S. Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3: history, video, content

S. Rachmaninov Concerto for piano and orchestra № 3

Sergey Rakhmaninov is a very bright and strong figure in the national musical culture. He was a brilliant pianist, unparalleled among his contemporaries. In addition, many fans knew him as an outstanding conductor and, of course, a composer. It is not by chance that one of the music critics called the maestro "a deity in three faces." In all his fields of activity, he excelled noticeably. His performing gift was truly magnificent. It was no coincidence that it was Rachmaninov’s piano music that paid great importance in his work. Many researchers are inclined to believe that it was only due to his performing abilities that he made such a huge contribution to the development of piano literature.

History of creation

In the spring of 1909, the Rakhmaninov family left Dresden and returned to Moscow. The composer immediately joined the work. In the summer, according to custom, he moves to Ivanovka. That's just by this time the estate has already come almost to decline. The composer had to take control completely and literally in a few years to put everything in order. A lot of improvements cost Rachmaninov a decent amount. It is here that he begins work on his Third Concert d moll. By October of this year, the work was completely completed and orchestrated.

For the first time the concert was performed in November 1909 in New York under the direction of V. Damros. In January 1910, Sergei Vasilyevich repeated the execution of his new essay together with Gustav Mahler. But compatriot compatriots were able to get acquainted with the new composition in the spring of 1910 by Rachmaninoff. The orchestra was ruled by E. Plotnikov.

After the first audition, the concert was very warmly received by the public and highly appreciated by the music community, but no more. This recognition came a little later. Critics explain this novelty of the concert. It was only in the 1930s that this composition was more widely accepted by the public, and it is performed in many concerts. V. Horowitz, V. Gieseking, and many other Soviet and British pianists include this work in their programs.

Piano creativity

A very important place in the piano work of Sergey Vasilyevich Rakhmaninov is occupied by the concert genre. Moreover, none of his contemporaries attached such importance to this genre. It is believed that concerts are the peculiar peaks in his work, and the rest of the works (sonatas, variations, preludes) are only satellites, but invariably endowed with similar creative ideas.

The composer’s concert work is divided into three periods: early, mature and overseas. So, his first concert was composed in his student years, while studying at the conservatory (1981). The second (1901) and Third (1909) concerts appear already in the mature period of his creative career. The fourth is usually attributed to the transitional period from the mature to the late period, respectively, from the Russian to the foreign. This also includes the Rhapsody on the theme of Paganini. The first concert is considered to be still not sufficiently independent. It captures the great influence of Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Liszt. It is curious that this particular concert is the first work that the young composer decided to publicize and put on his first opus. A little later, he made the second edition of this work.

In the second concert, Rachmaninoff appears as a mature composer with an individual bright style. The performance of this work brought Sergey Vasilyevich deserved success. It was immediately recognized by critics as the best in this genre, however, after Tchaikovsky’s b-moll concert. The main part of the first part was called at all one of the most striking themes of Russia.

The central place in this period of creativity is the Third Piano Concerto, which is not inferior to the previous one in melodic richness and breadth of themes. Moreover, there is a noticeable greater maturity and concentration of thought.

Interesting Facts

• In the Second and Third Concert, Rachmaninov decided to continue the idea of ​​Tchaikovsky, and also how he placed the episode of the scherzo in the middle slow part.
• The first performance of the Third concert was planned for February 6, 1910 in St. Petersburg within the framework of the seventh subscription concert of Ziloti. However, the orchestral parts from the USA did not arrive on time, so Rakhmaninov had to perform the Second.
• The composer had to go abroad again on tour, so he could not rehearse the Third Concert in Russia. He trained on the keyboard, which he took to the ship, going to the USA.
• If in the Second concert, Rachmaninoff sought to maximize the level of the soloist and orchestra, in the Third, it was the piano that came to the fore. He plays the main role.
• The scandalous incident occurred on December 19, 2012 in Moscow in the House of Music, where the Third Concert was to be performed. Andrei Gavrilov played the role of soloist. But just before the concert, the pianist disappeared from the hall, having escaped through the fire entrance. Versions why this really happened are different. One side claims that the soloist was simply not ready, while the other accused the conductor Dmitry Yurovsky and the orchestra of incompetence. The pianist Alexander Gindin, who happened to be in the hall at that time and came on the scene, replacing Gavrilov, saved the situation. Curiously, a little earlier, Andrei Gavrilov had already acted in this way, having escaped from a concert in Vladimir. True there he was supposed to perform the first concert of Rachmaninoff.
• A curious interpretation of the concert gives pianist Andrei Gavrilov. In his opinion, in the second part Rachmaninov does not recall the image of Russia, but his first girlfriend, Vera Skalon. In this part, he seems to be re-experiencing this whole novel. Even at the end of the part, he seemed to shout out her name three times, after which he says goodbye to her lover. In the final, life triumphs with military Cossack songs, spring mythology and unrestrained imagination.
• The third concert sounds in the legendary film "Glitter" 1996, directed by Scott Hicks. The protagonist of the film is a talented pianist David Helfgott. His path to fame was very difficult, with many obstacles. Childhood and adolescence, it seemed, were deprived of joyful emotions, in many ways the reason for this was the total control of the despotic father. The pianist had one dream - to learn and perform on stage the third concert of Rachmaninoff. He manages to carry it out, while David goes crazy. It is noteworthy that the lead singer Jeffrey Rush himself played the piano during filming. The actor was awarded the Oscar and Globus.

