Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)

[vandermolen]

I have always adored early Rachmaninoff.  For example the gorgeous and powerful "The Rock" but I have no idea what it is actually about.  This sounds like programmatic music telling an epic and possibly ancient tail.  What is the story the music is telling?

Me too - especially Symphony 1.

[Dima]

I have always adored early Rachmaninoff.  For example the gorgeous and powerful "The Rock" but I have no idea what it is actually about.  This sounds like programmatic music telling an epic and possibly ancient tail.  What is the story the music is telling?

Rachmaninov told that the programm of "The Rock" is "The Rock" of poet Lermontov and the story "On the road" by Anton Chekhov (this story has also the epigraph from "The Rock" of Lermontov). You can read Chekhov here in English: http://www.online-literature.com/anton_chekhov/1197/

Lermontov - The Rock Ledge (1841)
Through the night, a golden cloud lay sleeping
On the breast of a gigantic rock ledge.
In the morning, early, off she hurried;
Through the azure, carefree, she went playing.

But a trace of moisture was still clinging
To the wrinkled rock ledge. Old and lonely,
He stood there as though in sad reflection—
In the empty spaces softly weeping.

—translated by Guy Daniels, 1965, in 'A Lermontov Reader.'

More about the history of this composition you can read if you translate from russian this page in google: http://www.belcanto.ru/rachmaninov_rock.html

[relm1]

Rachmaninov told that the programm of "The Rock" is "The Rock" of poet Lermontov and the story "On the road" by Anton Chekhov (this story has also the epigraph from "The Rock" of Lermontov). You can read Chekhov here in English: http://www.online-literature.com/anton_chekhov/1197/

Lermontov - The Rock Ledge (1841)
Through the night, a golden cloud lay sleeping
On the breast of a gigantic rock ledge.
In the morning, early, off she hurried;
Through the azure, carefree, she went playing.

But a trace of moisture was still clinging
To the wrinkled rock ledge. Old and lonely,
He stood there as though in sad reflection—
In the empty spaces softly weeping.

—translated by Guy Daniels, 1965, in 'A Lermontov Reader.'

More about the history of this composition you can read if you translate from russian this page in google: http://www.belcanto.ru/rachmaninov_rock.html

Thanks.  Seems like a strange story based on the article you linked to.  A bit of a fairy tale where a man pursuing a woman waits for her and turns into a white cliff as he waits forever.  Translated article:

The Rock, Op. 7
Fantasia for large symphony orchestra (1893)
The composition of the orchestra: 2 flutes, flute piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horn, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, triangle, tambourine, cymbals, bass drum, tomtum, harp, strings.

History of creation
Sergey Vasilievich Rakhmaninov / Sergei Rachmaninoff

In the spring of 1892, Rachmaninov graduated from the composition course at the Moscow Conservatory. Graduation work was the opera "Aleko" on Pushkin's "Gypsies", which received the highest rating. A year later, on April 27, 1893, its premiere took place, and Tchaikovsky, who was an indisputable authority for the beginning composer, spoke extremely highly of opera. But along with such joyful events in the life of Rachmaninov there was a great personal tragedy. His ardent youthful feeling for Vera Skalon was rejected, and not by the girl herself, but by her parents, who did not allow the possibility of Vera's marriage — the beauty and the general's daughter — with a poor man of no future. Perhaps the moods that engulfed a twenty-year-old boy after such a categorical refusal caused the appearance of the Cliff fantasy.

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In the letters of this time, the following lines break through: "Our brother is only pleased to look at someone else's happiness ..." Or: "I know my years very well, and my name is" old man "is just a joke ..." romances written in the months following the break, in the poetic Barcarole from the Suite for two pianos, in Romance for violin and piano. It seems that the choice of the program for orchestral composition is not accidental. It was originally called Fantasy for a symphony orchestra and was created in the summer of 1893 in Lebedin, the county town of the Kharkov province, where Rachmaninov lived with hospitable elderly spouses who created all the conditions for fruitful work. In the middle of September, 1893, at the musical evening at Taneyev, where Tchaikovsky showed the just completed Sixth Symphony, Rachmaninov presented his first orchestral composition to the venerable colleagues. On the score, the composer left the lines: "This fantasy was written under the impression of Lermontov's poem" The Rock ". The author chose the initial words of the poem as an epigraph to his work:

The golden cloud spent the night
On the chest of the giant rock.

