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Category Archives: music
Something for Thursday: Rachmaninoff at 150
The last major piece of chamber music Rachmaninoff wrote was the Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, and what a work it is. I’ve only discovered it in the last few months, but it’s been slowly creeping toward … Continue reading
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Rachmaninoff at 150: Six Romances
Of all the various forms of classical music that composers have indulged over the last few hundred years, the one about which I know the least is almost certainly the art song. These works, for voice and piano, have never … Continue reading
Rachmaninoff at 150: The Isle of the Dead (on Substack)
My celebration of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s 150th anniversary continues over on my newsletter! Today I discuss his astonishing symphonic poem, The Isle of the Dead. Check it out! Subscribe!
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Rachmaninoff at 150: The First Symphony
Rachmaninoff did not have a huge symphonic output, in terms of quantity: just three symphonies, written over the course of his lifetime. But in those three symphonies there are entire universes. Rachmaninoff’s ability to get so much varied musical life into … Continue reading
Something for Thursday (Rachmaninoff at 150)
Rachmaninoff wrote his first piano concerto when he was 17 and 18 years old. He dedicated to his teacher and cousin, Alexander Siloti, a composer and pianist who would later play the concerto himself a number of times. The work … Continue reading
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Tone Poem Tuesday
It’s a really busy week all of a sudden, so you know the drill. Enjoy Poet and Peasantby Franz von Suppe!
Rachmaninoff at 150: On the Substack
As I’ve indicated, I’m saving long essays on four specific works by Sergei Rachmaninoff for my Substack, and the first of those is up today. Please check it out! This time out we deep dive into the Rhapsody on a Theme … Continue reading
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Tagged "Rachmaninoff at 150", "Sergei Rachmaninoff", Dispatches from the Forgotten Stars
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Something for Thursday
One of my favorite bands has been releasing some new music! Here’s “Find Your People” by Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors. I really love their sound; it’s the kind of music that speaks to me of warm backyards in glowing … Continue reading
Tone Poem Tuesday
When Sergei Rachmaninoff was just 20, he wrote his first major orchestral work, a symphonic fantasy called The Rock, or sometimes The Crag. No lesser a musical luminary than Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was impressed with the piece–there was a brief relationship … Continue reading
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Tagged "Rachmaninoff at 150", "Sergei Rachmaninoff", Music, Tone Poem Tuesday
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Rachmaninoff at 150: A Month of Celebration
I’ve been looking forward to this month for a while now! I actually started gathering ideas for an essay or two about Rachmaninoff a year ago, but then I looked up his dates and I realized that 2023 is his … Continue reading