Sergey Rachmaninov "Bells"
Bells. This symbol of Great Russia is sacred for all Russian people. The bell-ringing, which at all times accompanies a person throughout his life, has different voices. At evening sunset, it can sound romantic, sparkle with the good news for big holidays, and in the days of hardships a ominous alarm to rally people to overcome a common misfortune. Many Russian composers turned to the topic of bells, but they were most vividly reflected in the work of Sergei Vasilyevich Rakhmaninov, who is rightly called the most Russian composer. We hear the bells in his famous Second Piano Concerto, the Third Symphony, but it sounds particularly vividly in a symphonic poem for orchestra, chorus and solo voices with the saying “Bells”.
The history of the creation of the symphonic poem "The Bells" by Sergei Rachmaninoff, as well as interesting facts and musical content of the work, read on our page.
History of creation
In 1912, the creative life Rachmaninov was very informative. During this period, Sergei Vasilyevich was actively involved in writing works, for example, it was then that he created his famous Vocalise. In addition, as one of the most popular musicians, the maestro was constantly invited to perform at various evenings.
Also, the Moscow Philharmonic Society entrusted the composer with the conduct of the next season of symphony concerts. At the Bolshoi Theater, he conducted the sign "The Queen of Spades"great Peter Ilyich Tchaikovskyand followed by his operas: The Miserly Knight and Francesca da Rimini. In addition, in one of the people's houses was scheduled his statement "Aleko".
By the end of the year, such intense and, of course, intense activity had a strong effect on Sergei Vasilyevich’s health. He even had to abandon the previously scheduled concerts and go abroad. Together with his family, the maestro first visited Switzerland, and then went to Italy. In Rome, the Rakhmaninov family settled in a house in the Plaza of Spain, in an apartment that Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky had once rented. It was to this address that the composer received a letter, the author of which did not wish to put his signature. The anonymous envoy recommended Sergei Vasilyevich to create an essay on the poetic text of the American writer Edgar Poe "The Bell" in the translation of the Russian symbolist poet Konstantin Balmont. Since in Italy Rachmaninov did not stop working on composition and it was then that he was considering a plan for creating a large-scale symphonic canvas, therefore what was mentioned in the letter intrigued him very much. Acquainted with the work of a representative of American romanticism, Sergey Vasilievich, who was not indifferent to bell-ringing chimes since childhood, was so interested that he immediately began creating a new composition, marking it by genre with a vocal-symphonic poem.
Some time later, due to the illness of the children, Rachmaninov had to leave Italy and move to Germany, and after staying in Berlin, which turned out to be short, the family returned to Russia. Based in his wife’s family estate, Ivanovka, located in the Tambov province, Rakhmaninov, as he later recalled: working "in a feverish arousal," in mid-July 1913 brought his creative idea to the end.
The first performance of "Bells", ultimately named as a poem for soloists, choir and symphony orchestra, was held with great success in St. Petersburg in mid-December 1913. In the premiere of the work, which was conducted by the author, soloists, choir and orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater participated. The Moscow premiere performance, with the participation of musicians of the Bolshoi Theater, passed a little later, in February of the following 1914.
Interesting Facts
- Years later, it turned out that the author who anonymously sent Rakhmaninov to Rome a letter proposing to write music with Edgar Poe's Bells was Maria Danilova, a big fan of the maestro, a student of eminent cellist Mikhail Yevseevich Bukinik.
- Sergey Vasilievich dedicated his significant symphonic poem "The Bells" to the outstanding Dutch conductor Willem Mengelberg, as well as to the Netherlands leading symphony orchestra - the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
- It was noted that in the discography of the reference record "Bells" does not exist. Each conductor interprets this composition by Rakhmaninov in his own way, making significant changes to the orchestration and even changing the author's text. There was a joke about the “Bells” that says that this work, as the author intended, no one will ever play, since there are too many notes written in it.
- In Russia, the bells were treated with special reverence. They were baptized in rituals and given names to living beings. Each bell had its own recognizable voice and its own fate. In the history of Russia, there are cases when bells fell into disgrace. For example, in the 15th century, after the suppression of Novgorod independence, by the order of Tsar Ivan III, the Vechevo bell was removed and sent to Moscow. Then, sagging on the bell tower of the Assumption Cathedral until the XVII century, by special order of Tsar Fedor Alekseevich, he was exiled to one of the monasteries of Karelia for frightening the ruler at midnight with his ringing.
- In Soviet times, the symphonic poem by Sergei Rakhmaninov "The Bells" was out of favor. In the newspaper Pravda, she was annoyedly called the "bell mystery."
- There is an assumption that the music of Sergei Rachmaninov has healing properties. For example, the famous Spanish opera singer José Carreras, coming to Russia with concerts, said that listening to the works of the great Russian maestro helped him recover from acute leukemia.
- Famous American singer and composer Eric Carmen was so inspired by the work of Rachmaninoff that he used his music (Concert for piano and orchestra № 2 and Symphony No. 2) in their songs, which later became popular hits. Initially believing that the works of the composer are the property of society, the singer, after the official release of singles, had to legally agree with the successors of Sergei Vasilyevich and subsequently pay them 12% of the fee for the compositions, and also specify Rakhmaninov as the author of the music.