However, later Rachmaninov began to call his fantasy simply "Rock". However, the content of the music is not exhausted either by the quoted or all the lines of the poem: it has passion, protest, despair. It is known that in addition to this, the announced program, fantasy existed another one, which he revealed to the few. Among these few was the critic N. Kashkin, who wrote in the review for the premiere of Utes, held on March 20, 1894 in the symphonic meeting of the Russian Musical Academy under the direction of V. Safonov: "On a way"; but the composer gave his composition the name "Rock", because the epigraph to the story was the beginning of the famous poem of Lermontov. " Later Rakhmaninov gave Chekhov (1860-1904) a copy of the score "Cliffs" with the inscription: "To the dear and respected Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, the author of the story "On the Road", whose content with the same epigraph served as a program for this musical composition. November 9, 1898.

The writer in the story relating to 1886, draws a meeting at the postal station on a blizzard on Christmas night two people - middle-aged, many survived and felt about, and the girl, barely entering into life. Dawn is coming, the girl is leaving. "... She did not say a word to him, but only looked at him through long eyelashes with snowflakes on them ... Did his sensitive soul actually read this look, or perhaps his imagination deceived him, but he suddenly it would seem that there would be two or three good strong touches, and this girl would have forgiven him for his failures, old age, lack of business, and would have followed him without asking, not reasoning. For a long time he stood rooted to the spot, and looked at the track left by the runners. Snowflakes eagerly sat on his hair, beard, shoulders ... Soon the track from the runners disappeared, and he, covered with snow, began to resemble a white cliff,

Music
The introductory section opens with a theme of the cliff, a mournful but full of restrained passion. Her recitative is intonated by low strings and bassoons per octave. On the rustling ascending tremolo of the strings, the theme of clouds appears in the lungs of the flute's fluttering passages fluttering carelessly. It develops, for a moment becomes more soulful and tender, and then fades away. In the new episode (Un Roso Meno Mosso) the theme of the cliff acquires the character of a passionate plea, then a timid love motif appears (flute solo, then oboe and horn) - as if the heart of an old cliff trembled. This motif turns into a melody that embodies longing, loneliness. The whimsical passages of the theme of a cloud rush along, accompanied by arpeggios of harps, trills of strings. The main themes are being transformed: the motive of love acquires the character of a dance tune, the theme of the cliff is becoming increasingly alarming. Accelerated movement. The theme of the cliff sounds with increasing despair. As if from afar echo of the theme of unrealizable love. The theme of the cloud comes back again and again as a memory. Musical development reaches a huge climax, and only the last bars stop at pianissimo.

L. Mikheeva

Until the mid-90s, Rachmaninoff wrote, not counting the early experiments of the conservatory period, three symphonic works of different character: "The Rock", Capriccio on Gypsy Topics, First Symphony. In terms of monumentality of scale and breadth of design, it approaches the symphonic genre of the Elegiac Trio, dedicated to the memory of PI Tchaikovsky. If some of these compositions appeared relatively easily and quickly, others were long nurtured and pondered by the composer, who did not find an adequate form for the realization of his creative ideas, and even after repeated alterations he remained not completely satisfied with them.

One of the works typical for the young Rachmaninoff is the cliff orchestral fantasy (1893), which still enjoys wide popularity on a concert stage. The "Cliff" score was preceded by the following author's comment: "This fantasy is written under the impression of Lermontov's poem" The Rock ". The author chose the initial words of the poem as an epigraph to his work:

The golden cloud spent the night
on the chest of the giant rock. "

There is an indication of another literary source of the Rachmaninov play, coming from the composer himself. The copy of the score, presented to them by A. P. Chekhov in 1898, has the inscription: "... to the author of the story" On the Way ", the content of which, with the same epigraph, served as the program for this musical composition.

