Romances Rachmaninov
Romances S.V. Rachmaninov is called his spiritual confession. The composer has created many works in this genre - about eight dozen, each of which is characterized by amazing sincerity. Such attention of Sergey Vasilyevich to vocal compositions is quite explicable - he often said that he loved poetry and always raised it to the second place of honor after music.
History of creation
Rakhmaninov showed up in writing during his childhood years, although at first he preferred to improvise without bothering to fix notes on paper. But the future great composer began to write down his works only from 1887, and immediately tried his hand at various genres, including vocal ones. However, there is no information about the compositions for the voices of those years, perhaps because Rachmaninov did not consider them important and did not try to keep them. The composer decided to start the countdown of his vocal creations from 1890, when his compositions were written for the voice “At the gates of the monastery of the saint” in the words of M. Lermontov and “I will not tell you anything” in the words of A. Fet, designated by him as No. 1 and No. 2. Since then, the romance became one of their favorite genres of Rachmaninov, and he regularly returned to him in his work. If these compositions of the first years were very similar in style to the music of P.I. Tchaikovsky, in the vocal compositions of 1891, the influence of E. Grieg is clearly heard. We are talking about two romances: “It was in April,” written in French text by E. Payeron, and “It was getting dark” in the words of A. Tolstoy.
In the period after the end of the Moscow Conservatory and until the second half of the 1890s, Sergey Vasilyevich wrote three opus of compositions for voice. They already distinctly outline the features of Rachmaninov’s creative individuality, and the interpretation of the genre of the romance, characteristic of his pen, when the wide and expressive vocal melody organically merges with a virtuoso piano part rich in coloristic nuances, becomes obvious.
Six romances, which were written before the middle of 1893, were included in op.4. The best composition of this group is the romance "In the silent nights of the secret" (verses by A. Fet), which was addressed to the relative of maestro V.D. Scalon
Romances op.8 were composed in the fall of 1983 and became a kind of response to the passing away of the then popular poet N. Plescheyev. Curiously, Rakhmaninov himself never saw him, and knew him only from the books and words of his acquaintances. Perhaps he had heard something about the great poet from his grandfather Arkady Alexandrovich, who not only knew him well, but also dedicated several of his romances to him. This opus includes six compositions, the most famous of which are considered "Child, as a flower you are beautiful!" and dream".
In 1896, another cycle of 12 romances was born, which was labeled op. 14. Since during this period Rachmaninoff was still in search of his style, this opus is very diverse in images. The poems that Sergey Vasilievich used are unequal. Among their authors are recognized masters of the poetic text, such as A. Tolstoy, F. Tyutchev, A. Fet and others, as well as the little-known poets N. Minsky and K. Balmont at that time. The most popular romance from this cycle in the times of Rachmaninov was Spring Waters.
In the spring of 1902, the next, 21st opus of compositions for voice, which included 12 works, was completed. It is difficult to single out something particularly outstanding among them - all the romances of this cycle can be safely attributed to the highest masterpieces of Rachmanin's work. The most famous of the works of this opus can be considered "Lilac" on the words of E. Beketova and "It's good here" on the verses of G. Galkina.
Four years later, Rachmaninov completes another group of romances, which are combined under opus number 26. This cycle of fifteen works stands out among others for its stylistic features that are associated with the operatic quest of the composer. That is why some of his writings from this group bear the character of a dramatic monologue. Among those, for example, is the romance "We rest" on the words of A. Chekhov.
The 36th opus consisted of fourteen romances. Twelve of them were recorded at the height of 1912, one called "It Can't Be" was published two years earlier, in 1910, and Vocalise was composed in 1915 and was added to the group later. In this opus, Rakhmaninov’s interest in Pushkin’s poetry draws attention. If earlier he addressed her once in the romance “Do not sing the beauty in front of me”, here, three works are written on his poems - “Muse”, “The Tempest” and “Arion”. In addition, the composer used the poems of K. Balmont, F. Tyutchev, A. Fet and many others.
A special place in the creative heritage of Rachmaninov is occupied by his last chamber-vocal cycle of six romances, indicated by opus No. 38. A distinctive feature of this group of works written in 1916 are poetic sources - they all belong to the pen of modern composer authors who sought to update the images and means of poetics. Rakhmaninov considered Daisies and the Pied Piper as the best romances in this cycle.
