Sergei Rachmaninov: short biography and personal life. Rachmaninov's Chamber Vocal Work: General Characteristics Report on Rachmaninov's Work Briefly

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The influence of music on a person 30.07.2017

Dear readers, today in our section we will rest our souls and fill ourselves with the music of the Russian composer, pianist, conductor Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov. We also recall some moments of his biography. Liliya Shadkovska, a music teacher with a great work experience, will tell about everything. Many already know Lily from blog articles. I give her the floor.

Good afternoon to all readers of Irina Zaitseva's blog! Summer is in full swing. I want to enjoy the sun, wander through the forest. My God! How cheerfully everything around sparkles, how fresh the air, how it smells of wild strawberries and mushrooms! Bees are buzzing, nightingale trills are heard. The day is drawing to a close, the evening coolness that has come gives us freshness and relaxation, and our favorite melodies will undoubtedly help us to plunge into the unchanging and beautiful world. Today we present to our dear readers the composer S. V. Rachmaninov - the genius of the Russian spirit.

Sergei Rachmaninoff is a talented composer, a brilliant pianist, an outstanding conductor, one of the brightest representatives of symbolism in Russian classical music of the 19th and 20th centuries. All his work, filled with inspiration, is connected with the image of the Motherland, permeated with love for the Russian land and the Orthodox faith.

Origins of talent

On April 1, 1873, the future musician S. Rachmaninov was born in the Novgorod province. He grew up in a musical family, and therefore with full confidence we can say that he inherited his talent.

His grandfather was an amateur pianist, and his father was also a musically gifted person. Mother graduated from the conservatory and became her son's first piano teacher. And although little Seryozha did not really like music lessons, nevertheless, at the age of 4, he played four hands with his grandfather his first pieces of music.

He continued further education, first at the St. Petersburg and then at the Moscow Conservatory. It was here that he met the masters of music, among whom was Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who predicted a brilliant future for Sergei Rachmaninov. After graduating from the conservatory with a gold medal, the young composer presented his opera "Aleko" based on the plot of Pushkin's poem "Gypsies" as an examination work. In the same year, the opera was staged at the Bolshoi Theatre.

Talent is on the rise

Sergei Rachmaninoff conducts brilliantly at the Bolshoi Theatre, and his tours bring him triumphant recognition of his talent as a pianist and as a composer. One after another, he writes works of various genres. One of the earliest pieces of piano music is "Elegy", which is known and very popular among connoisseurs of classical music. The wave-like flowing melody evokes either sadness, or light sadness, or excitement. And yet, listen for yourself, maybe this music will evoke different feelings in you.

S. Rachmaninov "Elegy"

“I dreamed of golden-domed Moscow that stood on churches.
Miraculous domes burned with gold, the Russian sky shone with azure ... "

Music that makes you soar above the world

A special place in the vocal lyrics of S. V. Rachmaninov is occupied by the ingenious “Vocalise” (singing in which words are not used), dedicated to Antonina Vasilievna Nezhdanova, an outstanding Russian opera singer. Music with some indescribable sadness is so expressive that it literally fascinates us. "Vocalise" is often called the music of repentance. It is interesting that vocalise sounds most often not in a vocal version, but in numerous arrangements-arrangements. In this case, the velvety stringy voice of the cello captivates us and takes us on its wings to the heavenly heights.

S. Rachmaninov "Vocalise"

“The harmony of heaven sounds:
Here is a magical forest
And the valley and the meadow by the fast river,
Where in the depths of crystal clear
The mermaid has been alive for a long time.
It draws you in and carries you
Into the coolness of bright moonlit waters…”
A. Arzhantsev

Lovely sounds of romance

Romances are undoubtedly the pinnacle of the vocal chamber genre in the composer's work. Rachmaninoff wrote about 80 romances of different character, but with exceptional richness and colorful piano accompaniment. They were a kind of spiritual confession of the composer.

A well-known romance based on A. Pushkin's verses "Do not sing, beauty, in front of me" can be called a true masterpiece of vocal lyrics. The image of the East in the piano introduction, the expressiveness and beauty of the melody evoke the deepest emotions. Performed by the magnificent baritone D. Hvorostovsky, I suggest listening to this romance.

S. Rachmaninov "Do not sing, beauty, in front of me"

Sergei Vasilyevich was very fond of his estate in Ivanovka, its large shady park, ponds, clean air and the scent of meadows. And he was very fond of blooming lilacs. The images of nature have found their embodiment in the inspired romances "Lilac", "It's good here" and many other melodies, equally beautiful in their expressiveness and beauty. Let's listen to the poetic heartfelt romance "It's good here" performed by A. Netrebko.

S. Rachmaninov "It's good here"

"Listen, the music is around,
It is in everything - in nature itself,
And for countless melodies
She creates her own sound.
She is served by the wind, the splashing of the waves.
Thunder rolls, drips.
Birds incessant trills
In the midst of green silence.

They say that there is such a sign that if you find a flower with five petals on a lilac branch, it will bring you happiness. About this tender dream, the heartfelt romance "Lilac" is one of the most precious pearls of the composer's vocal lyrics. The romance was written in a happy time in the life of the young S. Rachmaninov, when feelings for his beloved arose in him, just at the time of the unusual flowering of lilacs. The listener does not leave the feeling of morning freshness and peace of mind in the romance to the verses of E. Beketova "Lilac".

S. Rachmaninov "Lilac"

“So from the bell towers of eternal Russia
raspberry ringing rushes down,
flowing lilac scent,
and the world becomes new and pure…”

One of Rachmaninov's best romances is "Spring Waters" to the words of F. Tyutchev. This is a musical picture of the Russian spring, a picture of the disturbing power of the awakening of nature, a poem of enthusiastic, joyfully jubilant feelings, an upsurge of spiritual strength that resounds in full voice performed by the choir.

S. Rachmaninov "Spring Waters"

The harmony of heaven sounds

Endless expanses of Russia. Magnificent cathedrals, whose golden domes proudly rise to the sky, monasteries, rural churches, and above all this, the festive bell of the morning ringing. Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninov always kept his love for bell ringing and choral singing in his heart.