It is hardly possible to consider this story as a symphonic fantasy program in the literal sense of the word; familiarity with it could only serve as an impetus for the birth of the composer's creative intent. But nevertheless the connection between the two works is very significant. Rachmaninov could attract in Chekhov's story not only the situation itself - a fleeting meeting of unfamiliar men and women who have mutual attraction, but their life paths are different, and separation occurs before they have time to give themselves a clear account of their feelings. In many ways, the composer turned out to be close to the very image of the hero of the story - the "eternal wanderer" in life, looking, restlessly restless and not finding anything in satisfaction. "In all my life, I did not know what peace is," Chekhov Likharev said. "My soul continually languished, suffered even hopes ... "His biography is typical of an 80th Russian intellectual who is overwhelmed with high aspirations but who is unable to actually accomplish anything of his good impulses. Likharev was fond of science, political activity, went to the people, sat in prisons, then hit the tolstovstvo. Each of these hobbies, he gave himself to selflessness, but quickly cooled and disappointed. However, despite all the failures that had befallen him, abandoned, deeply miserable and lonely, he did not lose the most important thing - a hot, passionate attitude to life, spiritual purity, sincerity and faith in a person. Each of these hobbies, he gave himself to selflessness, but quickly cooled and disappointed. However, despite all the failures that had befallen him, abandoned, deeply miserable and lonely, he did not lose the most important thing - a hot, passionate attitude to life, spiritual purity, sincerity and faith in a person. Each of these hobbies, he gave himself to selflessness, but quickly cooled and disappointed. However, despite all the failures that had befallen him, abandoned, deeply miserable and lonely, he did not lose the most important thing - a hot, passionate attitude to life, spiritual purity, sincerity and faith in a person.

The content of the Rachmaninov symphonic fantasy is not the specific disclosure in the music of this psychologically complex image and, all the more, not the reproduction of the external situation, against the background of which Chekh is shown Likharev's chance meeting with a passing young woman. Rachmaninov sought to convey in his work the state of deep depression and dissatisfaction, combined with the burning thirst for joy and happiness that Chekhov's hero is experiencing. Images of Lermontov's poem serve him as a poetic metaphor for this psychological motif.

Lyrical emotion and intensity of expression are combined in the music of symphonic fantasy with the richness and brilliance of orchestral colors, an abundance of sound-writing elements. The work is built on three themes, different in their figurative meaning. The first theme, described in unison with string basses in a deaf low register, is associated with the image of a lonely, stern and gloomy cliff standing alone. Heaving heavily for a small sixth, the melody then slowly, gradually descends to the tonic abutment with the chromatic sharpening of the individual steps and expressive sighing intonations that emphasize the state of painful, hopeless grief:


The second, light, airy theme of the scerzoic type conveys the image of a cloud that has darted away into the distant way, "playing merrily on azure." The character of this image corresponds to the whimsically elusive pattern of the melody, which quickly runs through a wide sound space (more than two octaves), the light timbre of the woodwinds (flute, clarinet, piccolo flute) against the background of tremulating bows, which are then joined by rapid hariss glissands, "flickering" variability harmonic coloring:


The third theme in its figurative meaning corresponds to the second stanza of the Lermontov poem:

But there was a wet mark on the wrinkle of the
Old Cliff. Alone
He stands, deep in thought
And he quietly cries in the desert.

The melodic-intonational structure of this theme is typical of the sorrow-elegiac melodies of the early Rachmaninoff. It is closed in the range of a reduced quart between the third and the introductory tone of the harmonic minor with an emphasis on the upper, tertzovy sound. A characteristic expressive detail is the evenly repeating sound d of the second violins, which gives the impression of dripping tears. The sharp expressive effect is also created by the simultaneous sounding of a small second cis - d on the third quarter of measure 1:


Further, when this topic appears in a more detailed presentation, the melodic move to a reduced quart in an "open" form with a characteristic harmonic turn, clearly emerges, a special expressive significance of which Rakhmaninov has repeatedly noted:


The successive holding of three themes resembles the exposition of the sonata allegro, consisting of the introduction, main and side games.

