Samuel Shuhan
MuHL-570
11 December 2015
Professor Bruce Brown
A Closer Look at Rachmaninoff’s Late Composition Style
Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances”, written in in 1940, are unique because of their orchestration, titles, and melodic and harmonic content. The piece differs from other compositions of Rachmaninoff’s because it implements a nationalist composition style, yet also bears influence from contemporary composers. Charles Fisk differs, stating that “In America and Western Europe, a commonly held critical view of Rachmaninov still persists today: that he was fundamentally a blinkered nineteenth-century composer, a holdover from the past, who was able to achieve spectacular success far and wide with audiences who shared his reluctance …show more content…
Bertesson agrees, “…he finally ruled out even this programmatic hint.” Richard Taruskin characterizes this type of Russian composition as features of “the new Russian school.” It is music, which is “striving for national character” and “extreme inclination towards program music.”5 The first dance, “Noon,” sounds dream-like and reminiscent, as if it is encouraging memories to gather in the mind. The second, “Twilight,” embodies a ghostly atmosphere with its “curious, shifting harmonies;” this may have been Rachmaninoff’s depiction of the Russian Revolution.6 The third and final dance, “Midnight,” uses two quotations, a compositional technique he uses more frequently in his “Third Symphony,” which conveys God’s triumph over
MuHL-570
11 December 2015
Professor Bruce Brown
A Closer Look at Rachmaninoff’s Late Composition Style
Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances”, written in in 1940, are unique because of their orchestration, titles, and melodic and harmonic content. The piece differs from other compositions of Rachmaninoff’s because it implements a nationalist composition style, yet also bears influence from contemporary composers. Charles Fisk differs, stating that “In America and Western Europe, a commonly held critical view of Rachmaninov still persists today: that he was fundamentally a blinkered nineteenth-century composer, a holdover from the past, who was able to achieve spectacular success far and wide with audiences who shared his reluctance …show more content…
Bertesson agrees, “…he finally ruled out even this programmatic hint.” Richard Taruskin characterizes this type of Russian composition as features of “the new Russian school.” It is music, which is “striving for national character” and “extreme inclination towards program music.”5 The first dance, “Noon,” sounds dream-like and reminiscent, as if it is encouraging memories to gather in the mind. The second, “Twilight,” embodies a ghostly atmosphere with its “curious, shifting harmonies;” this may have been Rachmaninoff’s depiction of the Russian Revolution.6 The third and final dance, “Midnight,” uses two quotations, a compositional technique he uses more frequently in his “Third Symphony,” which conveys God’s triumph over