What makes Rachmaninoff, Rachmaninoff? By Dr. Stephanie Owen & Gill Cerbin
We will be e a i i g o o ha a te isti s of Ra h a i off’s o positio s i his o ks fo piano 4 hands. Works included in this study:
Suite No. 1, Opus 5 (1893) Six Morceaux, Opus 11 (1894) Suite No. 2, Opus 17 (1901)
I. Barcarole I. Barcarolle I. Introduction II. A Night For Love II. Scherzo II. Waltz III. Tears III. Theme Russe III. Romance IV. Russian Easter IV. Valse IV. Tarantella V. Romance VI. Slava!
Rachmaninoff the pianist composer (1873-1943) Rachmaninoff, himself a very accomplished pianist, knew the capabilities of the piano and used it to the full to develop melodic romanticism and lyricism. We shall see how he used his knowledge of advanced chord progressions, studied at the Moscow Conservatory, to create lush harmonies amidst heart-wrenching melodies. As musicologist Dr. Steven D. Coburn puts it when talking about Opus 5, Ra h a i off’s usi has swirling accompani e ts , lugubrious harmonies, repeated sequences isi g to a li a a d po e ful h th i d i e , hi h a e e ide e of T haiko sk ’s g eat i flue e on the composer and Ra h a i off’s own mature style. Indeed, Opus 5 was dedicated to Tchaikovsky by Rachmaninoff. We will see how Rachmaninoff demonstrates virtuosic passages requiring finger dexterity and layers textures for atmospheric effect. D . Co u sa s of “uite that Ra h a i off’s total command and mastery of the pianistic idiom permeates the e ti e suite .
We will also look at pedal use, span of chords, haunting melodies, tempi, cross meters and poly rhythms, key modulations, and thematic or programmatic treatments.
Pedal There are very few pedal markings, assuming the pianist knows what is required. Most pedaling is harmonic, romantic in nature. Biographer Ha old C. “ ho e g des i es Ra h a i off’s own playing as: a ked p e isio , h th i d i e, ota le use of sta ato a d the a ilit to ai tai la it he playing works with co ple te tu es. Pedal is used to support the harmonic progressions, anchor bass notes, and create texture which is not muddled. Barcarole and A Night for Love have zero pedal markings, allowing the pianist discretion. In Romance, a pedal suggestion is started, but not continued, assuming the pianist will adopt a si ile st le of pedali g:
Barcarole p.25-27: Secondo harmonic pedal across 2 measures Romance p.25: Secondo opening Romance p.35: Secondo chord progressions
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Chord progressions We know that Rachmaninoff worked on chord exercises extensively whilst at the Moscow Conservatory, studying under Zverev and Arensky. D . A d e Ada s’ ook, “e gei Ra h a i off School of Musi ia ship a d Te h i ue sho s so e t pi al ho d p og essio studies, such as:
A - Am - F 6/3 - F aug 6/3 - F# m 6/3 - D 6/4 - Dm 6/4 - A7 - F 6/5 - D 4/3 - B 4/2 - A dim7 where the common tone on the bottom is A. It would then be transposed to 12 different keys. This extensive chord knowledge is put to good use in Ra h a i off’s ompositions:
Barcarole p.5: Primo Gm dominant 7th on raised 7th of harmonic minor Barcarole p.7: Secondo Cm9 to F Major 9 7, BbMajor to Eb Major 9 Barcarole p.25: Primo Bb to A to Ab to Gm Barcarole p.27-28: Secondo Eb 7 to AbMajor 9 Romance p. 30: Secondo B 7 to Em9, and G 6/3-D-A-G# 7
Span of chords Ra h a i off’s had e eptio all ig ha ds. Biog aphe Ha old C. “ ho e g ote that Ra h a i off’s ha ds e e supple , spe ta ula , a d phe o e al . That his ha ds e e e t e el large is a well documented fact, but Schonberg also tells us that Rach a i off ould a eu e th ough 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 i fi ge te h i ue, Ra h a i off's te tu es e e al a s stal lea . Resea he s o o side the possi ilit that he suffe ed f o Ma fa ’s “ d o e o A o egal , which could account for this. D.A. Young who first suggested this theory in the British Medical Journal did ho e e ualif that it as Ra h a i off’s a tisti ge ius, ot la ge ha ds, that made Ra h a i off’s pe fo a e so e o a le . Pia ist Ea l Wild i A Walk o the Wild “ide o fi s that Ra h a i off’ ould spa a t elfth. Pianist, Cyril Smith, who is said to have known Rachmaninoff personally, reported that with his left hand Rachmaninoff could stretch C- E b – G - C - G, and with his right hand C (2nd finger) – E – G – C – E (thumb under)!
