MORCEAUX DE FANTAISIE OP. 3
Date of composition: Autumn, 1892
Dedication: Anton Arensky
Morceaux de Fantaisie is a set of five pieces that was Rachmaninoff’s first publication for solo piano. Rachmaninoff composed the work shortly after he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory. This very difficult time of his life found him in bad health, experiencing depression and financial hardship (Matthew-Walker).
Perhaps as a device to increase sales, his publisher, Gutheil, entitled the work Morceaux de Fantaisie (Fantasy Pieces) (Thiollier). Additionally, Rachmaninoff included “fashionably French, [. . .] self-explanatory titles” that were “classical lyric or dance forms” (Thiollier). The only descriptive title contained in the set is “Polichinelle”.
Morceaux de Fantaisie contains the famous C-sharp Minor Prelude. Rachmaninoff wrote it first and probably arranged the other works around it. “THE Prelude,” as it was referred to, eventually became a burden to Rachmaninoff due to its enormous popularity (Keeley). It is possible that its popularity is also the reason Morceaux de Fantaisie is rarely played in its entirety.
Rachmaninoff gave Tchaikowsky a copy of Morceaux de Fantaisie. This resulted in Tchaikowsky’s remark to Alexander Siloti, Rachmaninoff’s teacher, that hewas impressed with the pieces, primarily the “Prelude” and “Mélodie”(MatthewWalker). Even though Morceaux de Fantaisie was written during Rachmaninoff’s teenage years, the compositional style it utilizes is characteristic of his later works.
Rachmaninoff premiered the work in Kharkov on December 27, 1892. Eventually Rachmannoff revised all of the pieces in this set (Norris 39).
Elégie in E-flat Minor op. 3, no. 1
Date of composition: 1892
Number of measures: 106
Approximate performance time: 6:00
“Elégie” is an expressive work that exhibits the young Rachmaninoff’s gift forromantic melody and pianistic writing. In this work, the rich sonorities of the piano are enhanced by his choice of key and placement on the keyboard (Baylor 6).
The work is in ternary form. It begins with short phrases that make up a long melodic line in the right hand, a characteristic of Rachmaninoff’s music. The left hand contains an arpeggiated accompaniment that spans two and one-half octaves. The middle section, marked piu vivo, contains contrasting thematic material in the left hand and an alternating, double note accompaniment in the right hand. A lento improvisatory section appears before the return of the first section. In this restatement, the melody is presented in double notes and is marked pianissimo.
The melody and accompaniment appear in cross rhythms, creating the need for strong rhythmic control while projecting the expressive line. The accompaniment figure encompasses wide intervals that require careful manipulation and possible division between the hands. Proper voicing and phrasing, especially when the melody is presented in chords or double notes, is required for projection of the long melodic line.
Prelude in C-sharp Minor op. 3, no. 2
Date of composition: 1892
Number of measures: 62
Approximate performance time: 5:30
This work became Rachmaninoff’s most popular piece. It was composed when he was nineteen and in desperate need of money. The first performance was on September 26, 1892 at the Moscow Electrical Exposition.
It is a highly chromatic work that is presented in ternary form with a coda. The A section contains bell-like, sonorous chords that have become a trademark of Rachmaninoff. The B section, marked agitato, is passionate and climaxes with “Lisztian interlocking triplet chords and thirds” (LaMagra 57). The A section returns with a thicker texture utilizing four staves instead of the traditional two. The short five-measure coda contains a common C-sharp in all of the chords, creating a calming mood, despite the changing harmonies that occur within it.
When asked for an explanation of what was expressed in this prelude, Rachmaninoff responded that it was not connected with any history; he simply “wrote the music” (LaMagra 41). It is much less demanding than most of Rachmaninoff’s piano music, which is one of the reasons for its performance by so many inadequate pianists.
For a successful performance of the work, it is important to maintain tonal balance between the inner voice melody and the chordal accompaniment. This involves careful use of the pedal and dynamic control. It is especially important to keep the passages involving interlocking hands even. Additional requirements involve proper use of the sostenuto pedal, voicing (both within the large chordal sections and in the agitato triplet section), and sufficient use of arm weight to achieve a resonant sound in large chordal sections.