Content

Rachmaninov preferred to always go his own way, not following the general hobby. So in the years of modernism, when composers tried to draw attention with unusual and sometimes even sophisticated sounds, Sergei Vasilyevich turned to the oldest layers of national art. The main theme of the third concert is indicative in this regard. In its sounding ancient chants are captured. It is noteworthy that American musicologist I.S. Yasser did compare it with the ancient church chant. He even turned to the author, asking him to comment on this. Rachmaninov replied that the melody was in fact original and he did not specifically use any quotation. “It’s just written that way,” said Sergey Vasilyevich. However, he explained that he specifically wanted to give the melody a great melody, as if it was performed by some singer, and not a piano. He succeeded in it to the full, because it is not by chance that this piece is called a concert-song. By its intensive development and significant content, the Third Concert is not inferior to the outstanding symphonic cycles, and it is also called a concert-symphony for nothing.

In the Third concert, Rachmaninov showed in all its glory the image of the Motherland, but a little different than in the Second. Here the composer pays attention to Ancient Russia, with its mysterious and poetic sound. A soft and soulful melody starts the concert, it seems to be accidentally sung. This theme as if grew from the Russian folk song melos. Gradually, free-variant song deployment leads to a climax in which a new song revolution occurs. It is like a quiet sigh of admiration from the contemplation of the native spaces, which opened to the gaze. The following parts grow out of the first.

The main theme of Intermezzo (2 hours) is also a song motive. He is full of concentrated thought. Imagination draws a serious and thoughtful look into the shadowed relatives given. Further, variations-stanzas sound where passionate outpouring of feelings occurs. Only the fourth stanza somewhat overshadows others with its own dance. As a reminder, there are parties from the first part.

The third part - the final draws a fairy-tale world, which comes into its own with the accession of darkness and disappears at dawn, shading festive mass paintings (exposition and reprise). The main image is a bizarre star rain, which fascinates listeners with mysteriously mocking enchanting beauty. Rachmaninov very skillfully used the sound of the piano for these purposes. The climax of the part is powerful, bell-choral. Some hope for an unprecedented transformation is discerned in it, but at a crucial moment a catastrophic failure occurs. Instead of a new conduct, the song motif is tragically broken up. Ominous fantasy lines as well as moaning intonations appear. By the end of the recession, everything subsides, the tonality is restored. But these are only vague glimmers of hope for the restoration of the song image. There is no traditional sonata reprise here. In a large and incredibly virtuoso cadence of the soloist, the main theme becomes scherzo, then it sounds with pathetic appeals. The song theme returns again in the reprise code, here it sounds modest and in all its glory. The work ends with a cascade of chords, as a victory for the bright beginning.

In the Third Concert, Sergei Vasilyevich's imagination laid out bright hopes through the "century-old darkness". It is noteworthy that this composition was one of the peaks of the Russian musical art of the pre-October period. It was created along with the patriotic cycles "Motherland", "Blok on the Kulikovo Field". It was at this time that the poet realized that the main topic was about Russia and it is the most real, the real one. In a surprising way, two contemporary lyricists, absolutely without saying a word, sing in their works the main theme for themselves.

The third concert of Rachmaninov is one of the most significant works of the composer. He opens up new facets of the maestro. With this composition, Rachmaninov brings the concert and symphony closer together. But even more remarkable is that all the possibilities for intensive development are concentrated in one, incredibly beautiful song theme. It was in this concert that Sergey Rachmaninov’s style, unique and easily recognizable, was almost completely formed.