Anxiety for the fate of the motherland in the midst of the First World War prompts the composer to turn to the roots of Russian musical culture - old church tunes, choral singing. Inspired by the poetic part of the New Testament, Rachmaninoff writes his famous All-Night Vigil. Listen to the excerpt "Great Glory".

S. Rachmaninov "All-Night Vigil"

Composer's business card

One of the composer's favorite genres of piano music was the genre of prelude. "Prelude in C-sharp minor" became Rachmaninoff's calling card for many years. On September 26, 1892, at one of the Moscow exhibitions, S. Rachmaninov for the first time publicly played his Prelude in C sharp minor. The disturbing, severe motif is associated with the theme of fate and formidable fate, which is opposed by the motif of inextinguishable human hope.

S. Rachmaninov "Prelude in C-sharp minor"

Another of the most popular among listeners is the prelude "G minor". It seems that the sounds mercilessly cut through the air in their nervous tension, and then there is a lull for a while. Surprisingly, each performer interprets this work in his own way. Listen to how this prelude sounds from Valentina Lisitsa.

S. Rachmaninoff "Prelude in G minor"

"Want to know how I feel, listen to my music"
S. Rachmaninov

Piano Concertos by Rachmaninoff

Piano concertos can be called musical novels that glorified the composer throughout the world, revealing his talent to the fullest. In 1900, S. V. Rachmaninov wrote his “Second Piano Concerto”, dedicated to the psychotherapist V. Dahl, who managed to convince the composer that this work would be a tremendous success. This concerto entered the repertoire of the world's leading pianists.

The genius of Rachmaninov, who created this masterpiece, cannot leave anyone indifferent! Every time I listen to this concert, I have associations connected with rebirth, with power, with something eternal. Music is so energizing that I would advise you to listen to it every morning in order to live the whole day on the rise and the desire to do good and make the world a better place.

Performed by the ebullient Lang Lang.

S. Rachmaninov "Second Concerto"

“It is not enough to see here - here you need to peer,
So that the heart is filled with clear love.
Here it is not enough to hear - here you need to listen carefully,
So that consonances flood into the soul.

Farewell to the motherland

That time can be characterized by Blok's lines: “In those distant, deaf years, sleep and darkness reigned in the hearts ...” Rachmaninov welcomed the February Revolution, but soon the feeling of joy was replaced by anxiety, which intensified due to heated events. During the atrocities, his beloved estate in Ivanovka burned down, many close people died ...

The old Russia no longer existed. Saving his life and the lives of his relatives, he leaves the country, which has suddenly become alien to him. Leaving Russia, Rachmaninoff kissed the Russian land goodbye. But then the composer did not assume that he was leaving forever. In December 1917, Rachmaninoff went on tour to Scandinavia, and then moved with his family to the United States.

World's first pianist

Thus begins a new stage in his life. America met the musician with delight. He was recognized on the streets and in transport, correspondents of newspapers and magazines broke through to him. Here he is known as a "Russian" composer, it is with Russia that he is associated in this country and in European countries.

Offers rained down on him from all sides. Rachmaninoff concludes contracts in different cities, travels a lot with concerts. Each of his performances becomes an event. He is recognized as one of the best pianists in the world.

Nature endowed the composer with a unique gift - the hands of a pianist, surprisingly large, amazingly beautiful. He could cover twelve white keys at once! The listeners were attracted not only by Rachmaninoff's perfect performing skills, but also by his playing style.

S. Rachmaninov "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" (recording performed by the author)

“And then the sounds will fill the hall,
hands will rise in the heat of octaves.
There the Russian spirit will announce the piano,
there is a Russian spirit - there ... there ... there ... there ... "

Alexandra Odrina

Unfortunately, during the period of immigration, he almost did not write. Only in the summer of 1940 did the composer finish the second edition of the Fourth Concerto and the last edition of the Symphonic Dances. Having finished the score, Rachmaninov wrote at the end of the page: “Thank You, Lord!”

On February 17, 1943, Rachmaninov played his last concert in Knoxville. A serious illness literally took all his strength in 2 months. Sergei Vasilievich died on March 28, 1943, three days before his seventieth birthday.

“Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music”
S. Rachmaninov

Do you know what?

• Mother Lyubov Petrovna was her son's first music teacher, but these lessons gave him "great displeasure";
• Rachmaninov's grandmother Sofya Andreevna often attended church and took her grandson with her. It was there that he was imbued with the chiming of bells and church singing;
• at one of the exams in harmony, P. I. Tchaikovsky gave the young composer an A with four pluses;
• somehow Rachmaninov shielded himself from the paparazzi, not wanting to be filmed, and in the evening a photo of the composer appeared in the newspaper: his face is not visible, only his hands. The caption under the photo read: "Hands that are worth a million";
• one of the clergy present at the premiere of "The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom" said: "The music is wonderful, even too beautiful, it is difficult to pray with such music";
• Sergei Rachmaninov was the only composer who was officially banned in the country in the early thirties;
• from the memoirs of A. Nezhdanova: “S. Rachmaninoff wrote for me and dedicated to me the wonderful “Vocalise” ... When I expressed my regret to him that there were no words in this work, he said to this: “Why words, when you can express everything better and much more with your voice and performance than anyone's words? It was so convincingly, seriously said, and I was so touched by it, that I could only express my deep gratitude to him from the bottom of my heart ... The manuscript of Vocalise is kept in my possession as a precious memory of a brilliant composer ”;
• Once Rachmaninov received a letter from a certain gentleman in which he wrote: “When I stopped you at Carnegie Hall to ask for fire, I had no idea who I was talking to, but soon recognized you and left the second match as a souvenir.” Rachmaninoff replied: “Thank you for your letter. If I had known earlier that you are an admirer of my art, then without a doubt and every regret I would have given you not only the second match, but even the whole box ”;
• after each performance, someone brought Rachmaninoff a bouquet of white lilacs. According to legend, it was a beautiful stranger who relentlessly followed the musician;
• being an immigrant, Rachmaninoff always remained a patriot and was very worried about the fate of his homeland. The composer found an opportunity to help, so, during the Second World War, Rakhmaninov gave concerts, the money from which he sent to help the Russian people with the words: “I want to believe. I believe in complete victory! Alas, the composer did not wait for this victory.