Rachmaninoff uses 7th & 9th chords extensively, in various inversions and spans: Barcarole p.7: Secondo Cm9 C-G-Bb –Eb with Bb -Eb-G-D (23rd)
His use of unusually widely spaced chords for bell-like sounds (discussed further under program music) is found in many pieces; A Night for Love p.30: Primo opening chords Romance p.34-35: Secondo G to Ab with a span of 16 notes and E b to A b with 18 notes and some chords are uncomfortable or even unplayable to many players: A Night for Love p.41: Secondo A- Bb –D-A A Night for Love p.42: Secondo octave Bb with Cb and G
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Virtuosic Display Passages Filigree passages are essential to the music, not purely decorative. They are often chordal or chromatic i te tu e, a d a use Ra h a i off’s elo ed t iplets. The a e ot over sentimentalized, nor have superfluous ritardandos. Ra h a i off has ee alled the Pu ita Pia ist fo his st i t adherence to the written score. Coburn efe s to flo id, o ple passage o k of the se o d suite a d d a s pa allels ith Ra h a i off’s 2nd Piano Concerto, written the same year, although this is also evidenced also in the earlier suite:
A Night for Love p.31: Primo arpeggios A Night for Love p.36: Secondo arpeggios A Night for Love p.39: Secondo scale against Primo split chords A Night for Love p.44: Secondo chromatic 32nds, Primo chromatic 8ths Romance p.28: Primo triplets
Tempi and Mood Changes Rachmaninoff is known for his generally fast tempi, which we see in some of the movements such as the Waltz and Tarantella, which are marked presto. We know that Rachmaninoff and fellow students sparred with each other to play the most fast and furious in virtuosic displays. However, some of the most haunting melodies and rich sonorous tones are to be found in the more lyrical movements, such as the Barcarole, Night for Love, and Romance. Within these, there are tempi changes, reflecting changing moods and even questions about the relativity of tempi changes: Barcarole p.23-24: P i o a d “e o do un poco meno mosso , a tempo to original theme of page 2 – not demonstrated A Night for Love p.30: Primo and Secondo adagio sostenuto to p.37 agitato (calm p.40, where end? – not demonstrated
Cross Meters, Poly Rhythms, and Texturing Rachmaninoff layers various themes and rhythms over each other to create a rich and full sound. Many examples of this can be found in his piano concertos, where the orchestra and solo parts have different rhythms, as well as his piano duos and duets. Some examples here are: Barcarole p.13: Secondo RH triplet 16th over LH triplet 8th, Primo 3/4 8th notes Barcarole p.18: Primo 9/8 over Secondo 3/4 Barcarole p.29: Secondo triplets against Primo quadruplets Night for Love p.33: Primo 3 groups of 9-note 32nds over Secondo 3/4 Night for Love p.37: Secondo triplets under Primo duplets Romance p.33: Primo triplet 16ths virtuosic filigree over Secondo LH melody and RH octave span chords in 6/8 Romance p.35: Primo 6/8 over Secondo beamed 3/4 texturing
Key Modulations - not demonstrated Barcarole p.2/10/18: G minor to G major to G minor
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Romance p.25/27/32: Ab major to C# minor to Ab major
Thematic Treatment of Longing, Despair and Loss Rachmaninoff uses the full, expressive capabilities of the piano to reflect themes of longing and despair. Rachmaninoff was not allowed to pursue his first love, Vera Skalon, and later forbidden for 3 years from marrying his first cousin Natalia Satina, who did ultimately become his wife. Within the duo repertoire we have Romance, A Night for Love, and Tears. In Romance, Coburn des i es ho a o a ti all lush elod ises f o a a peggiated a o pa i e t, follo ed a longing section in the minor, and cul i ati g i a e stati li a : Romance p.25: Secondo arpeggios, Primo melody Rachmaninoff lost 2 of his sisters to illnesses while still a boy. Sophia died of diphtheria when Sergei was only 10, and Yelena died of pernicious anemia at 18. This loss is often reflected in falling patterns of descending chromatic passages: A Night for Love p.40-41 and 47: Secondo falling chromatic pattern Tears - not demonstrated
Program Music The Fantasy Tableaux, Suite 1, written in 1893, when Rachmaninoff was only 20, is a perfect example of a musical depiction of art and poetry. The poems preceding each movement set the tone for each piece. Biog aphe Ma Ha iso alls the a se ies of usi al poe s , but disagrees that the usi is p og a ati hile the poe s o e so ethi g of the e otio al to e of the usi ….the music itself is ot p og a ati . Ma of Ra h a i off’s o ks a e k o to e i spi ed a t o literature (Etudes-tableaux, The Isle of the Dead, Prelude Op.32 no.10 – pai ti g The Retu etc.) or a usi al ea tio to the a tisti sti ulus.
