Classical Music | Piano Music

Sergei Rachmaninov

Suite No. 2 for Two Pianos, Op. 17  Play

Beatrice Berrut Piano
Mei Rui Piano

Recorded on 07/23/2010, uploaded on 10/25/2011

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

The premiere of Rachmaninoff’s First Symphony on March 28, 1897 should have been a resounding success for the composer. Instead, that day, completely beyond Rachmaninoff’s control, became a catastrophic failure. The concert’s program was lengthy and the orchestra’s, Alexander Glazunov, is said to have made poor use of rehearsal time. Rachmaninoff’s symphony suffered accordingly. Making matters even worse, Glazunov was, according to some accounts of the concert, quite soused as he led the orchestra. Critics, however, panned the work and laid the blame entirely at the composer’s feet. Rachmaninoff fell into a deep bout of depression that lasted the next three years, and during which time he composed little music. With the help of psychologist Nikolai Dahl (who would be the dedicatee of the famous Second Piano Concerto), Rachmaninoff eventually regained his confidence and set to work again.

One of the first new works to appear as Rachmaninoff emerged from his depression was the Second Suite for Two Pianos, composed in Italy in 1901. Its proximity to the Second Piano Concerto lends the suite a similar style that abounds in lush harmonies, intensely lyrical melodies and a vigorous rhythmic drive. Consequently, it is ranked among his masterpieces for the piano. The Second Suite is comprised of four movements, which in their tempi resemble the outline of a sonata, and even their keys indicate a unifying structure. The first movement is a spirited March in C major filled with Rachmaninoff’s typical rich and dense chords. Next follows a mesmerizing Waltz in G major with an incessant rhythmic drive propelled forward by rapid figurations; its Trio section, on the other hand, features a more relaxed melody but is underpinned by arpeggios that preserve the ceaseless energy. The aptly named Romance in A-flat major that follows the sprightly Waltz presents the listener with one of Rachmaninoff’s beautiful lyrical melodies, and accompanied by delicate arpeggios that further give the piece the added feeling of the nocturne. Lastly, a boisterous and impish Tarantella in C minor provides a rousing finale to the Suite.      Joseph DuBose


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