The power of S. Rachmaninov's music, the sincerity of his feelings excite millions of listeners even today. And, of course, the greatest monument to the composer is our love. Rachmaninoff felt like a Russian to the end of his days, despite the fact that he had lived abroad for half of his life.

The creative image of Rachmaninoff as a composer is often defined by the words "the most Russian composer." This brief and incomplete description expresses both the objective qualities of Rachmaninov's style and the place of his heritage in the historical perspective of world music. It was Rachmaninov's work that acted as the synthesizing denominator that united and fused the creative principles of the Moscow (P. Tchaikovsky) and St. Petersburg ("Mighty Handful") schools into a single and integral Russian national style. The theme "Russia and its fate", the general one for Russian art of all types and genres, found an exceptionally characteristic and complete embodiment in Rachmaninov's work. In this regard, Rachmaninoff was both a successor to the tradition of operas by Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky's symphonies, and a link in the unbroken chain of national tradition (this theme was continued in the work of S. Prokofiev, D. Shostakovich, G. Sviridov, A. Schnittke and etc.). The special role of Rachmaninoff in the development of the national tradition is explained by the historical position of Rachmaninov’s work, a contemporary of the Russian revolution: it was the revolution, reflected in Russian art as a “catastrophe”, “the end of the world”, that has always been the semantic dominant of the theme “Russia and its fate” (see N. Berdyaev, "The Origins and Meaning of Russian Communism").

Rachmaninov's work chronologically refers to that period of Russian art, which is commonly called the "Silver Age". The main creative method of art of this period was symbolism, the features of which were clearly manifested in the work of Rachmaninov. Rachmaninov's works are saturated with complex symbolism, expressed with the help of motifs-symbols, the main of which is the motif of the medieval chorale Dies Irae.

This motif in Rachmaninoff symbolizes a premonition of a catastrophe, "the end of the world", "retribution".

Christian motives are very important in Rachmaninoff's work: being a deeply religious person, Rachmaninoff not only made an outstanding contribution to the development of Russian spiritual music (Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, 1910, All-Night Vigil, 1916), but also embodied Christian ideas and symbols in his other works .

The evolution of creative style

Rachmaninov's work is conventionally divided into three or four periods: early (1889-1897), mature (it is sometimes divided into two periods: 1900-1909 and 1910-1917) and late (1918-1941).

Rachmaninov's style, which grew out of late romanticism, subsequently underwent a significant evolution. Like his contemporaries A. Scriabin and I. Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff at least twice (c. 1900 and c. 1926) radically updated the style of his music. The mature and especially late style of Rachmaninov goes far beyond the post-romantic tradition (“overcoming” of which began in the early period) and at the same time does not belong to any of the stylistic currents of the musical avant-garde of the 20th century. Rachmaninov's work, therefore, stands apart in the evolution of world music of the 20th century: having absorbed many achievements of impressionism and the avant-garde, Rachmaninov's style remained uniquely individual and original, unparalleled in world art (excluding imitators and imitators). In modern musicology, a parallel with L. van Beethoven is often used: just like Rachmaninoff, Beethoven went in his work far beyond the boundaries of the style that educated him (in this case, Viennese classicism), without joining the romantics and remaining alien to the romantic worldview .

First - early period - began under the sign of late romanticism, assimilated mainly through the style of Tchaikovsky (First Concerto, early pieces). However, already in the Trio in D minor (1893), written in the year of Tchaikovsky’s death and dedicated to his memory, Rachmaninoff gives an example of a bold creative synthesis of the traditions of romanticism (Tchaikovsky), the Kuchkists, the old Russian church tradition and modern everyday and gypsy music. This work is one of the first examples of polystylistics in world music, as if symbolically heralding the continuity of tradition from Tchaikovsky to Rachmaninov and the entry of Russian music into a new stage of development. In the First Symphony, the principles of stylistic synthesis were developed even more boldly, which was one of the reasons for its failure at the premiere.

maturity period marked by the formation of an individual, mature style based on the intonational baggage of Znamenny chant, Russian songwriting and the style of late European romanticism. These features are clearly expressed in the famous Second Concerto and Second Symphony, in the piano preludes op. 23. However, starting with the symphonic poem "Isle of the Dead", Rachmaninov's style becomes more complicated, which is caused, on the one hand, by an appeal to the themes of symbolism and modernity, and on the other hand, by the implementation of the achievements of modern music: impressionism, neoclassicism, new orchestral, textural, harmonic techniques. The central work of this period is the grandiose poem "The Bells" for choir, soloists and orchestra, to the words of Edgar Allan Poe, translated by K. Balmont (1913).

Brightly innovative, saturated with unprecedented new choral and orchestral techniques, this work had a huge impact on the choral and symphonic music of the 20th century. The theme of this work is typical for the art of symbolism, for this stage of Russian art and Rachmaninov's work: it symbolically embodied various periods of human life, leading to inevitable death; the apocalyptic symbolism of the Bells, carrying the idea of ​​the End of the World, presumably influenced the "musical" pages of T. Mann's novel Doctor Faustus.

Late - foreign period of creativity- marked by exceptional originality. Rachmaninov's style is made up of a solid fusion of the most diverse, sometimes opposing stylistic elements: the traditions of Russian music - and jazz, the old Russian znamenny chant - and the "restaurant" stage of the 1930s, the virtuoso style of the 19th century - and the harsh toccato of the avant-garde. The very heterogeneity of stylistic premises contains a philosophical meaning - the absurdity, the cruelty of being in the modern world, the loss of spiritual values. The works of this period are distinguished by mysterious symbolism, semantic polyphony, and deep philosophical overtones.

Rachmaninov's last work, Symphonic Dances (1941), vividly embodying all these features, is compared by many with M. Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, completed at the same time.

