Sergei Rachmaninoff — Harmony of West and East

Статья посвящена одной из «вечных тем» отечественного музыкознания. Вновь предпринимается попытка соотнести художественные идеалы Москвы и Санкт-Петербурга в творчестве С. В. Рахманинова на примере крупных симфонических произведений композитора. Исследовательское внимание сфокусировано на четырех элементах музыкального языка Рахманинова, объединенных в индивидуальном творческом косме. Первая симфония предстает в качестве знакового сочинения с предчувствием фатальных событий русской истории. Подчеркивается связь между концепцией Первой симфонии и художественно-стилистическим решением поздних симфонических произведений. Симфонические танцы трактуются как квинтэссенция творчества Рахманинова со всеобъемлющим доминированием трагического начала —условное «повторение» драматургии Первой симфонии. Article is dedicated to one of the “eternal themes” of Russian musicology. An attempt is made again to correlate the artistic ideals of Moscow and St. Petersburg in the works of Sergei Rachmaninoff on the example of major symphonic works. Research is focused on four elements of Rachmaninoff ’s musical language, united in the individual creative cosm14. The First Symphony appears as a landmark work with a presentiment of fatal events in the Russian history and the further evolution of composer’s thinking. The connection between the concept of the First Symphony and the artistic and stylistic solution of the later symphonic works is emphasized. Symphonic dances are interpreted as the quintessence of Rachmaninoff ’s art due to fusion of previously announced elements with the all-encompassing dominance of the tragic beginning — a conditional “repetition” of the drama of the First Symphony.

Some aspects of the impact of Western European music upon the works of Sergei Rachmaninoff

The subject of this research is certain manifestations of the impact of Western European music culture upon the works of Sergei Rachmaninoff. The object of this research is the piano, piano-orchestral and symphonic music of S. Rachmaninoff. Analysis is conducted on the particular manifestations of the impact of rhythmics that is characteristic to the Western European music and originated from it, certain melodic formulas, such as Dies Irae. Special attention is given to examination of the impact of rhythmic formulas that crystallized in Baroque period, such as “eighth with a dot, sixteenth and eighth", polyphonic rhythmics (with its specific manner of “ligation” of notes and syncopation), as well as the rhythm texture inherent to preludes and toccatas. The novelty of this article lies in the attempt to reveal the little-studied aspects of the impact of European music upon the musical language of Sergei Rachmaninoff. The conclusion is made that the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff reflects a strong influence of the European music, even his signature rhythmics, which at first glance is quite unexpected. The origins of Rachmaninoff's “rhythm formula” can be traced in the Western European polyphonic music. Other aspects of cultural interaction can also be easily identified. The acquired results can be applied in the pedagogical practice, as well as be valuable for musicologists, musicians, and anyone interested in Sergei Rachmaninoff’s music.

Sergei Rachmaninoff’ Variations on a Theme of Chopin: Genre and Style Interactions

The article highlights various aspects of the stylistic interaction process within the variation genre in Rachmaninoff’ piano works on the example of Variations on the Theme of Chopin. The relevance of the study is in the emphasis on interpretation aspects in the process of creating a performance version of a musical work. The mutual influences of the artist’s performing and compositional creativity are considered. The range of stylistic appeals to different layers of the musical context of the work is determined. The ways of interrelations with tradition are presented in combination with the semantic coordinates of the hypothetical references to performance repertoire of Rachmaninoff-pianist. Methodology. In considering Variations of the Theme of Chopin to reflect the interaction of Rachmaninoff’ performing and composing creativity, the principles of structural-functional, genre-style, performing and system analysis methods are applied. This allows deepening the interpretation potential of the work. How the study was done. This perspective of scientific attention to Variations on the theme of Chopin by Rachmaninoff in the organic combination of stylistic contexts of his composition and performance determines the scientific novelty of the study. The integration of various levels of interpretation in the pianist’s work process is especially relevant for performing a complex work of the piano top repertoire. Main objective of the study. The purpose of this article is to study this stylistic polyphony, the intersection of Rachmaninoff’ style with the piano style of previous eras and the influence of the composer’s performance experience on the process of building the texture of the work. The focus of the research is genre-style interactions in Chopin’s Variations on the levels of composer and performer’s interpretation and the main models of working with external texts that the author uses in the work. Results and conclusions. The whole layer of hypothetical references of the work to the performance of Rachmaninoff-pianist continues the rather real lines of interrelations with tradition, which reflected in the theme and the intonation plan of the forming of the variation cycle. Each of the variations of the cycle reveals clear allusions to the range of certain author’s works of the composer and a number of opuses from his huge repertoire. The variant circle deploying on the principle of increasing distance from the primary source by figurative definition, genre and style metamorphoses, structural features. In the meantime, composer keep connection with the Chopin theme in each part of the cycle (sometimes only at the micro-intonational level). Rachmaninoff created a symphonic poem for piano. Its scale, dynamics of unfolding, polyphonic plasticity and the beauty of piano colours inspirited by Chopin musical word. Significance. Therefore, Variations on a Theme of Chopin completes a number of variation masterpieces from beginning of 20th century. The finding results of this research can be used especially in the piano performing field.

