.
  13. ^ Kyui, Ts. , "Tretiy russkiy simfonicheskiy kontsert," Novosti i birzhevaya gazeta (17 March 1897(o. s. )), 3.
  14. ^ Norris, New Grove, 709.
  15. ^ Norris, New Grove 2nd Ed. , 709-710.
  16. ^ Harrison, 84-85.
  17. ^ a b Norris, New Grove, 15:553.
  18. ^ a b Norris, New Grove, 15:554.
  19. ^ Sergei Rachmaninoff Biography. 8notes. Retrieved on 2008-03-02. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good
  20. ^ Norris, New Grove, 15:554-555.
  21. ^ Norris, New Grove, 2nd ed. , 713.
  22. ^ Harrison, Max (2006). Rachmaninoff: Life, Works, Recordings. London: Continuum. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The Continuum International Publishing Group is a publisher of Books, with its editorial offices in London and New York City. ISBN 0-8264-9312-2.  
  23. ^ Bertenssohn and Leyva, page cit. needed.
  24. ^ Harrison, 162.
  25. ^ Plaskin, 102-103.
  26. ^ Sergei Bertensson, Jay Leyda, Sophia Satina, Sergei Rachmaninoff: A Lifetime in Music, Indiana University Press, 2001, p. 191
  27. ^ Norris, New Grove 2nd ed. Jay Leyda (1910 - February 15, 1988 was an American avant-garde filmmaker and film historian noted for his work on U , 714-715.
  28. ^ Yasser, Joseph (1969), “The Opening Theme of Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto and its Liturgical Prototype”, Musical Quarterly LV: 313-328 
  29. ^ Norr's, New Grove 2nd ed. , 715.
  30. ^ Harrison, 191.
  31. ^ This may have been due to Rachmaninoff's main publisher, Gutheil, having died in 1914 and Gutheil's catalog being acquired by Serge Koussevitsky. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes -->Dr (Harrison, 191).
  32. ^ Harrison, 190-191.
  33. ^ Norris, New Grove, 2nd ed. , 716.
  34. ^ Harrison, 207.
  35. ^ Norris, New Grove, 2nd ed. , 716.
  36. ^ a b Norris, New Grove, 2nd ed. , 716.
  37. ^ Harrison, 331.
  38. ^ Maes, 272.
  39. ^ a b Schonberg, Composers, 520.
  40. ^ a b Norris, New Grove, 714.
  41. ^ Schonberg, Virtuosi, 315, 317.
  42. ^ Schonberg, Virtuosi, 317.
  43. ^ Schonberg, Pianists, 384.
  44. ^ Riesemann, 49-52.
  45. ^ Martyn,368, 403-406
  46. ^ a b Harrison, 267
  47. ^ Schonberg, Virtuosi, 315.
  48. ^ Schonberg, Virtuosi, 315.
  49. ^ Rubinstein, 1980. , 87-89, 468.
  50. ^ Harrison, 270.
  51. ^ Schonberg, Composers, 522.
  52. ^ Chasins, 1957, p. 44.
  53. ^ Harrison, 268.
  54. ^ the Etude, April 1932.
  55. ^ Harrison, 268.
  56. ^ Schonberg, Pianists, 390.
  57. ^ From "Conversations with Rachmaninoff" by Basil Mayne, Musical Opinion, October 1936,.
  58. ^ Harrison, 270.
  59. ^ Harrison, 251.
  60. ^ Harrison, 250-251.
  61. ^ Matthew-Walker, IPQ
  62. ^ Matthew-Walker, IPQ.
  63. ^ Matthew-Walker, 120.
  64. ^ Music for the Pianola and the Aeriol Piano, The Aeolian Company, New York, July 1901.
  65. ^ Harrison 2006, p.223
  66. ^ Catalogue of Music for the Pianola and Pianola-Piano, The Orchestrelle Company, London, June 1910, and many successive catalogues.
  67. ^ Obenchain 1987.
  68. ^ Young, 1986.
  69. ^ George, Sandy. "Grasping the poetry of features", The Australian, 2006-08-31. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Retrieved on 2007-07-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.  

External links

Recordings and MIDI

Free scores

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