The significance of Rachmaninov's composer creativity is enormous: Rachmaninoff synthesized various trends in Russian art, various thematic and stylistic trends, and combined them under one denominator - the Russian national style. Rachmaninoff enriched Russian music with the achievements of the art of the 20th century and was one of those who brought the national tradition to a new stage. Rachmaninoff enriched the intonation fund of Russian and world music with the intonation baggage of the Old Russian Znamenny chant. Rachmaninoff for the first time (along with Scriabin) brought Russian piano music to the world level, became one of the first Russian composers whose piano works are included in the repertoire of all pianists in the world. Rachmaninoff was one of the first to synthesize the classical tradition and jazz.

The significance of Rachmaninov's performing arts is no less great: Rachmaninoff the pianist became a standard for many generations of pianists from different countries and schools, he approved the world priority of the Russian piano school, the distinguishing features of which are: 1) deep content of performance; 2) attention to the intonation richness of music; 3) "singing on the piano" - imitation of vocal sounding and vocal intonation by means of the piano. Rachmaninov, a pianist, left reference recordings of many works of world music, on which many generations of musicians learn.

I.Biography
1.Childhood and youth:

Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninov was born on March 20 (April 1, according to a new style), 1873, in the Semyonovo estate of the Starorussky district of the Novgorod province.

The Rachmaninov family was of ancient noble origin and apparently originated from the Moldavian rulers Dragos, who founded the Moldavian state and ruled it for more than two hundred years (XIV - XVI centuries). From one of the descendants of this ancient family, Vasily, nicknamed Rakhmanin, the Rakhmaninov family began.

Father, Vasily Arkadyevich, at the age of sixteen, entered the military service as a volunteer and fought in the Caucasus. After retiring, he married Lyubov Petrovna Butakova and settled with her in the estate of her parents Oneg.

Vasily Arkadyevich was a secular charming person, not alien to artistic interests: he improvised for hours on the piano, fantasized, told extraordinary stories, in a word, he was the soul of society. Vasily Arkadievich, apparently, inherited his musical talent from his father. Arkady Alexandrovich, although he was a military man in his youth, had only one strong passion in life - music. He played the piano superbly, studied with John Field in his youth, composed piano pieces and romances.

Lyubov Petrovna was completely different - always sad, preoccupied with something, upset.

Vasily Arkadyevich and Lyubov Petrovna had five children: two daughters - Elena and Sofya, two sons - Vladimir and Sergey, another daughter - Varya - died quite a baby.

The Oneg estate, where Sergei Rachmaninov spent his early childhood, is located thirty versts from Novgorod, on the left bank of the Volkhov.

The house was wooden, one-story, with a mezzanine with three windows overlooking the Volkhov. On the north side adjoined the kitchen, barnyard, cowsheds, stables. An orchard was spread all around, surrounded with a thick “fence” of fir trees along with the house. Three ponds gleamed in the garden, in which crucian carp were found. Next was a shady park. wide alley,

Lined with lindens and maples, it descended to the very bank of the river.

The discreet nature of the Russian north has forever remained imprinted in the memory of Sergei Rachmaninoff.

In the large living room of the Onega house there was a long tailed piano. When Seryozha was still very young, the elders began to notice something. As soon as the piano playing or singing was heard, the boy “froze”: he froze in place and completely ceased to see what was happening around. From this observation, the parents drew two very different conclusions. One of them was that they decided to teach Seryozha to play the piano. He was not yet five years old when Lyubov Petrovna, who at one time took music lessons at a boarding school, took up this business.

The boy made rapid progress and soon began to perform simple pieces. It soon became clear that he had an excellent musical memory.

Later, for classes with Serezha, a friend of the mother, music teacher A. D. Ornatskaya, was invited to the estate.

However, despite the obvious artistic inclinations, according to the tradition that had developed in the family, Seryozha should have been sent to the Corps of Pages.

But fate decreed otherwise. When Rachmaninoff was seven years old, his father went bankrupt, the estate was sold for debts to the counts Muravyov, and the family moved to St. Petersburg. Serezha entered the junior department of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, in the piano class of teacher V. Demyansky.

In the early eighties, the material well-being of the family collapsed. The father left the family, leaving his wife and children.

There was no one to follow Rachmaninoff's upbringing. He studied poorly, was often lazy and missed classes. Serezha's conservative affairs did not bode well. At that time, the closest person to the young musician was his grandmother, Sofia Alexandrovna Butakova. It is to her that he owes one of the strongest childhood musical impressions. Being very religious, S. A. Butakova often took her grandson to St. Petersburg cathedrals. Love for church singing remained with Rachmaninov forever: his famous "All-Night" and "Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom" are rooted in distant childhood. However, Seryozha's musical interests were limited to church singing. He was still of little interest in studying at the conservatory. During the three years of study in it, he coped only with musical subjects - thanks to his excellent abilities, but he finally launched general education.

Three years later, the mother turned to her relative, Serezha's cousin Alexander Siloti for help. At that time, Siloti was quite young, but already a very famous pianist. Assessing the outstanding abilities of his younger brother, Siloti immediately offered to take him with him to Moscow and place him in the class of Nikolai Sergeevich Zverev, from whom he himself studied.

2. Conservatory years:

In 1885, Rachmaninov was transferred to the fourth year of the junior department of the Moscow Conservatory. Zverev not only took Seryozha into his class, but also took him to full board.

N. S. Zverev treated his pupils as if they were his own children - they lived in his house, studied at his expense. The training regimen was quite strict. It was supposed to start playing at six o'clock in the morning. If the night before Zverev took his pupils to the theater - and this happened quite often, then in the morning classes began anyway at the allotted time.

In 1888, Rachmaninov moved to the senior department of the Moscow Conservatory and was enrolled, at the insistence of Zverev, in the class of A. Siloti. Rachmaninoff studied theoretical disciplines with Taneyev (theory and composition), and later with Arensky (fugue and free composition class). Rachmaninoff passed the final exam in harmony, which preceded the transfer to the senior courses of the conservatory, more than successfully. P. I. Tchaikovsky liked the preludes he composed so much that he surrounded the five with four pluses and strongly recommended that the young musician seriously take up composing.