The first, expositional section of the symphonic fantasy is followed by the second "development circle", which can be conventionally compared with the development. Here, basically, the same order of alternation of themes remains, but they undergo various modifications, and the tonal plan changes accordingly. Particularly characteristic is the transformation of the last of these themes in the episode Quasi presto, which represents the culmination of this section. The mournful expressively melodic theme acquires a harsh, sharply rhythmic character, as if spinning in a swift and furious whirlwind, recalling lines from Chekhov's story: "The weather was roaring outside. Something mad, angry, but deeply unhappy, with the fury of the beast, rushed around the tavern and tried to rush inside.

In the third and final section (Allegro con agitazione) a dark, gloomy initial theme dominates, reaching here a great dramatic power of sound. The theme of the "rushing cloud" no longer appears at all, and the sad theme of separation and loneliness, as if from a distance, sounds muffled twice before the very end at the horny horn.

Proceeding from literary impressions, Rachmaninov creates an independent musical composition in "The Rock", in which the main figurative elements, prompted by a poetic source, receive a free, largely independent development from it. Not in all this composition can be considered quite successful. The work suffers from a known friability, scattered shapes. But this is largely due to the expressive vividness of the thematic images and the beauty of the musical language.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

The Rock is one of my favorite symphonic poems ever (if it counts as one, I think Rachmaninov called it Fantasia. I seem to have run into that golden cloud- poem in Russian classical music works. I believe Tchaikovsky composed something about this as well (unless it was a different poem).

[Dima]

The Rock is one of my favorite symphonic poems ever (if it counts as one, I think Rachmaninov called it Fantasia. I seem to have run into that golden cloud- poem in Russian classical music works. I believe Tchaikovsky composed something about this as well (unless it was a different poem).

Yes, Tchaikovsky wrote little choral work on the same poem and also 80 (!) Russian composers did. Lermontov is very famous poet of Russia.

[Florestan]

Lermontov is very famous poet of Russia.

His poem The Angel is one of the most beautiful and heartwrenching ever penned.

Across the dark sky came the angel in flight
Who sang a soft song through the night.
And stars and the moon and the clouds in their throng
Gave ear to that heavenly song.

He sang of immaculate spirits that move
In bliss in the Heavenly Grove,
He sang of the Lord of All Things, every phrase
Unfeigned in that purest of praise.

He bore in his arms a young soul toward its birth,
To sorrow and tears of this earth.
And in that young soul the great sound of his song
Remained without words now, but strong.

And long did it languish on earth in its time
Replete with a yearning sublime,
A soul that knew tones of the heavenly race
No dull tune of earth could replace.


Medtner was constantly inspired by it.

[SymphonicAddict]

It's already been commented here before, but I couldn't avoid to express my sentiments towards Prince Rostislav. I listened to it on last Saturday. Really impressive, intriguing, gripping and poetic. And it was written in 1891, when Sergei was 18 years old. A relatively mature work for a young composer. To my ears it sounds more succinct than Isle of the Dead, yet both works have their special magic.

[vandermolen]

It's already been commented here before, but I couldn't avoid to express my sentiments towards Prince Rostislav. I listened to it on last Saturday. Really impressive, intriguing, gripping and poetic. And it was written in 1891, when Sergei was 18 years old. A relatively mature work for a young composer. To my ears it sounds more succinct than Isle of the Dead, yet both works have their special magic.

+1

[Christo]

It's already been commented here before, but I couldn't avoid to express my sentiments towards Prince Rostislav. I listened to it on last Saturday. Really impressive, intriguing, gripping and poetic. And it was written in 1891, when Sergei was 18 years old. A relatively mature work for a young composer. To my ears it sounds more succinct than Isle of the Dead, yet both works have their special magic.

As a youth, I had a similar experience with the Capriccio bohémien, also composed in his younger years. In retrospect it already contains all the components of the Symphonic Dances.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

+1

+2

I'm a huge fan of Prince Rostislav.

[vandermolen]

+2

I'm a huge fan of Prince Rostislav.

