Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2
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Sir Simon Rattle Symphony No 2 Serge Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) Symphony No 2 in E Minor, Op 27 (1907) Sir Simon Rattle conductor London Symphony Orchestra 1 I. Largo – Allegro moderato 18’59” 2 II. Allegro molto 10’09” 3 III. Adagio 15’22” 4 IV. Allegro vivace 14’20” Total 58’50” Recorded live in DSD 256fs on 18 & 19 September 2019 at the Barbican, London Andrew Cornall producer Classic Sound Ltd recording, editing and mastering facilities Jonathan Stokes for Classic Sound Ltd balance engineer, editor, mixing & mastering engineer Neil Hutchinson for Classic Sound Ltd recording engineer Translation Co-ordinator: Ros Schwartz (Ros Schwartz Translations Ltd) © 2021 London Symphony Orchestra Ltd, London, UK P 2021 London Symphony Orchestra Ltd, London, UK 2 Instead of the unmixed colour favoured by so many Serge Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) of his countrymen from Glinka to Shostakovich, Symphony No 2 in E Minor, Op 27 (1907) Rachmaninoff deals in varied shades and combinations, producing a full, sonorous orchestral Following the performances in January 1906 of his blend, with horns and low woodwind (particularly two one-act operas, The Miserly Knight and Francesca in the melancholy cor anglais and bass clarinet) da Rimini, Rachmaninoff next turned to composing supporting the middle of the texture, and the tuba an opera on Maeterlinck’s Monna Vanna, but this doubling the long-held bass notes that frequently ran into difficulties and remains a fragment. Then underpin the music. in February 1907 he wrote to a friend about a rumour in the Russian press: ‘It’s true, I have composed a The slow introduction begins with an entire group symphony. It’s only ready in rough. I finished it a of motto themes heard one after the other: the month ago, and immediately put it aside. It was a initial unison phrase on cellos and basses, ominous severe worry to me, and I am not going to think about brass and wind chords, and the phrase passed from it any more. But I am mystified how the newspapers first to second violins. This introduction, as well got onto it’. He was bound to be wary of announcing as being a rich mine of thematic material, also a new symphony, for the only performance of his announces the scale of what follows. First Symphony, in 1897, had been a disaster. The E minor Allegro moderato emerges organically Rachmaninoff conducted the first performance of from the introduction. Its yearning first theme is the Second Symphony in St Petersburg on 26 January carried forward with the same sequential techniques 1908, and in Moscow a week later. He went on to that characterise the introduction, but the quicker conduct it several times in both Europe and the tempo gives the music a more positive, striving US over the next six years, but never conducted it character. The second theme, beginning and ending after leaving Russia in 1918, and unfortunately never in G major, is not designed to contrast strongly with had the chance to record it. the first, but rather to continue its melodic narrative into a different and lighter-sounding tonal area. The All sympathetic listeners agree that the Second turbulent development, fragmenting motives from Symphony contains the very best of Rachmaninoff. the introduction and the first subject, spills over Deliberately paced and rhythmically flexible, it is into the reprise of the first subject, which then above all propelled by the wonderfully fertile melody leads to the movement’s most intense climax, with of which he was such a master. The orchestral sound echoes of the music that described the infernal is full and rich, but unlike such contemporaries as whirlwind in Francesca da Rimini. The return of the Strauss and Mahler, Rachmaninoff is relatively second theme marks the first appearance of E major, modest in his orchestral demands. He is also rather suggesting a major-key conclusion to the movement; un-Russian in his approach to the orchestration. but as the tempo quickens for the coda, the music darkens again and ends in a stormy E minor. 