Sergei Rachmaninoff Remembered.

In memoriam /  1 April  2020

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff or Sergei Vasilyevich Rakhmaninov, (1 April [O.S. 20 March] 1873 – 28 March 1943), was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the late Romantic period. As a pianist he was famous for his precision, rhythmic drive, clarity of texture, and for the broad design of his performances. 

Rachmaninoff's music is melodious and emotional. The influence of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Balakirev, Mussorgsky, and other Russian composers is seen in his early works, later giving way to a personal style notable for song-like melodicism, expressiveness and rich orchestral colors.

Rachmaninoff's Piano Prelude in C# minor , written at the age of 19, made him famous overnight. He wrote brilliantly for the piano, and equally well for the orchestra.

His most famous works include: Piano Concerto No. 2, used in the British film Brief Encounter; Piano Concerto No. 3, the theme music in the movie Shine; and Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini for the piano and orchestra, featuring the most popular Variation No. 18. This variation is one of the most beautiful and magical compositions ever written by Sergei Rachmaninoff; it was featured in the movie Somewhere in Time. 

His other works include: operas such as Francesca da Rimini (1906); three symphonies; four piano concertos; piano pieces including Prelude in C-# minor (1882); choral; chamber music and songs.   

Rachmaninoff's qualities of style, mood and technical mastery made Sergei Rachmaninoff one of the most popular among the great composers.   

 

Rachmaninoff - Rhapsody Paganini - Alexander Malofeev, Pianist.

Video Credit:

Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op.43. Artists: Soloist Alexandеr Malofeev (16 y.o.). Conductor Myung-Whun Chung. Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI di Torino. Italy. Auditorium RAI Arturo Toscanini -- May 30, 2018.

"I feel like a ghost wandering in a world grown alien. I cannot cast out the old way of writing, and I cannot acquire the new. I have made intense efforts to feel the musical manner of today, but it will not come to me." - Rachmaninov, quoted in Ewen, American Composers

 

Resources:

Classical Music Instance Reference: Teach Yourself Series

Oxford Dictionary of Music, Sixth Edition.

Sadie, Stanley, Editor. The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music

 

(c) April 2006. Updated April 1, 2021. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.