Rakhmaninov's works: list. Notable works by Rachmaninoff

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The great Russian composer, pianist and conductor Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninov is the author of a huge number of works of various genres - from etudes to operas. His brilliant music is known all over the world. Famous works of Rachmaninoff are still heard in different parts of the world today. The composer began to study music at the age of 5, and when he was 13, he was introduced to P. I. Tchaikovsky, who highly appreciated his talent.

Rakhmaninov's works are imbued with romance and lyrics, energy and freedom. The theme of the Motherland finds a special embodiment in his music.

Rachmaninov's works - list

Let's list the works that the composer gave to the world:

• four concertos for piano and orchestra;
• three symphonies;
• three operas;
• suite "Symphonic dances";
• vocalise for voice with piano accompaniment, dedicated to opera singer Antonina Nezhdanova;
• 3 poems ("Prince Rostislav", "The Bells" and "Isle of the Dead");
• 2 symphonies
• five fantasy pieces for piano;
• 2 piano sonatas;
• sonata and two pieces forcello with piano;
• capriccio on gypsy themes;
• two pieces for cello and piano;
• cantata "Spring";
• six pieces for piano four hands
• 2 pieces for chorus acapella;
• vantasia "Cliff".

And also preludes, etudes, romances, Russian songs and so on.

Composer's student years

In 1882, Sergei Vasilyevich entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and from 1885 he continued his further studies at the Moscow Conservatory in two departments at once - piano and composition. In 1981, Rachmaninoff graduated from the piano department with a gold medal, and a year later he completed his studies as a composer.

Rachmaninov's works (list) that he wrote in his student years:

• piano concerto 1;
• Youth Symphony;
• symphonic poem "Prince Rostislav", based on the work of A. Tolstoy, which was first performed for the public after the author's death;
• opera "Aleko", the plot for which was the poem by A. S. Pushkin, became Rachmaninoff's diploma work at the composition department.

Works written in 1893-1899

In 1893, Rachmaninoff wrote an Elegiac Trio called "In Memory of the Great Artist", which is dedicated to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and created on the occasion of his death. In this work one can hear the sorrow of loss and at the same time brightmemories of a great man, as well as philosophical reflections on how fleeting life is. Other works by Rachmaninoff, which he wrote between 1893 and 1899: the symphonic fantasy "The Cliff", Musical Moments for Piano, Prelude for Piano in C-sharp minor. The year 1895 was marked by the writing of Symphony No. 1, the premiere of which took place only two years after its creation. The symphony failed, the composer perceived himself as creatively untenable and for several years acted exclusively as a pianist and conductor, without writing music.

1900s in the creative life of the composer

At this time, the composer overcomes the creative crisis and begins to write again. Since then begins the most fruitful period in his work. Musical works by Rachmaninoff created during these years:

• second concerto for piano and orchestra;
• sonata for cello and piano;
• cantata "Spring", which was created on the verses of N. A. Nekrasov;
• symphony 2;
• concert No. 3 for piano and orchestra;
• the gloomy symphonic poem "Isle of the Dead" inspired by a black-and-white copy of Arnold Böcklin's mystical painting.

In the period from 1904 to 1906, Sergei Vasilievich wrote two one-act operas: "Francesca da Rimini" by Dante and "The Miserly Knight" by Alexander Pushkin. In 1906, both operas were staged at the Bolshoi Theatre, but they did not receive wide popularity. At the same time, Rachmaninov was working onopera "Monna Vanna" (based on the plot of the play by M. Maeterlinck), but it remained unfinished.

In 1910, the composer turned to choral music and wrote the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, in 1913 - the poem "The Bells", and in 1915 - the liturgical composition "All-Night Vigil". Two notebooks of Preludes for Piano and the same number of notebooks of Etudes-Paintings were created.