Education in the senior years of the conservatory was given to Rachmaninov easily. He studied a lot, participated in conservatory concerts, constantly composed. The first surviving works were written by him in 1887-1888. These are three nocturnes, "Melody" and Gavotte. In 1890, the young composer turned to a genre that was to take a special place in his work - the piano concerto.

Written in the tradition of a romantic piano concerto, Rachmaninoff's First Concerto stands out for its special freshness of the harmonic language, inclination towards spicy "oriental" images. Subsequently, the composer revised the concerto, creating a more virtuoso, brilliant second edition. The concerto was one of the young composer's first major works.

In 1891, at the age of eighteen, Rachmaninov received a pianist diploma.

A year later, the final exam in composition took place. S.Rakhmaninov, who was finishing the course, had to compose a one-act opera based on the libretto composed by V.Nemirovich-Danchenko based on A.S.Pushkin's poem "The Gypsies". Aleko was written incredibly quickly. On March 27, the theme became known, and already on April 13, the opera in the score, completely rewritten, decorated with a dark crimson binding with gold embossing, was presented to the commission.

Rachmaninov's opera was not only highly appreciated by the commission, it was accepted for production by the Bolshoi Theater, and the well-known music publisher Gutheil immediately signed a contract with the author to publish Aleko. At the end of the conservatory, Rachmaninov was awarded the Big Gold Medal.

The composition of a very young, nineteen-year-old composer was also highly appreciated by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

A year later, Aleko premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre.

3. Years of creativity:

After graduating from the Moscow Conservatory as a composer and pianist, Rachmaninoff received the title of a free artist. But his financial situation left much to be desired: despite the Big Gold Medal and brilliant reviews at the final exams, he did not receive an offer to teach at the conservatory and was forced to earn money by private lessons. Some income was brought by the first published works. In the spring of 1893, Opus 3 Fantasy Pieces (Elegy, Prelude, Melody, Polichinelle, Serenade) were published. The Prelude in C-sharp minor was especially successful.
In this small three-part play, the musical style of the young composer was fully revealed. Heavy, powerful sounds open the prelude: these are, of course, the echoes of Russian bells, which he heard so often in childhood. Deep low basses are answered by high “bell” echoes, and it seems that this ringing floats over the wide Central Russian plain.

The summer of 1893 Rachmaninoff spends with his friend M. Slonov in one of the estates of the Kharkov province. There, the symphonic fantasy "Cliff" on the theme of Lermontov's poem, Fantasias for two pianos in four movements and other works are born.

4. First symphony. Creative crisis:

In 1895, Rachmaninov matured the idea of ​​the First Symphony. It was the first major work of the young author. The score was completed in August 1896.

As an epigraph to the symphony, Rachmaninov chose a quote from the Bible: "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay."

When composing the symphony, Rachmaninov hoped that it would be performed in the Russian Symphony Concertos, and he had high hopes for it. However, these hopes were not justified, and for the first time the symphony was performed in St. Petersburg on March 15, 1897 under the baton of A. Glazunov. Now it is already difficult to judge what the complete and deafening failure of Rachmaninoff's "symphonic first-born" was connected with.

“As I now see the atmosphere of the concert,” writes L. Skalon, “Glazunov stood phlegmatically at the conductor's stand and also phlegmatically conducted the symphony. He failed her."

“During the performance, I could not force myself to go into the hall,” Rachmaninov later told Rizerman. - I left the artistic room and hid in the stairwell, sitting on the iron steps of the stairs leading to the choir stalls. Here I huddled up and sat all the time while the symphony was being performed, which aroused so many great hopes in me. I will never forget this torment: it was the most terrible hour of my life.

This failure made the most depressing impression on the young composer. After this symphony, Rachmaninoff did not compose anything for about three years.

5. Acquaintance with Chaliapin:

In 1897, Rachmaninov gladly accepted the offer of the famous philanthropist Savva Mamontov to take the post of second conductor in his Private Opera. Rachmaninoff unexpectedly easily entered the mammoth company, especially closely getting along with Chaliapin. This was the beginning of a friendship that both the singer and the composer carried through their lives.

Many memories of those contemporaries who happened to hear the Rachmaninov-Chaliapin duet have been preserved. They all speak with one voice: Russia has never heard such a duet. “When Rachmaninoff accompanied me,” Fyodor used to say more than once, “I had to say not “I sing”, but “We sing”!

In the 1897/98 season at Mamontov's Private Opera, Rakhmaninov was to conduct ten performances.

In April 1898, he accepted an invitation from the London Symphony Society to perform in one of its concerts. The tour was a triumph. Rachmaninoff conducted his orchestral fantasy "The Cliff" and performed some piano pieces, from time to time including the notorious Prelude in C-sharp minor in the program. Inspired by the reception of the public and critics, Rachmaninoff thought about creating the Second Piano Concerto.

6. At the Bolshoi Theatre:

In 1904, Rachmaninoff again turned to conducting, this time holding the post of conductor of the Bolshoi Theater. All productions performed by Rachmaninov - Dargomyzhsky's "Mermaid", Borodin's "Prince Igor", Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov" - have become standard. But the best in his interpretation were, of course, the works of Tchaikovsky - "Eugene Onegin", "The Queen of Spades", "Iolanta" and "Oprichnik".

During his time at the Bolshoi, Rachmaninoff staged two of his one-act operas there - The Miserly Knight based on the text of one of Pushkin's Little Tragedies and Francesca da Rimini based on a story from Dante.

7. Bloom of Creativity:

In 1906, Rachmaninoff left the Bolshoi Theater and left Moscow with his family, moving abroad: first to Florence, then to Dresden.

In 1907, the famous entrepreneur Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev invited Rachmaninoff to participate in the Russian Symphony Concerts in Paris, where Sergei Vasilievich performed his Second Concerto and conducted the cantata Spring. At the end of the same year, the composer completes his Second Symphony. Unlike the previous symphony, the Second is a success, and for it the composer is awarded the Glinkin Prize for the second time (he received the first in 1904 for the Second Piano Concerto).