Hollywood’s “No Man” Leonid V. Raab (1900–1968)

Leonid Raab was one of Hollywood’s most prolific orchestrators of Golden Age film music. However, his profile is absent from standard reference works on the cinema. Raab’s career is examined using contempora- neous sources including a journal in Russian belonging to his friend Boris Artzybasheff, translated here for the first time. Emphasis is given to Raab’s alliances with fellow émigré studio musicians, artists, and expats in thewider community in Hollywood. Born in Tiraspol, Russia, Raab started his career in New York City as a copyist and arranger with the music publishers T.B. Harms, working under Robert Russell Bennett on musicals such as Show Boat (1927). He moved from Broadway to RKO Radio Pictures in 1929 and, following the Great Depression, was employed by MGM orchestrating Herbert Stothart’s scores for The Merry Widow, David Copperfield, and A Tale of Two Cities. From 1936 to 1967, Raab collaborated mainly with the composer Franz Waxman, orchestrating some 100 scores, including Rebecca, Edge of Darkness, Objective Burma, Sunset Boulevard, A Place in the Sun, and Taras Bulba. A comprehensive filmography (~400 scores) is presented, together with some rare family memorabilia and, among other things, an orchestral score which Raab arranged of the song “Glory to God” composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

The Musical Oeuvres of Rodion Shchedrin

The previous issues of the journal featured publications of lectures about such outstanding 20th century Russian composers as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofi ev, Nikolai Myaskovsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, Aram Khachaturian and Georgy Sviridov. This series is continued with a lecture about the music of Rodion Shchedrin. Following the portions of the lecture which deal with the early and middle periods of the composer’s music, the drama and even the tragic quality of his world perception and their overcoming. the present situation acquired maximal tension upon Shchedrin’s turning to the most acute problem for the romantic consciousness — the problem of interactions of personality and its surroundings, especially in the event of their confrontation. During the lecture’s exposition fragments of musical compositions are offered with their recommended performances, in their sum providing a perception of the most substantial sides of Shchedrin’s musical legacy.

The Musical Oeuvres of Alfred G. Schnittke

The previous issues of the journal featured publications of lectures about such outstanding 20th century Russian composers as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofi ev, Nikolai Myaskovsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, Aram Khachaturian, Georgy Sviridov, and Rodion Shchedrin. This series is being continued with a lecture about the music of Alfred G. Schnittke. The fi rst part of the lecture (“National ‘Fermentations’ and Early Works”) examines the questions of the genesis of the composer’s personality and the initial stage of his artistic formation with a drastic reorientation from a traditional style to avant-garde experiment. The second part (“The Middle Period”) is devoted to Schnittke’s explorations in the direction of contacts with wide audiences, which went along various lines of democratization of his artistic approach. The conclusive part (“The Late Style”) is directed towards the composer’s immense contribution to the formation of the stylistic realities of the Postmodern aesthetics. During the course of the lecture’s exposition fragments of musical compositions are offered with recommended performances of them, in their sum providing a perception of the most substantial sides of Alfred G. Schnittke’s musical output.

The Russian Paris of Sergei Rachmaninoff

This article addresses Rachmaninoff?s activities in Paris, both a musical capital of the world and unrivalled cultural centre of the Russian emigration until 1940. It looks at the small number of concerts performed by the pianist there and places them in the context of the French press. It attempts to understand his ambiguous personal relationship to the city, the activity of his publishing company ?TAIR?, and finally assesses the extent of the composer?s charitable endeavours for the Russian community. The article concludes Rachmaninoff was of monumental significance for the ?Russian? Paris.

The Musical Oeuvres of Aram Khachaturian

The previous issues of the journal featured publications of lectures about such outstanding 20th century Russian composers as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofi ev, Nikolai Myaskovsky and Dmitri Shostakovich. This series is continued with a lecture about Aram Khachaturian’s music. After a general characterization of his musical legacy (in the preamble), the respective sections of the fi rst part of the lecture (the trajectory of the artistic path, “The Feast of Music”) examines the foundational principles of the composer’s bright individual style and evaluates the signifi cance of his contribution to the treasury of Russian art of the mid-20th century. During the exposition of the lecture fragments of his musical compositions will be offered for analysis, in their sum giving a perspective of the most substantial aspects of Khachaturian’s musical legacy.