~~~~~Composer Biography~~~~~ Rachmaninoff’s life is very well-documented, so we won’t bother giving any information here. If you’re interested in learning about him, a good place to start is his Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Rachmaninoff ~~~~~Program Notes~~~~~ Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) is one of the most celebrated composers in classical music history. Many of his works have become audience favorites, such as the 2nd Piano Concerto, 3rd Piano Concerto, 2nd Symphony, and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, which can all be heard in symphony halls around the world year after year. Those who prefer to attend recitals have almost certainly heard all or a selection of the Etudes-Tableaux, Preludes, or the 2nd Piano Sonata. But, apart from the Op. 3 Morceaux de Fantaisie (including the famous C# Minor Prelude), most of Rachmaninoff’s early works remain relatively unknown amongst the general classical music audience. The 6 Morceaux, Op. 11 (1894) for piano 4-hands, are one such example. Written before Rachmaninoff’s battle with depression and later rise to international stardom, these pieces are much more light-hearted and playful than Rachmaninoff’s later works, which often portray angst, nostalgia, and heartbreak. Written in haste to earn some much-needed cash, these pieces do not show Rachmaninoff at his best, but they are filled with catchy melodies and motifs that make them well worth a listen. Even if they are less inspired and polished than most of his other works, we (the admins) think the consistently high-quality keyboard writing makes up for it. Below is a short description of each piece: 0:11 - Barcarolle: In classical music, the term "barcarolle" refers to any piece that imitates the folk songs of Venetian gondoliers, which feature a distinctive rocking rhythm. This rhythm is provided by the secundo (lower) part throughout this piece. It is essentially a carbon copy of the earlier Barcarolle from 1st Suite for Two Pianos, Op. 5, except with a darker B section and a leaner texture as only one piano is employed here. Both Barcarolles feature flowing textures, poignant harmonies, and (for Rachmaninoff) restrained dynamics that give them a mysterious, “fairy tale-like” atmosphere. 5:12 - Scherzo: A quintessential example of a scherzo, which means "joke" in Italian. It begins with a lengthy, high-energy A section that barrels forward with unimpeded momentum. This is contrasted with a more hesitant B section, which appears only for a little episode the first time but eventually returns in a longer form to end the piece on a somewhat sudden and uncertain note. 7:58 - Thème russe: Not quite a set of variations, but rather a series of reharmonizations and developments of a simple four bar melody that, as the title suggests, sounds like a Russian theme. Through clever manipulation of material and voicing, Rachmaninoff is able to create a compelling narrative out of this short phrase, eventually building it to a torrent before slowly dying away. 12:15 - Valse: A clever work that showcases Rachmaninoff's skill in contrapuntal writing. After a charming, nonchalant A section, the piece enters into a more subdued, meandering B section, before weaving both themes together to recap. 15:55 - Romance: A highly chromatic piece that sounds more lamenting than romantic. It is monothematic, just like the 3rd movement. Throughout the piece, the theme is repeated, always yearning for a satisfying conclusion, but never quite reaching one. Eventually, after circling back on itself a few times, it resigns itself to its meandering nature and slowly fades before sputtering out in one last burst at the end. 19:33 - Glory: My personal favorite of the 6 pieces, Glory is an exciting and triumphant finale. It continues the monothematic trend previously seen in movements 3 and 5, once again showing off Rachmaninoff's abilities to squeeze a lot of music out of little material. At first, the melody is heard quietly in a lean texture with harmonies that almost make it sound wistful. But, after traveling through lots of harmonic territory and building momentum all along the way, it returns to C major by exploding into an emphatic fanfare. From there, it never looks back, carrying that energy through to an exciting finish. *Note: These program notes are the result of many hours of reading, listening, writing, and editing. Please do not reproduce them without crediting me. Sources: None

00:10 I: Barcarolle 5:11 II: Scherzo 7:56 III: Russian Theme 12:13 IV: Waltz 15:55 V: Romance 19:33 VI: Glory

12:15 IV : the waltz is amazing-

Never heard this recording before... fantastic playing! Full of personality!

If you like the last movement like me, you might want to know it’s a real Russian folk song called Уж как слава Тебе Боже на небеси, слава (indeed praise to You Lord in heaven, praise).

So my teacher asked me to listen to this cause she wants me and another student of her to play this and... I can safely say that I am terrified to start playing this

insane ~!!! so impressive 👍😄

cool!

Belo. Bravo 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏!

👍👍👍

👍🏻

❤bravi!@