In 1910 he made a long tour of the cities of the United States and Canada - playing in Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Chicago, Toronto. Here, for the first time, his new work, the Third Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, is heard (and to this day it is considered one of the most difficult works in this genre).

The pre-war years were rich in new compositions. In 1910 he completed the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom", one of his largest spiritual works.

In the same years, Rachmaninov intensively worked on piano and chamber vocal compositions. Preludes op. 32, six studies-paintings, numerous romances. In 1912 - 1913, Rachmaninov wrote The Bells, a poem for a symphony orchestra, choir and soloists, to the verses of K. Balmont. In various chimes - festive, wedding, funeral - he recreates the whole human life, from birth to death.

In 1915, the second major spiritual work appeared -

"All-Night Vigil". The old church melodies, the so-called Znamenny chants, once carefully collected by the boy in his “musical piggy bank”, have now found a new life. In the Vespers, Rachmaninoff used these chants, which are included in the so-called "Obikhod" and are still heard in Orthodox Divine Services.

The last compositions created in the Motherland were the cycles of romances op. 38 to poems by symbolist poets A. Blok, A. Bely, I. Severyanin, V. Bryusov and others, as well as six studies of paintings.

8. Far from home:

On the eve of Christmas 1917, Rachmaninoff crossed the Finnish border with his family. So he began his foreign tour, which stretched for the rest of his life. The Rachmaninoffs did not stay long in Scandinavia. On November 1, 1918, they boarded a steamer and left Europe. Their path lay across the ocean, to the United States of America - "a country of unlimited possibilities."

This was the most difficult turn in Rachmaninoff's long life. He was - and he himself was well aware of this - a Russian artist. All his work was inextricably linked with Russia, its nature, its culture. It turned out to be incredibly difficult for him to compose away from his homeland; in addition, it was necessary to provide for the life of his family - his wife and two dearly beloved daughters, Tatyana and Irina.

And since that time, the main occupation of Rachmaninoff has been the concert activity of a virtuoso pianist. For several years he toured only in the United States and Canada, and only in 1923 returned to Europe. As a pianist, Rachmaninoff had such a success that, perhaps, he never had as a composer.

In America, Rachmaninov is an unconditional "star"

His repertoire was huge. The main place in it was occupied, in addition to his own piano compositions, by the works of romantics - Chopin, Schumann, Liszt; he played a lot of Tchaikovsky, whom he idolized, and, although he did not like modern music, occasionally performed Debussy.

His interpretations were unforgettable. Brilliant virtuoso technique, powerful and soft sound, absolutely individual reading of any composition were remembered not just for a long time - forever.

And yet, although the composing activity became less intense, Rachmaninov returned to composing.

In 1926, the Fourth Concerto for Piano and Orchestra appeared, in the summer of 1932 - Variations on a Theme of Corelli. Following her, in 1934, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini was created. In 1935 - 1936 - the Third Symphony. Rachmaninov's last major work, Symphonic Dances, was written on the eve of World War II in 1940.

For the rest of his life, Rachmaninov was very homesick for his homeland.

In 1931, on the advice of Riesemann, Rachmaninov bought a piece of land in Switzerland on the shore of Lake Firwaldstet.

And he built a villa on it. The carefully thought-out and planned estate somehow subtly resembled Russia, beloved Ivanovka. Rachmaninov named the villa "Senar" - short for "Sergey and Natalia Rachmaninoff". In Senar, his later works were born - "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini", and then the Third Symphony. "Rhapsody" is often - and rightly - called Rachmaninov's Fifth Piano Concerto, although it was written in the form of variations on the famous

The atmosphere in Senar was reminiscent of a long-standing life in Ivanovka - compatriots constantly visited Rachmaninov, there were young people - friends and girlfriends of the daughters Tatyana and Irina. And if they started old Russian round dances, he himself sat down at the piano and improvised wonderful arrangements of Russian folk songs. But when the Second World War began, Switzerland became inaccessible. Rachmaninov was again forced to leave for America: until the end of his life, he no longer returned to Europe.

The composer experienced the war between Russia and Nazi Germany very hard. In the fall of 1941, he made an appeal to support Russia and transferred the entire fee from the first concert of the season - $ 3,920 - to the USSR Consul General in the USA V. Fedyushin. During the last two years of his life, Rachmaninoff helped his compatriots as best he could, transferring large sums to various funds and sending parcels with food and things to friends and acquaintances who were in the Soviet Union. Rachmaninov gave his last concert in Knoxville. He was already ill, feeling unwell, but sought to continue touring. However, an aggravated illness forced him to interrupt the tour.

On the day of his seventieth birthday, a congratulatory telegram arrived from Moscow, signed by Soviet composers. But Sergei Vasilyevich was already unconscious.

Rachmaninoff died on March 28, 1943 at his home in Beverly Hill, California. Rachmaninoff was buried in the Russian Church on the outskirts of Los Angeles. He was buried at the Russian cemetery in Kensico.

II.Analysis of the work

1. Second concerto for piano and orchestra:

One of Rachmaninoff's best works is the Second Piano Concerto.

Inspirational and at the same time deep in content, the music includes various images - either bright, joyfully jubilant, or excitedly pathetic, tragic. And all this sublime and poetic world is embodied in strict and slender proportions. What makes the concert one of the brightest masterpieces of world music.

The first movement of the Concerto is the most significant and dramatic. This character is given to it by the very first theme - courageous and severe, sounding like the tocsin of a mighty bell. The dominance of lyrical feelings is affirmed in the second theme.

These two main themes of the first part are very bright, imaginative and individual. In the first topic I found a vivid expression

Russian folk song character. There is a mood of excited, anxious expectation in it. This is a generalized image of both old Russia and contemporary Russia for the composer, looking for its own ways. The main theme impresses with its capacity and depth. And it ends with an excited surge of lyrical feeling. Each of these constituent elements is emphasized in the reprise, where the main theme takes on an epic, marching, or anthem character. The development is very concise, it dynamically develops the main images of the exposition. Here the mood is tense, full of drama. At the heart of this section is a short motif, and intonationally close to the individual elements of the main and secondary parts; acquiring independence, becoming more and more dynamic, it penetrates into the reprise, where it sounds simultaneously with the main theme, which creates the impression of solidity, solidarity of individual sections of the exposition.

