Reviewing Fiona Maddocks’ beautiful new book on Sergei Rachmaninoff in exile for The American Scholar, I write:
“With the waning of modernism, Rachmaninoff’s stock began to rise; for the first time, he became an object of serious scholarly inquiry. Today, he ranks with Igor Stravinsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Serge Prokofiev as one of four great Russian composers populating the interwar period and after. . . .
“In this company, Rachmaninoff is the one who left Russia yet stayed Russian. At first, he seemed creatively stranded. . . . Then, miraculously, came two late masterpieces. The first, the Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, is concise and ingenious, witty and warm. It also somewhat feeds on the smart syncopations and wicked virtuosity of Harlem piano. The second is the Symphonic Dances . . . Summoning his waning energies, he fashioned a musical testament. . . .
“We are drawing a new musical map. Looking back, the twentieth no longer seems the century of Stravinsky. Prokofiev once eclipsed Shostakovich – but no longer. And Sergei Rachmaninoff stands apart from the turmoil that enveloped him, a pillar of implacable poise and sovereign humanity.”
To read the review, click here.
For a related Rachmaninoff blog, clock here.
beautifully put with truth
In the sterile and reckless days of Putin and his invasions, and the dimming memory of the 75-year USSR, we forget what Russia offered before 1917. A nightmare for the masses, it was also a long and munificent march for the wealthy and for those talented enough to enter their circles. Rachmaninoff was such a beneficiary. A gifted prodigy, his first serious teacher was the remarkable Alexander Siloti, his older cousin. In time he arranged for Sergei to enter Zverev’s class at the Moscow Conservatory. At 12, he was invited to play for Anton Rubinstein. A year later, he played for Tchaikovsky. From the beginning, the finest Russian musicians recognized Rachmaninoff’s pianistic and compositional gifts. In that era, a great talent was given a great welcome.