Interesting Facts
- The composer's grandfather, Arkady Alexandrovich, was a musically gifted man and loved to play the piano very much. He lived 73 years and until the last several hours a day spent on a musical instrument. He also composed and especially loved romances and piano plays, like his grandson. Some of his creations were published, but most of them have been lost. 11 works by Arkady Alexandrovich have reached our days, among them 7 romances and 3 vocal duos.
- Arkady Alexandrovich Rachmaninov wrote a romance to the words of A.N. Plescheeva "Dream". Many years later, Sergey Vasilyevich took the same poems for his vocal composition.
- Romance to the words of A. Tolstoy “Do you remember the evening?” Rachmaninov considered the most unfortunate among all his vocal creations.
- The romance "In the Silent Night of the Secret" was composed on October 17, 1890, but subsequently the composer repeatedly returned to him and rewrote individual fragments. The final version of this work, which sounds today in concert halls, has little resemblance to the original version.
- In the creative heritage of the great composer, there are other compositions bearing the name "Romance" - for example, the second part in Quartet No. 1 and the first piece for violin in opus No. 6.
- His first fee in the amount of 500 rubles received from the publisher K. Guthen for printing the clavier "Aleko", two pieces for cello op.2 and six romances op.4, Rachmaninov could not spend, because he immediately repaid his debts.
- The romance "Spring Waters" at the time of Rachmaninov had a very curious interpretation. The revolutionaries have heard in the gusts of a waking nature calls for the struggle and the rise of public self-consciousness. How this vocal composition helped to break free from the age of oppression can now be read in Soviet-era musical literature.
- The basis of the work "Fate" from op.21 Rachmaninov put the famous motif from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. This romance is dedicated to F. Chaliapin, who mainly performed it the first time after its creation.
- In the heart of the greatest maestro, love repeatedly flashed, which inspired him to write romances. It was under the influence of this feeling that “In the silent nights of the mystery” were created (dedicated to V. Skalon), “Oh no, I beg you don't leave” (dedicated to A. Lodyzhenskaya), “Do not sing the beauty in front of me (dedicated to N. Satina) .
- Being in emigration, Rachmaninov did not write a single romance.
Content
Sergei Vasilievich considered the genre of romance ideal for the embodiment of lyrical experiences. That is why the lyrical sphere dominates in his vocal opuses, but humorous, everyday and tragic images are very rare in them.
Back in the early years, Rachmaninov often turned to the genre of Russian lyric song, which can be explained in many ways by the love of Tchaikovsky’s heritage. Especially keenly heard in the songs "I fell in love with my sorrow"and"Wow my niva". The composer selects such poetic texts, which narrates about the sufferings of love and intolerable mental torments. This theme is also related to Oriental poetry, which was also not alien to Rachmaninoff. Exotic" compositions make up a separate branch in his vocal work - the famous romance "Do not sing beautiful at me"as well as sketches"She is good at noon", "In my soul", "At night in my garden"and others. True, Orientalism in these compositions is more conditional, and not as distinctly recreated as in the works of M. Balakirev.
In his vocal music, Rachmaninov managed to show himself as a magnificent master of brush and paint, who "painted" a real gallery of natural paintings - "Island", "It is nice here", "Lilac", and many others.
In the work of Rachmaninov found the embodiment and the tragic theme. That it prevails in the romances of opus number 21 and number 26, which were created in a difficult period for the artist. Then Sergey Vasilyevich was very worried about the failure of the debut symphony and tried to convey all his feelings in his works - compositions "Fate", "How do i hurt", "I'm alone again", "Everything passes".
As a true artist, Rachmaninov could not help but touch on the subject of art and his destiny. In this plan romances are indicative "Ariona", "Muse"and"Handcuffs".
Rachmaninov was a composer of amazing talent. Whatever genre he touches, under his hand he acquired extraordinary spiritual and artistic perfection. And from the romance the great musician managed to do the seemingly impossible - a genre with truly unlimited possibilities. And what is most interesting is that Rakhmaninov was not interested in the artistic merit of the text, for him only the images and the meaning that the authors laid into it were important. True, the composer always interpreted them in his own way, creating a completely different poetic image, bewitching with its sound.
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