A few years ago, I went through the works of Sergei Rachmaninov, the Russian composer who fled the Bolsheviks and became one of America’s most beloved composers. He was also the greatest pianist of the 20th Century.
His Sonata for Cello and Piano dates from his most successful Russian years. In 1901 his Second Piano Concerto took the world by storm, and a month later at a chamber concert, this sonata was given to the world. It’s one of the greatest Russian chamber works.
It begins with a slow introduction in 3/4 marked “Lento” with little sense of key.
At 2:20, the first subject in 4/4, marked “allegro moderato”, sounds like the winds whistling across the Russian steppes.
At 3:27, the second subject in D Major, marked simply “moderato”, releases the tension. This is Sergei at his romantic and songlike best. The cello and sings and sobs its way through a glorious melody.
At 5:05, the exposition repeat is observed, which is a bit unusual.
At 7:50, development begins. Sergei bases it exclusively on the first subject, which gives him a structural problem he handles with brilliance. It’s a technique he will use in a few years in his Second Symphony. Note the crossovers on the piano! At 8:56 the cello plays pizzicato while the piano departs the usual scheme of tonality to give you sense of suspension. This is followed by a series of false starts of a recapitulation, each stopped by the piano with a chromatic chord. Then it really takes off! The cello soars above it all, and at 10:20 the first subject whizzes by so rapidly you can barely hear it. But it’s not the recap yet!
He lowers the tension and solves his technical problem by dropping you seamlessly into the recap of the second subject in G Major at 11:00.
The coda begins at 12:38 and is based solely on the first subject. It ends decisively.
Over the past 40 years, Lynn Harrell has put his stamp on this sonata like no other cellist. He has gone from having a full head of hair to looking like Bruce Willis. This performance is with Harrell and pianist Victor Asunsion in Santa Monica in 2010. Harrell explains a few things about the sonata at the beginning.
Rachmaninov: Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19, first movement
Lotsa good wallerin’ stuff this weekend, I think! :)
He is certainly a master of the cello! :)
Thanks, Publius, for sharing the Seattle Chamber Music Festival with the troops. ((HUGS))