The Isle Of The Dead was inspired by an Arnold Böcklin painting in which Charon, the ferryman of the dead in Greek mythology, is seen rowing a coffin across to a spooky island. The finale quickly establishes a carnival atmosphere – although, as always, Rachmaninov is more than happy to slow things down for another lyrical theme or two. The slow movement is also a gem, featuring one of the greatest (and longest) clarinet solos in the orchestral repertoire. Highlights include the athletic ‘Scherzo’, with its dazzling central fugato in which the strings frantically chase each others’ tails. But this time, with Rachmaninov on the podium (rather than a probably drunk Glazunov), things went to plan and the symphony, one of Rachmaninov’s best works, went on to become an audience favourite. The premiere of Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony took place in St Petersburg, the scene of the First Symphony fiasco. The concerto opens with a steadily intensifying series of piano chords, before the violins and violas embark on the first of several beautiful, slowly unfolding melodies.Ĭlick to load video Symphony No.2 in E minor, Op.27 He sought help from a hypnotherapist and his comeback piece, the Piano Concerto No 2, dedicated to his hypnotherapist, is one of the greatest works in the piano repertoire. Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18įollowing the disastrous premiere of his First Symphony Rachmaninov composed almost nothing for around three years. Listen to the best of Rachmaninov on Apple Music and Spotify. 2is one of the greatest works in the piano repertoire. His compositions include, among others, four piano concerti, three symphonies, two piano sonatas, three operas, a choral symphony, a setting of the Vespers, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, 41 Preludes and Etudes, Symphonic Dances, and many songs. Most of his pieces are in a late Romantic style akin to Tchaikovsky, although strong influences of Chopin and Liszt are apparent. His Moscow training equipped him first and foremost to be a concert pianist but as a young composer he showed prodigious gifts, stunning his mentor Tchaikovsky with the C Sharp Minor Prelude and the one-act opera, Aleko, he composed while still in his teens. His music is characterized by sweeping melodies, virtuosic pianism, and heady orchestration. Sergei Rachmaninov was a legendary romantic Russian composer, pianist, and conductor.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |