Rachmaninoff composed his first serious opus, Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra at the age of 18, while he was still a student at the Moscow Conservatory. Though this early composition is slightly imitative of concertos by Rubinstein, Tchaikovsky, Schumann, Grieg, it appeals by its sincere, exited lyricism and passionate impetuousness. Of special note is the first movement with its principal theme full of romantic pinching sadness. The monumental piano cadenza (a virtuosic solo “utterance” inserted by the pianist) at the end of the first movement demonstrates the impressive verve of the young author. Dreamy Andante and the brilliant finale anticipate many scores from the later oeuvre of the composer, who made a priceless contribution to the genre of piano concerto.
Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (1934), which he created in emigration, and which brought him incredible fame, was, in essence, a set of romantic variations on a theme of Paganini’s Cappricсio No. 24, whose striking and catchy melody had already attracted attention of many composers from Liszt to Lutoslavsky. Dramaturgically, all variations can be divided into three large distinguished sections, following the general logic of a standard concerto. The first section (variations 1–10) introduces and starts the development of the main theme, counterposed by a trademark of Rachmaninov's major compositions the Dies Irae theme (A Day of Wrath), a medieval catholic piece, serving as an embodiment of evil. This is followed by what the composer called “a transition into a love aria” (variations 11-17), culminating in a captivating nocturne, which has become a real hit. In the dashing finale the evil motives are enhanced and lead up to the moments of the highest dramatic tension. However, what the result of this struggle in Rachmaninoff’s late masterpiece is, each listener will have to decide for himself.
Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 for piano and orchestra captivated the audience right at its first performance in 1901. An unusual introduction – powerful resonant piano chords, evoking the bell tolling, heralded the appearance of a rare and original piece, “a virtuoso poem about the Motherland” – as it was described later. For about three years the composer had suffered from a severe depression and refused to compose music. However, this crisis period turned into the time of accumulation of colossal creative power and served as a kind of a catalyst for the revision of the past creative goals. In the Second Concerto Rachmaninoff appears as a mature master with a fresco manner of writing, having a deep insight into the primal essence of traditional national forms of music: bell ringing, austere plain chants, long, melodious peasants’ songs remained the staple of his works for many years. All these features can be found in Rachmaninoff’s C-minor concerto, which along with Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 1, has become not only the absolute leader in terms of frequency of its performance, but also one of the symbols of Russian musical art.
Natalia Rogudeeva