The side part in the reprise has been significantly changed - its character becomes more calm, peaceful due to the slow tempo, the soft sound of the strings. And only a few decisive final chords give the ending of the movement an active strong-willed character.

The main theme of the second part of the Concerto in character and even intonation approaches the lyrical theme of the first part. It is also lyrical, contemplative and defines the character of the entire second movement. Thanks to the cold, detached sound of the flute, which sings this theme at the beginning, one gets the impression of enthusiasm and high trembling of feelings.

The Second Concerto ends with a wild impetuous finale, two main themes - energetic and strong-willed and lyrically enthusiastic - create a mood of special festivity, elation, which at the very end results in a solemnly jubilant anthem.

The great Russian composer, pianist and conductor Sergei Vasilyevich 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 Rachmaninov 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.

Rachmaninov'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

Here is a list of 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", "Bells" and "Isle of the Dead");
• 2 symphonies
• five fantasy pieces for piano;
• 2 sonatas for piano;
• sonata and two pieces for cello and piano;
• capriccio on gypsy themes;
• two pieces for cello and piano;
• cantata "Spring";
• six pieces for piano four hands
• 2 works for a cappella choir;
• vantaziya "Cliff".

As well as preludes, etudes, romances, Russian songs and so on.

Student years of the composer

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:

• concerto for piano and orchestra No. 1;
• Youth Symphony;
• the symphonic poem "Prince Rostislav", based on which was first performed for the public after the author's death;
• the opera "Aleko", the plot for which was the poem by A.S. Pushkin, became Rachmaninov's diploma work at the composition department.

Works written in 1893-1899

In 1893, Rachmaninoff wrote an Elegiac Trio entitled "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 grief of loss and at the same time bright memories of a great man, as well as philosophical discussions about how fleeting life is. Other works by Rachmaninoff that he wrote between 1893 and 1899: symphonic fantasy "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 and begins to write again. Since then begins the most fruitful period in his work. Rachmaninov 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 No. 2;
• Concerto No. 3 for piano and orchestra;
• the gloomy symphonic poem "Isle of the Dead", inspired by the composer's black-and-white copy of Arnold Böcklin's mystical painting.

In the period from 1904 to 1906, Sergei Vasilyevich wrote two one-act operas: "Francesca da Rimini" by Dante and "The Miserly Knight" by A. S. 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 on the opera 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 the Saint 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

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

• "At the gates of the monastery" to the verses of 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" to the verses of A. S. Pushkin;
• "River Lily" to the words of A. Pleshnev from G. Heine;
• "Spring Waters" to the verses of F. Tyutchev;
• "Oh, do not be sad" to the words of A. Apukhtin;
• "They answered" to a translation of Victor Hugo's poems;
• "At Night in the Garden" to the words of Alexander Blok;
• "Ay" to the words of Balmont.

The most famous works of S. Rachmaninov

One of the greatest Russian composers, Rachmaninov, 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 is also arranged for performance with an orchestra, for a choir with an orchestra, for an orchestra without a vocalist, for an instrumental soloist, 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.

The 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 "The Bells"

Perhaps the most famous work of Rachmaninoff is the 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 chimes 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 solo - here sounds a death knell 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 few in number. 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 Aleko's cruel act 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 Rachmaninov to this day, it can be heard as a soundtrack to many foreign films.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov is a great Russian composer, also famous as a pianist and conductor. He received his first fame while still a student, as he wrote a number of very popular romances, the famous Prelude, the First Piano Concerto and the opera Aleko, which was staged at the Bolshoi Theater. In his work, he synthesized the two main Russian composer schools, Moscow and St. Petersburg, and created his own unique style, which became the pearl of classical music.

Senar

Sergei was born in the Semyonovo estate, located in the Novgorod province, but grew up in the Oneg estate, which belonged to his father, nobleman Vasily Arkadyevich. The composer's mother, Lyubov Petrovna, was the daughter of the director of the Arakcheevsky Cadet Corps. Rachmaninov apparently inherited his musical talent through the male line. His grandfather was a pianist and gave concerts in many cities of the Russian Empire. Dad was also known as an excellent musician, but he played only in friendly companies.

Parents: mother Lyubov Petrovna and father Vasily Arkadyevich

The music of Sergei Rachmaninov interested me at a very early age. His first teacher was his mother, who introduced the child to the basics of musical literacy, then he studied with a guest pianist, and at the age of 9 he entered the junior class of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. But being at such an early age his own master, the boy could not cope with the temptation and began to skip classes. At the family council, Sergei Rachmaninov briefly explained to his relatives that he lacked discipline, and his father transferred his son to Moscow, to a private boarding school for musically gifted children. The students of this institution were under constant supervision, honed their playing of instruments for six hours a day and without fail went to the Philharmonic and the Opera House.

Photo of Sergei Rachmaninov as a child | Senar

However, four years later, having quarreled with a mentor, a talented teenager drops out of school. He stayed in Moscow, as he was sheltered by relatives, and only in 1988 he continued his studies, already at the senior department of the Moscow Conservatory, which he graduated with a gold medal at the age of 19 in two directions - as a pianist and as a composer. By the way, even at a tender age, Sergei Rachmaninov, whose brief biography is inextricably linked with the greatest Russian musicians, met Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It was thanks to him that the first opera of the young talent "Aleko" based on the work of A. S. Pushkin was staged at the Moscow Bolshoi Theater.