I especially like this CD:

[Roasted Swan]

Back in the day I played in the UK premiere of Prince Rostislav - barely legible parts as I recall.  It was when I was a student and played with the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra which is London based (was then anyway) and made up of students from all the main London Music Conservatoires.

Re the Rock - the finest performance I've heard by some distance is this one

[asin]B00NTDSMDW[/asin]

Kitajenko avoids bombast and sheer red-blooded excitement in the Symphony (not always to the work's advantage I feel - it can take a lot of drama that piece!) but the sound of his German orchestra is gorgeous and The Rock benefits from a weighty and powerful reading

[relm1]

I like Svetlanov/USSR State Symphony for its white hot epicness in Rostislav.  It's a very slow and brooding performance.  Unfortunately it is a very old recording but very ominous rock this.  He recorded it many times and in much better sound but never matched the intensity and exoticism as this early one.

[SymphonicAddict]

I like Svetlanov/USSR State Symphony for its white hot epicness in Rostislav.  It's a very slow and brooding performance.  Unfortunately it is a very old recording but very ominous rock this.  He recorded it many times and in much better sound but never matched the intensity and exoticism as this early one.

That is the recording I have, and yes, I like it because the music unfolds better, there is more intrigue and atmosphere.

[Alek Hidell]

I'm a fan of the Piano Trios and have the Borodin Trio version:



... but I wouldn't mind hearing another version or two. Recommendations, anyone?

[Mirror Image]

I'm a fan of the Piano Trios and have the Borodin Trio version:



... but I wouldn't mind hearing another version or two. Recommendations, anyone?

I haven't heard it yet, but Jens (SurprisedByBeauty) recommended this recording to me many months ago:

[asin]B01MQB1B53[/asin]

I own that Borodin Trio recording on Chandos and have found the performances to be exemplary.

[Irons]

With an all star line-up including Kogan and Luzanov it comes as a bit of a shock that the "star" of this recording is Yevgeni Svetlanov (with no little assistance from Rachmaninov). Svetlanov also lays down his baton for in my view a finer work, the Cello Sonata, again with Luzanov. Svetlanov was a very good pianist indeed.

[Draško]

With an all star line-up including Kogan and Luzanov it comes as a bit of a shock that the "star" of this recording is Yevgeni Svetlanov (with no little assistance from Rachmaninov). Svetlanov also lays down his baton for in my view a finer work, the Cello Sonata, again with Luzanov. Svetlanov was a very good pianist indeed.

Exactly!! I agree with everything Irons said of this recording.

Rachmaninov 2nd Trio is one of super rare pieces where I feel I found the definitive recording and no one needs apply. And unexpectedly that is largely down to Svetlanov's granitic monolith of a performance (think 2001). Who knew?

Availability is bit of a problem. Unless Melodiya reissued it lately (haven't bee keeping tabs) the only CD release is out of print Russian Disc. It was much easier to find during LP days.

Youtube to the rescue, per usual, at least for sampling purposes.

https://www.youtube.com/v/UC-jip4cJCs

[North Star]

Exactly!! I agree with everything Irons said of this recording.

Rachmaninov 2nd Trio is one of super rare pieces where I feel I found the definitive recording and no one needs apply. And unexpectedly that is largely down to Svetlanov's granitic monolith of a performance (think 2001). Who knew?

Availability is bit of a problem. Unless Melodiya reissued it lately (haven't bee keeping tabs) the only CD release is out of print Russian Disc. It was much easier to find during LP days.

Youtube to the rescue, per usual, at least for sampling purposes.

https://www.youtube.com/v/UC-jip4cJCs

Well, that was very good indeed

[SurprisedByBeauty]

I haven't heard it yet, but Jens (SurprisedByBeauty) recommended this recording to me many months ago:



I own that Borodin Trio recording on Chandos and have found the performances to be exemplary.

Yes, I thought that is a very fine recording that I liked better - in some ways - than, say, Makhtin / Berezovsky / Kniazev & Lang / Repin / Maisky. Has anyone heard the Moscow Rachmaninov Trio on Hyperion?