Mélodie op. 3, no. 3
Date of composition: 1892
Number of measures: 60
Approximate performance time: 5:30
This work was one of Rachmaninoff’s favorite pieces. It begins with a melody,made up of duplets, triplets, and dotted rhythms, presented in the tenor. The right hand contains an accompaniment consisting of chordal, eighth-note triplets. These triplets frequently include rests on the first eighth value and provide momentum to the work.
The middle section contains triplet chordal figures that move chromatically against the tenor melody. In addition to this, an added texture of pedal tones appears in the bass. The restatement of the first section appears with the melody in octaves accompanied by the original triplet chordal figure and the added texture of pedal tones. The coda is marked ppp and ends with widely spaced chord tones in single notes.
The work requires an expressive, singing tone and careful pedaling. In some instances, division between the hands will help sustain long bass notes. The sostenuto pedal should be utilized to avoid blurring in sections that contain melodic octaves. If a sostenuto pedal is not available, careful shading can create the illusion of continuation of these notes “in the imagination” (Baylor 7). Voicing and phrasing must be carefully thought out especially when the melody appears in octaves.
Polichinelle in F-sharp minor op. 3, no. 4
Date of composition: Unknown date, 1892
Number of measures: 130
Approximate performance time: 3:11
“Polichinelle” is a small-scale “scherzo” that is written in a brilliant, virtuoso style (Thiollier). Rachmaninoff’s fellow student, Mikail Slonov, suggested the descriptive title of the piece. “Polichinelle” or “Punch” was a character in the “Punch and Judy Puppet Show” that was popular in Europe during Rachmaninoff’s time. “An ugly puppet with a hump back and hook nose and chin,” he was arrogant and beat his wife. The music depicts Punch, appearing and disappearing in a rage, boasting loudly and making “sly threats.” Rachmaninoff uses “brilliant chordal fanfares, deep bell-like pedal tones and lightening-fast figurations” to portray this in the music (Baylor 7).
The piece is in ternary form. It begins with an introduction containing sfff single notes, followed by short, embellished chords. The opening section consists of an articulated, rapidly paced chordal motive that appears in both hands. The middle section is more melodic, containing a double stemmed, quarter-note melody that appears within broken chord sixteenth figures. The introduction and opening section are restated within a texture made up of thicker chords. The work ends abruptly with eleven eighth-notes, constructed by the perfect fourth, C-sharp to F-sharp.
The introduction contains embellished chords in each hand that move in contrary motion. These figures, as well as the chordal thematic material of the opening section, contain leaps that require careful gauging. The melody of the middle section, which is doubled in the bass, must be carefully voiced and projected. Care should be taken in shaping each of the four-measure phrases to accentuate the longer notes. Thicker chords, presented in the return of the first section, are particularly challenging to those who have small hands (Baylor 7).
Sérénade in B-flat Minor op. 3, no. 5
Date of composition: 1892
Number of measures: 155
Approximate performance time: 4:00
Rachmaninoff originally intended to write four pieces for this opus, but after reading an interview with Tchaikowsky that revealed the admiration Tchaikowsky had for him, Rachmaninoff composed a fifth piece (Matthew-Walker). “Sèrénade” begins with an improvisatory introduction that contains a single voice, scalar phrase played in the central register of the piano. The phrase alternates with a chordal texture that appears in both hands. The first section is song-like and contains the scalar phrase in the right hand accompanied by a waltz bass, made up of rolled chords, in the left hand. It is interrupted by a ppp interlude that continues the waltz-like feel and contains thick, chromatic chords and misplaced accents. This interlude is written in the same meter, but contains misplaced accents that create an illusion of a change in rhythm. This device prevents “rhythmic monotony” within the work (Keeley). The alternating song and interlude pattern continues, with the song appearing in the tenor voice until a point, near the end of the piece, where it moves to a higher octave. The coda follows, utilizing material from the interlude. It contains a delicate ppp quality that contrasts with the ff bflat octave and chord that ends the work.
The Spanish character of the piece calls to mind a song accompanied by a guitar (Baylor 7). This mood should be created by the use of color, as well as articulation, within the different textures. Tonal balance between the melody and accompaniment is necessary especially during sections that involve cross hand technique. These sections require careful voicing and phrasing as well. Rachmaninoff’s articulation marks are detailed and must be followed carefully.