3 Although there is a great deal of activity in the Allegro moderato, its deliberate pacing and generally slow Serge Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) rate of harmonic change do not make it a truly fast ‘Melody is music’, wrote Rachmaninoff, ‘the basis movement. The quick A minor Scherzo therefore of music as a whole, since a perfect melody implies follows in second, rather than in third, place. It is and calls into being its own harmonic design’. The one of Rachmaninoff’s most vigorous movements, Russian composer, pianist and conductor’s passion rhythmically incisive and clear in design. The main for melody was central to his work, clearly heard in horn theme is not only the source of the scampering his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, a brilliant contrapuntal ideas in the central section, but towards and diverse set of variations on a tune by the great the end of the movement declares its own derivation 19th-century violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini. from the sinister wind chords in the symphony’s first bars. The music dies away in an ominous murmur. Although the young Serge’s father squandered much of the family inheritance, he at first invested The Adagio turns from A minor vigour to A major wisely in his son’s musical education. In 1882 the boy lyricism. Its opening phrase, rising on violins, comes received a scholarship to study at the St. Petersburg again from the world of Francesca da Rimini, this Conservatory, but further disasters at home hindered time its ecstatic love duet. It is one of the three main his progress and he moved to study at the Moscow melodic elements in the movement, the others being Conservatory. Here he proved an outstanding piano the rapt clarinet solo which follows immediately, pupil and began to study composition. Rachmaninoff’s and the third being the motto violin phrase from early works reveal his debt to the music of Rimsky- the symphony’s introduction. The presentation, Korsakov and Tchaikovsky, although he rapidly and then the subtle combination of these three forged a personal, richly lyrical musical language, elements, is vocal throughout, and sustained by clearly expressed in his Prelude in C-sharp minor a rich variety of accompaniment figures. for piano (1892). His First Symphony (1897) was savaged by the critics, which caused the composer’s The breadth of scale is sustained in the finale, which confidence to evaporate. In desperation he sought is so balanced that reminiscences of the preceding help from Dr Nikolai Dahl, whose hypnotherapy movements are accommodated without losing sessions restored Rachmaninoff’s self-belief and momentum. It begins in a proud, boisterous style, gave him the will to complete his Second Piano and this is how the symphony will eventually end. Concerto, widely known through its later use as the In the course of the movement, however, there is sound-track for the classic film Brief Encounter. room for many shades of feeling and also for one of Thereafter, his creative imagination ran free to the very biggest of Rachmaninoff’s ‘big tunes’, given produce a string of unashamedly romantic works at each of its two appearances to massed strings. divorced from newer musical trends. He left Russia shortly before the October Revolution in 1917, touring Programme note © Andrew Huth as pianist and conductor and buying properties in Europe and the United States. 4 cette mélodie dont le compositeur avait le secret. Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943) La sonorité orchestrale est pleine et riche mais, Symphonie n° 2 en mi mineur, opus 27 (1907) contrairement à des contemporains tels que Strauss et Mahler, Rachmaninov est relativement modeste Après les représentations en janvier 1906 de ses dans ses exigences orchestrales. Il est également deux opéras en un acte, Le Chevalier avare et assez peu russe dans son approche de l’orchestration. Francesca da Rimini, Rachmaninov entreprend la composition d’un opéra sur la Monna Vanna de Au lieu de la couleur uniforme privilégiée par tant Maeterlinck, mais il rencontre quelques difficultés, de ses compatriotes, de Glinka à Chostakovitch, et l’œuvre reste inachevée. Voici qu’en février 1907 Rachmaninov propose des nuances et des il écrit à un ami au sujet d’une rumeur qui circule combinaisons variées, produisant un mélange dans la presse russe : « Oui, c’est vrai, j’ai composé orchestral complet et riche en sonorités, avec les cors une symphonie. Elle est prête mais encore à l’état et les bois du registre grave (en particulier dans les de brouillon. Je l’ai terminée il y a un mois, et je interventions du cor anglais mélancolique et de la l’ai immédiatement mise de côté. C’était très clarinette basse) soutenant la partie médiane de important pour moi, et je ne vais plus y penser. la texture, et le tuba doublant les notes de basse Mais je m’interroge sur la façon dont les journaux de longue durée qui sous-tendent fréquemment se sont emparés de l’affaire ». Il ne pouvait que se la musique. méfier de la manière dont serait annoncée une nouvelle symphonie, car l’unique exécution de sa La lente introduction commence avec toute une série Première Symphonie, en 1897, avait été un désastre. de leitmotive, entendus les uns après les autres : la phrase initiale à l’unisson jouée aux violoncelles Rachmaninov dirigea pour la première fois la et aux contrebasses, les accords inquiétants des Deuxième Symphonie à Saint-Pétersbourg, le 26 cuivres et de l’ensemble des vents, et la phrase qui janvier 1908, puis à Moscou, une semaine plus tard.