Content
"Bells"- is a symphonic poem that combines features of various genres. If we consider the work as a four-part cycle, then a symphony is formed, in which there is no sonata allegro, but there are two scherzos. person: from birth to death. The four life stages and in each of them the bell ringing is predominant.
In the first part, Allegro ma non troppo, the composer paints a picture, picturesquely displaying in it a winter night and a snow-covered road along which the horse-drawn sleigh rushes, encompassingly ringing the bells in a harness. The trio rushing forward in the work symbolizes the youth of a person who still has everything ahead: bright dreams and hopes for their accomplishments.
The poem opens with an orchestral introduction, which immerses the audience in an atmosphere filled with bright joy. The piece begins flutes, clarinets and triangle, then after only three bars enter goboi, harp and strings. In addition to the high registers of woodwind and string instruments, the light, airy coloring of the music is given by the crystal and gentle sound of the celesta. The composer uses the timbre of copper instruments quite abstinently, but their ringing signal fanfare gives the music a fabulous color. The orchestral introduction ends with the exclamation of the tenor singer. He widely sings the first word of the poetic text and only after that the choir enters. Then the part of the soloist, choral and orchestral accompaniment are all intertwined in a beautiful openwork polyphonic canvas.
The nature of the music is transformed after the words of the soloist "enjoying a tender dream." So begins the contrast to the previous section of the middle part. Tempo indication of the author is changed to Meno mosso. Orchestral paints darken. The chorus, supported by the sound of the English horn and oboe, displays a beautiful melody of an old tune with a closed sound. Everything is as if plunging into a pleasant nap. On this numbed background, the harp of the piano, and then the confused pipes muffledly depict a bell chime. However, a magical dream is disturbed by a disturbing downward motive appearing in the first violins part. This is the forerunner of the dark finale of the poem. Nevertheless, the fleeting forgetfulness passes with the invocation exclamation of pepper - the soloist "Sledge rushing ..." begins a reprise, in which the energetic rhythm of the first section returns. Further, the dynamic development of thematic material leads to a small, but sparkling climax. Then, in conclusion, the theme of the choir from the middle section arises once again, but now it sounds life-affirming and cheerful.
The second part ofLento, which can be described as a lyrical Adagio, begins with a solemn ringing of the bells, announcing a happy and joyful event in life - the upcoming wedding. The musical material initially grows out of a large bell imitating the sound of a bell, a moody motif that sounds in the performance of altos. Gradually an orchestral fabric is superimposed on it, the character of the sound of which is constantly changing: now it is formidable and harsh, then sensual and plaintive. After the completion of the stately and solemn part, a completely different image comes to the fore. He is full of tenderness and languor, reveals the inner world of man in a vital and exciting moment for him. First, with the words: "Hear the call of the holy golden one for the wedding," the chorus enters. These lines, in the subsequent development, are repeatedly returned, but they sound different every time: either in a low voice, or impressively and commandingly. Next comes the solo soprano, performing a tremulous melody full of tenderness. Wide and expressive, it, developing in a wave-like manner, gradually becomes more resolute and free. The returning bell ringing heralds the onset of a reprise, which ends in fading and then fading sounds.
The third partPresto is an ominous scherzo, in which the bell ringing is repainted from silver and gold, as it was in the previous parts, into a tragic ring - copper. Nabat heralds about the exhilarated elements, which fell upon a man and brought him terrible misfortune. An ominous hum leads panicked horror on people filled with fear: they scream and in despair beg for help. Tension increases, the rhythm becomes convulsive, the pace accelerates. The image of the destroying flame becomes more and more frightening. A catastrophe that destroys all hopes and expectations is inevitable. The musical material of the part is so consistent with the textual program narrating the terrible calamity that there is no melodically decorated theme in the choir parts. In different voices, sound sequences based on chromatism result in continuous moans and screams.
The final, Lento lugubre - this is the sad ending of life. All dreams, hopes and impulses of man are now in the past. All that remained was a summing-up monotonous burial chime, against which the English horn sadly displays the full humility and humility of the tune of the funeral chant. A gloomy mood is created by a constant measured rhythm, harmony with heavy bass and constantly repeated downward intonations in the upper voices. Everything resembles a funeral procession, which, with sorrowful sighs, accompanies the person on his last journey. Next, with the words "Funeral can be heard ringing" the singer enters.
The chorus of the baritone, initially centered and sustained on one repetitive sound, almost immediately begins to echo the chorus. Gradually the party of the soloist becomes more dramatic. Terrifying visions make confusion and anxiety: a man in black clothes stands in the bell tower, shakes the bell strongly and laughs heartily. Here in the music the composer convincingly reflected the man’s fear of the mysterious forces unknown to him. For example, he presented the motive of the magical dream from the first part in a completely different, twisted form. In the code, everything calms down, there comes a major enlightenment and pacification, indicating that the person is no longer worried about anything.
"Bells"- is a brilliant work of the great Russian composer Sergey Vasilievich Rakhmaninov It is impossible to reflect not in words or epithets. His spiritually rich, majestic, but at the same time dreamy and tender music gives a complete picture of Holy Russia with its majestic temples, elevated prayers and, of course, with a marvelous bell-ringing that meant so much in the life of an ordinary person.
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