Boating While growing up Rachmaninoff developed a love of rowing whilst at a farm retreat on the Volkov River, and two of the o ks studied egi ith a Ba a olle boat song, with lilting triplet configurations: Barcarole p.2: Primo triplet 16ths followed by a half note Barcarolle(duet) p.2: 6/8 meter – not demonstrated
Bird Call Grace notes and trills permeate the duos and replicate bird sounds of the countryside: A Night for Love p. 40: Primo
Russian Military – not demonstrated Rachmaninoff’s fathe as a military man. Many of the movements are military or patriotic in nature (Slava!, Russian Easter, and Introduction – alla Marcia), with punchy, repetitive rhythmic parallel octaves, triple and quadruple forte markings, accents, and pounding rhythms.
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Church Bells
Church bell-like sounds are recurrent i Ra h a i off’s usi . Rachmaninoff in a letter to his ousi “ophia “ati a, do u e ted that Tea s as i spi ed the ells tolli g du i g a fu e al at the No go od Mo aste Be te ssoh a d Le da . Glen Carruthers wrote: "It is not enough to say that the church bells of Novgorod, St Petersburg, and Moscow influenced Rachmaninov and feature prominently in his music. This much is self-evident. What is extraordinary is the variety of bell sounds and breadth of structural and other functions they fulfill." The opening to the 2nd Piano Concerto and C sharp minor Prelude Op.3 no. 2 both have ostinato bell tolls. Examples in the duos are:
A Night for Love p.30: Secondo repeated tenuto F# (ostinato) Russian Easter p.62: Secondo ostinato chords – not demonstrated
Liturgical Chant –not demonstrated It is known that Rachmaninoff spent many hours visiting Russian churches with his grandmother, and many of the pieces contain themes from liturgical chants, such as Slava! and Russian Easter.
General The duets and duos studied have both parts of equal beauty, alternating with theme and accompaniment and virtuosic filigree and accompaniment. As “ ho e g puts it: Ra h a i off 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, not the least in terms of d a i s. The pie es a e of e uisite eaut , o ple te tu es, i te pla et ee the es a ied i different voices.
Chronological Listing of Rachmaninoff works for piano 4 hands”
1891 Russian Rhapsody (piano duet) 1893 Op. 5 Suite 1 (piano duo) 1894 Op. 11 Six morceaux (piano duet) 1894 Romance in G (piano duet) 1901 Op.17 Suite 2 (piano duo) 1906 Polka Italienne (piano duet) 1938 Prelude in C- sharp minor (arrangement) 1940 Op.45 Symphonic Dances (piano duo)
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Sources Harold C. Schonberg: The Li es of the G eat Co pose s published 1997 Harold C. Schonberg: www.classicalliterature.tumblr.com Dr. Steve D. Coburn: www.allmusic.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Rachmaninoff Gle Ca uthe s: Musi al Ti es e t a t Dr. Andrew Adams: School of Musicianship and Technique self pu lished Sergei Bertenssohn & Jay Leyda: “e gei Ra h a i off A Lifeti e i Musi . I dia a U i e sit P ess Pete Do ohoe: Boose & Ha kes P eludes fo Pia o 5 Ma Ha iso : Ra h a i off, Life, Wo ks, Re o di gs .
Contacts Dr. Stephanie Owen: [email protected] Gill Cerbin: [email protected]
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