In 1917, the composer went on tour and did not return to Russia. Until his death, he lived in the United States. In the first nine years of his life in exile, Sergei Vasilyevich did not write music. After these nine years, he wrote Concerto No. 4 for piano and orchestra (not a very well-known work, which during the author's lifetime was not successful and was re-arranged several times by himself), "Three Russian Songs" (a tragic work in which longing for Russia is embedded), Variations on a Theme of Corelli (which have an unusual form for this genre of music), the famous Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphony No. 3, “Symphonic Dances” for orchestra. The last works of Rachmaninoff are permeated with homesickness.

Romances

The history of the Russian classical romance of the pre-revolutionary era is completed by Rachmaninov's vocal works. List of romances written by Sergei Vasilievich in different years:

• "At the gates of the monastery" lyrics by M. Yu. Lermontov;
• "In the silence of the night" to the words of A. Fet;
• “Do you remember the evening” lyrics by A. K. Tolstoy;
• "April" translated from French by V. Tushnova;
• "Do not sing, beauty" on the verses of A. S. Pushkin;
• "River Lily" to the words of A. Pleshnev from G. Heine;
• "Spring Waters" lyrics by F. Tyutchev;
• "Oh, don't be sad" to the words of A. Apukhtin;
• "They answered" to a translation of Victor Hugo's poems;
• "At night in the garden" lyrics by Alexander Blok;
• "Ay" to the words of Balmont.

The most famous works of S. Rachmaninoff

One of the greatest Russian composers, Rachmaninoff, left a huge legacy to his descendants. The most famous works of Sergei Vasilyevich: these are his three operas, piano concertos, a rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, a suite "Symphonic dances", a vocalise for voice accompanied by a piano, a poem "The Bells", romances.

The famous "Vocalise" was written for tenor or soprano, but still more often it is performed by soprano owners. Vocalise is sung without words, on one (any) vowel sound. The work has also been arranged for performance with an orchestra, for a choir with an orchestra, for an orchestra without a vocalist, for a solo instrumentalist, there are many interpretations of this work.

The suite "Symphonic Dances" was written in exile in 1940 and became the last work of Sergei Vasilyevich, he created it three years before his death. This music is all permeated with anxiety for the fate of the people who fell to the lot of the Second World War.

Opera "Francesca da Rimini" - its plot is taken from Dante's Divine Comedy. The author of the libretto for this opera was M. I. Tchaikovsky.

Poem "Bells"

Perhaps the most famous workRachmaninoff is a symphonic poem "The Bells". It was written for three soloists (baritone, tenor, soprano), choir and symphony orchestra. The poem of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe served as the basis for this work. The poem consists of four parts, different in character, which reveal the various stages of human life. Parts 1 and 2 (wedding bells and bells) express serene happiness, parts 3 and 4 are already the tocsin, the death knell, which sounds tragic. In the first movement of the Allegro, the tenor is the soloist; in the second part Lento is the soloist of the soprano - the wedding ringing sounds, and the music tells about love; the third part of Presto is performed by the choir and orchestra - the alarm sounds, the music expresses fear; in the fourth part, the baritone is the soloist - here the death knell sounds and music - there is an expression of death. According to Rachmaninov himself, it was this composition that he loved more than all others, and it was he who created it with particular enthusiasm.

Opera "Aleko"

Rachmaninoff's operatic works are not numerous. His very first opera, which he wrote as a student at the conservatory, is "Aleko" based on A. Pushkin's poem "Gypsies". It was the composer's graduation work. Libretto by V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko. The premiere of the opera took place a year later at the Bolshoi Theater and was a great success. The great Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was very enthusiastic about the opera. According to the plot, the beautiful gypsy Zemfira is cheating on her husband Aleko with a young gypsy whom she fell in love with. Aleko in anger kills Zemfira's lover and herself. The gypsies do not accept the cruel act of Aleko and leave,leaving him alone with his longing.

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

Sergei Rachmaninoff's works for piano and orchestra are also among his most famous works. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is one of them. The work was already written in exile. It includes 24 variations on the theme of one of the most famous Caprices by Nicolo Paganini - Caprice No. 24. This is one of the most popular creations of Rachmaninoff to this day, it can be heard as a soundtrack to many foreign films.