Classical Music | Soprano

Recorded on 08/11/2011, uploaded on 09/26/2011

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

On March 28, 1897, Rachmaninoff’s First Symphony was premiered at one of the Russian Symphony Concerts. Yet, what should have been a resounding success for the composer became instead a crushing failure. Two other pieces were premiered on the same program and the performance of Rachmaninoff’s symphony suffered accordingly. The orchestra’s conductor, Alexander Glazunov, is said to have made poor use of rehearsal time, and, according to some accounts of the concert, was also drunk. Critics panned the work itself, overlooking the many faults that arose from Glazunov’s leadership. Afterwards, Rachmaninoff fell into a deep bout of depression that lasted for the next three years, and during which time he composed very little music. With the help of psychologist Nikolai Dahl, Rachmaninoff eventually regained his confidence and set to work again, composing one of his most enduring compositions, the Second Piano Concerto.

Shortly after the success of the Second Piano Concerto, Rachmaninoff composed in 1902 the majority of the songs that would become his 12 Romances, op. 21 (the only exception being the opening song “Fate,” composed in 1900 as the composer was beginning to emerge from his period of hopelessness). The fifth song, “Lilacs,” is perhaps the best known of the set and is the only one which the composer himself transcribed for piano. The text, by Ekaterina Beketova, describes a pristine daybreak as the narrator walks along the dewy meadow to the lilacs where among them she will find her one true happiness. In its unassuming manner, Rachmaninoff’s setting eloquently captures the essence of Beketova’s poem. A simple broken chord motif that could portray to the listener’s mind either the first rays of sunlight stretching out from the horizon or the slow, wistful gait of the narrator pervades much of the accompaniment. At first, this is the only support given the voice, but after a short time, a new melody enters that echoes the dream-like vocal melody. The song reaches its climax at the start of the second stanza. The piano breaks its pattern thus far, employing momentarily a richer accompaniment, while the vocal melody is suddenly tinged with melancholy. However, at the final words of the poem, the music has retreated to its previous ethereal state and a brief coda closes the song quietly and with the image of the morning sun shining on the lilacs.           Joseph DuBose

The Steans Music Institute is the Ravinia Festival's professional studies program for young musicians.