The popularity of Sergei Rachmaninoff, born 150 years ago on 1er April 1873 in Semionovo, near Nizhny Novgorod, never experienced the decline predicted by some oracles. His concertos are essential, his piano scores nourish recitals and his symphonies have established themselves in the repertoire. A short tour of the discographic landmarks to appreciate his music.
Sergei Rachmaninoff was a pianist, as Gustav Mahler was a conductor. This is perhaps what has led some to devalue his music. In 1954, one could still read in the Grove’s edition of the musical encyclopedia: “His music […] essentially consists of artificial, springing tunes accompanied by a variety of figures derived from arpeggios. The enormous popular success that some of Rachmaninoff’s works enjoyed during his lifetime will probably not last, and musicians never really considered him. »
Chosen target
Claudio Arrau called Rachmaninoff’s music “nightclub music” (Claude Gingras, Ratings), and the influential American composer and critic Virgil Thomson wrote that Rachmaninoff’s music was “an evocation of adolescence”, “not part of our intellectual life”.
The thing was elegantly conceptualized by the brilliant and controversial musical thinker Richard Taruskin in his Oxford History of Western Music. “We observe that the style antico of the XXe century, represented by Korngold, Rachmaninoff and Medtner, comes close, in certain respects, to its functional or utilitarian prototype of the 17e century. As Korngold’s film career shows, the style is that of emotional illustration, wielded by composers with no particular stylistic involvement. […]. Thus the “Rachmaninoff Concerto” ended like in Hollywood, or rather Ealing, its British counterpart. Taruskin here makes a subtle reference to the Warsaw Concerto by Richard Addinsell (1904-1977), composed for the film Dangerous Moonlightin 1941, a composition which was successful until the 1980s.
Two criticisms mingle here. The first is “technical”: the pianist would be a small composer without a project. The second is “philosophical”, because the success of Rachmaninoff overshadows the modernists. It is in this capacity that he became their favorite scapegoat. And, obviously, to demolish it more effectively, its detractors darken the picture in the technical field.
These small pettiness, so typical of the musical world, are today swept away by the success of one and the defeat of others. Useful to remember, they allow us to conclude with a sentence by the great violinist Nathan Milstein (1903-1992): “People are not used to music that comes from the heart. But preconceived ideas and fashions pass, and the emotional and thought-provoking art remains. And Rachmaninoff will stay. Because in the music of the XXe century, he was a legendary figure, he created his own myth. And now there are no more myths. »
uprooted composer
It is easy to find biographies of Rachmaninoff on the Internet. So, let’s talk about him through his works. Born in 1873, he quickly ended up at the Moscow Conservatory, where he was a pupil of Siloti, in piano, and of Arenski and Taneyev in composition. But his obvious parentage is with Tchaikovsky. The latter died in 1893, and “the deep feeling of great grief” prompted him to compose an “Elegiac Trio”. At 20, Rachmaninoff therefore dedicated a trio to his idol that bears the same subtitle as his. It’s almost madness when you know that the Trio by Tchaikovsky is with those of Schubert the greatest in history. We thus begin our journey with chamber music! This Trio accompanies another, earlier, in the reference version of the Trio Wanderer at Harmonia Mundi. Since we are dealing with very neglected chamber music, another composition, the Sonata for cello and piano (1901), has experienced a strong revival of interest over the past 20 years. Very judicious pairing with that of Chopin, also at Harmonia Mundi, in the company of Jean-Guihen Queyras and Alexander Melnikov.
We have of Rachmaninoff the image of the dandy exiled in the United States after the 1917 revolution (his recordings as a pianist have been collected by RCA). Two things need to be said about this. When Rachmaninov arrives in the United States, his work is forged. Out of 96 compositions, the American period will only see the birth, roughly speaking, of the 4e Concerto for piano,there Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini,there 3e Symphony,THE dances symphonic and, on the piano, the Variations on a Theme by Corellipremiered in Montreal on October 12, 1931.
Moreover, over the period from 1890 (beginnings) to 1917, Rachmaninoff ended up (1903-1904) by becoming a sort of “Russian Mahler”, since he was working as head of the Bolshoi when, after the 1905 Revolution, he resigned. to leave Russia for the first time and move to Dresden. From the Rachmaninoff period at the Bolshoi, we have inherited two operas, the avaricious knight And Francesca da Riminiwhich are added to an earlier opera, Aleko (1892). The “Opera Troika” was performed at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels and released on DVD in 2016 by Bel Air.
The period 1906-1917 is that of an itinerant musician with a first tour in the United States, but also a return to Russia in 1910 marked by tensions and bereavements (death of his university friend Scriabin and his professor Taneyev ).
References
Throughout this journey, we have mentioned the cross roads, to which we will add Melodies in the version by Asmik Grigorian and Lukas Geniušas at Alpha, and the choral works, Vespers (1915) in the traditional Russian version by Polyanski or by the Latvian Choir and Sigvards Klava at Ondine, and liturgy of saint John Chrysostom (1910) by that of Estonia and Kaspar Putnins at Bis.
In concertos, symphonies and piano music, the simplest case is that of Symphonic dances and bells, whose discography is overflown by an interpreter, Kirill Kondrachine (Melodiya recording), who translates all the weight of shadows, of lurking death and sardonic accents. With the decline of the CD market, this reference is now inaccessible on physical CD and we have to fall back on listening on demand.
Kondrashin conducted the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. The stamps of the Russian orchestras, in particular their vibrating horns, give a unique color to the interpretations. In the symphonies, the aesthetic reference therefore remains Evgueni Svetlanov, handicapped by average Melodiya recordings (we will rather look for his complete Exton, taken over by Warner for a time – there also on the platforms). For the 2e Symphonythe great historical version is that of Kurt Sanderling with the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra.
Among Western recordings, the little miracle is the complete, in Amsterdam, by Vladimir Ashkenazy, much better than in his two complete concertos as a pianist. Alas, here too, the sound recording shrouded in a halo is disappointing. Among recent recordings, the complete Vasily Petrenko (Warner) stands out. In isolated CDs, we choose the 1D by Vladimir Jurowski (LPO), with an extraordinary Isle of the Deadthere 2e by Iván Fischer (Channel) and the 3e by Kurt Sanderling in concert at the NDR (Profile).
There are many excellent complete piano concertos, in addition to the latest, Trifonov–Nezet-Seguin : Kocsis-De Waart (Decca), Wild-Horenstein (Chandos), Hough-Litton (Hyperion). Among the unexpected to rediscover: Shelley-Thomson (Chandos), Eresko-Provatorov (Melodiya) and a gem, the newly reissued and remastered complete by Rösel and Sanderling (Berlin Classics).
As for piano music, if you’re looking for CDs, buy whatever takes your fancy (Studies-paintings, 2e Sonata, 24 preludes, 1D Sonata Andmusical moments) by Steven Osborne at Hyperion. If you’re a fan of on-demand listening, as the Hyperion recordings aren’t there, listen to the Preludes by Lukas Geniušas, the Studies-Paintingsby Vladimir Ovchinnikov and the 2e Sonata by Yevgeny Sudbin.