Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-1943)

Donald Macleod turns his attention to Rachmaninov’s great choral works

Rachmaninov has been seen as the last great champion of Russian Late Romanticism. He was a celebrated pianist and conductor, as well as a composer, and his musical legacy includes his hugely popular piano concertos. This week, Donald Macleod turns his attention to Rachmaninov’s great choral works and his story during the periods in which they were composed. These choral masterpieces are both sacred and secular, and include the cantata Spring, the choral symphony The Bells, Three Russian Songs, the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, and the iconic All-night Vigil. Donald explores what inspired Rachmaninov while he was writing this music, including creative collaborations, beautiful poetry, and places in Russia and abroad.

Music Featured:

How Fair this Spot, Op 21, No 7 Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor, Op 18 (Adagio sostenuto) Suite No 2 for two pianos, Op 17 Spring, Op 20 Before my window, Op 26, No 10 Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor, Op 30 (Allegro ma non tanto) Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Op 31 No’s 6-10 Etudes-tableaux, Op 33, No 8 (Moderato) Lilacs, Op 21, No 5 The Muse, Op 34, No 1 It Cannot Be, Op 34, No 7 The Bells, Op 35 Piano Sonata No 2 in B flat minor, Op 36 (Allegro molto) Vocalise, Op 34, No 14 All-night Vigil Op 37 (excerpt) To Her, Op 38, No 2 Daisies, Op 38, No 3 A-u!, Op 38, No 6 Piano Concerto No 1 in F sharp minor, Op 1 (Allegro vivace) Kreisler, arr. Rachmaninov, Liebeslied Piano Concerto No 4 in G minor, Op 40 (Allegro vivace) Three Russian Songs, Op 41 All-night Vigil Op 37 (excerpt)

Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Luke Whitlock, for BBC Wales

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-1943) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000zbym

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z