Senar

After graduating from the conservatory, the young man began to teach young ladies at women's institutes. Sergei Rachmaninov taught piano and privately, although he always did not like to be a teacher. Later, the composer took the place of a conductor at the Moscow Bolshoi Theater and led the orchestra when performances from the Russian repertoire were staged. Another conductor, the Italian I. K. Altani, was responsible for foreign productions. When the October Revolution of 1917 took place, Rachmaninov did not accept it, so he emigrated from Russia at the first opportunity. He took advantage of an invitation to give a concert in Stockholm and never returned from there.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov | Senar

It should be noted that in Europe, Sergei Vasilyevich was left without money and property, because otherwise he would not have been released abroad. He decided to perform as a pianist. Sergei Rachmaninov gave concert after concert and very quickly paid off his debts, and also won great fame. At the end of 1918, the musician sailed on a ship to New York, where he was greeted as a hero and a star of the first magnitude. In the USA, Rachmaninoff continued to tour as a pianist, and occasionally as a conductor, and did not stop this activity until the end of his life. The Americans literally idolized the Russian composer, he was always followed by a crowd of photographers. Sergei even had to go to tricks to get rid of annoying attention. For example, he often rented a hotel room, but spent the night in a personal railway car to confuse reporters.

Artworks

While still a student at the conservatory, Rachmaninov became famous at the level of Moscow. It was then that he wrote the First Piano Concerto, the Prelude in C sharp minor, which became his calling card for many years, as well as many lyrical romances. But the career that started so successfully was interrupted due to the failure of the First Symphony. After its performance in the St. Petersburg Concert Hall, a flurry of criticism and devastating reviews rained down on the composer. For more than three years, Sergei Vasilievich did not compose anything, was depressed and almost all the time lay at home on the couch. Only by resorting to the help of a hypnotist doctor, the young man managed to overcome the creative crisis.

In 1901, Rachmaninoff finally wrote a new great work, The Second Piano Concerto. And this opus is still considered one of the greatest works of classical music. Even modern musicians note the influence of this creation. For example, on its basis, Matthew Bellamy, the frontman of the Muse group, created such compositions as Space Dementia, Megalomania and Ruled by Secrecy. The melody of the Russian composer is also felt in the songs "The Fallen Priest", "All by Myself" and "I Think of You" by Frank Sinatra.

The symphonic poem "Isle of the Dead", "Symphony No. 2", which, unlike the first one, was a tremendous success with the public, as well as the very complex structure "Piano Sonata No. 2", turned out to be absolutely amazing. In it, Rachmaninoff made extensive use of the effect of dissonance and developed its use to the maximum level. Speaking about the work of the Russian composer, it is impossible not to mention the magical beauty of Vocalise. This work was published as part of the Fourteen Songs collection, but is usually performed on its own and is an indicator of performance. Today there are versions of "Vocalise" not only for voice, but also for piano, violin and other instruments, including those with an orchestra.

After emigration, Sergei Vasilievich did not write significant works for a very long time. Only in 1927 did he publish his Piano Concerto No. 4 and several Russian songs. In the last years of his life, Rachmaninoff created only three pieces of music - "Symphony No. 3", "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for Piano and Orchestra" and "Symphonic Dances". But it is noteworthy that all three belong to the heights of world classical music.

Personal life

Rachmaninoff was a very amorous man, in whose heart feelings for the ladies around him repeatedly flared up. And it was thanks to such emotionality that the composer's romances turned out to be so lyrical. Sergei was about 17 years old when he met the Skalon sisters. Especially the young man singled out one of them, Vera, whom he called either Verochka or “My Psychopath”. Rachmaninov's romantic feeling turned out to be mutual, but at the same time purely platonic. The young man dedicated the song “In the Silence of the Secret Night”, a romance for cello and piano, as well as the second part of his First Piano Concerto, to Vera Skalon.

Senar

After returning to Moscow, Sergei writes a huge number of love letters to the girl, of which about a hundred have survived. But at the same time, the passionate young man falls in love with Anna Lodyzhenskaya, the wife of his friend. For her, he composes the romance “Oh no, I pray, don’t leave!”, Which has become a classic. And Rachmaninoff met his future wife, Natalya Alexandrovna Satina, much earlier, because she was the daughter of the very relatives who sheltered him when Sergei dropped out of school at the boarding house.

With daughters Irina and Tatyana | Senar

In 1893, Rachmaninoff realizes that he is in love, and gives his beloved a new romance "Do not sing, beauty, with me." The personal life of Sergei Rachmaninov changes nine years later - Natalya becomes the official wife of the young composer, and a year later - the mother of his eldest daughter Irina. Rachmaninov also had a second daughter, Tatyana, who was born in 1907. But on this, Sergei Vasilyevich's loving nature did not exhaust itself. One of the "muses" of the legend of Russian classics was the young singer Nina Koshyts, for whom he specially wrote a number of vocal parts. But after the emigration of Sergei Vasilyevich, on tour he was accompanied only by his wife, whom Rachmaninoff called "the good genius of my whole life."

Sergei Rachmaninov and his wife Natalia Satina | Senar

Despite the fact that the composer and pianist spent most of his time in the United States, he often visited Switzerland, where he built a luxurious villa "Senar", which offers amazing views of the Firwaldstet Lake and Mount Pilatus. The name of the villa is an abbreviation of the names of its owners - Sergei and Natalia Rakhmaninov. In this house, the man fully realized his old passion for technology. There you could find an elevator, a toy railway, and one of the novelties of that time - a vacuum cleaner. There was a composer and the owner of a patent for the invention: he created a special muff with a heating pad attached to it, in which pianists can warm their hands before a concert. Also in the star's garage was always a brand new Cadillac or Continental, which he changed every year.

With grandchildren Sofinka Volkonskaya and Sasha Konyus | Senar

The biography of Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov would be incomplete, if not to say about his love for Russia. All his life the composer remained a patriot, he surrounded himself in exile with Russian friends, Russian servants, Russian books. But he refused to return, because he did not recognize Soviet power. However, when Nazi Germany attacked the USSR, Rachmaninov was almost on the verge of panic. He began to send money collection from many concerts to the Red Army fund and urged many acquaintances to follow his example.

Death

All his life, Sergei Vasilievich smoked a lot, almost never parting with cigarettes. Most likely, it was this addiction that caused melanoma in the composer's declining years. True, Rachmaninov himself did not suspect about the oncological disease, he worked until the last days and just a month and a half before his death he gave a grand concert in the USA, which was his last.

Senar

The great Russian composer did not live to see his 70th birthday for only three days. He died in his California apartment in Beverly Hills on March 28, 1943.