Prepare a message on creativity with Rachmaninoff. Sergei Rachmaninov: short biography and personal life

­ Brief biography of Sergei Rachmaninoff

Rachmaninov Sergei Vasilyevich - an outstanding Russian composer, conductor and pianist; representative of St. Petersburg and Moscow composer schools; founder of his original musical style. Born on April 1, 1873 in the Starorussky district of the Novgorod province in the family estate. Sergei's parents were from the nobility, his grandfather was a talented musician. Previously, the childhood of the future composer passed in the Oneg estate, which for the rest of his life laid in him a love for the poetics of Russian nature.

He often heard Russian, together with his grandmother he visited the Novgorod monasteries, so the theme of the motherland in his work was embodied with special force. In general, his style was characterized by romantic pathos combined with lyric-contemplative moods. Sergei's passion for music manifested itself very early. At the age of nine he studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. When he moved to Moscow and entered the N. S. Zverev Conservatory, he was lucky to meet P. I. Tchaikovsky. An experienced composer quickly noticed a hidden talent in the young talent and predicted a great future for him.

Rachmaninoff, in fact, had a perfect ear and an ideal memory. He graduated from the Moscow Conservatory brilliantly. At the final exam, he presented the opera "Aleko", written by him in a matter of days. Among his outstanding works are the symphonic fantasy "Cliff", concerto No. 1 for piano and orchestra, the elegiac trio on the death of Tchaikovsky and many other works. In 1897 he conducted Savva Mamontov's private opera, and two years later his first foreign tour took place. He was lucky to perform together with F. Chaliapin.

In 1900, having overcome a creative crisis, he entered a long period of fruitful period. Since 1904, Sergei Vasilievich worked as a conductor at the Bolshoi Theater. During this period, one-bar operas The Miserly Knight and Francesca da Rimini, major instrumental opuses and piano concertos, and a cello sonata were written. From 1906 he performed in Dresden for three consecutive winters. Also in his biography were working periods in Germany, Italy and England, and in 1909 he made his first appearance in the USA. The composer met the February Revolution with joy, but the October events rather alerted him.

At the end of 1917, he went on tour to Scandinavia, and from there to the United States and never returned to Russia. Numerous concerts and performances did not leave him time to compose new works, but he successfully interpreted the works of other romantic composers in his own way. In the first 10 years of emigration, he did not write anything new. Then came the 4th Piano Concerto, "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini", "Three Russian Songs" for choir and symphony orchestra. The great composer died in March 1943 in the USA.

Introduction

rachmaninov composer piano symphony

Turn of XIX - XX centuries. - an amazing period in Russian history. This is an integral historical and cultural complex, characterized, on the one hand, by outstanding discoveries and achievements, strong personalities and talents, economic modernization and growth, and, on the other hand, by social catastrophes, wars and revolutions. This is the time of a large-scale unusually fast entry of Russian culture into the international arena; a period of rapid development and the emergence of new forces and currents Russian culture, which is called the "Silver Age". With a relatively short duration, approximately from the beginning of the 1890s to 1917, the period was charged with a high potential for creative energy, and left a rich legacy in all areas of art. Russian music during this period came to the forefront of world musical culture.

I.A. Ilyin once said: “There is no Russian art without a burning heart; it does not exist without free inspiration…”. These words can be fully attributed to the work of the brilliant Russian composer, pianist and conductor of the late XIX - early XX centuries. Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff. In his music, the whole spectrum of spiritual quests of the Silver Age artists is multifaceted and deeply captured - a thirst for a new one, emotional elation, a desire to "live a tenfold life" (A.A. Blok). Rachmaninoff synthesized in his work the principles of the St. Petersburg and Moscow composer schools, harmoniously combined the traditions of Russian and European art, creating his own original style, which later had a significant impact on Russian and world music of the 20th century, and at the same time establishing the world priority of the Russian pianistic school.

And it is no coincidence that the closing of the XXII Winter Olympic Games in Sochi took place to the music of Rachmaninov, where his famous Second Piano Concerto was performed.

. Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov - brief biographical information

Rachmaninov Sergei Vasilyevich (1873-1943) - a brilliant composer, an outstanding virtuoso pianist and conductor, whose name has become a symbol of Russian national and world musical culture.

Rachmaninov was born on March 20, 1873 into a noble family in the Oneg estate, owned by his mother, near Novgorod. Here the early childhood of the future composer passed. Attachment to the poetic Russian nature, to the images of which he repeatedly turned in his work, originated in childhood and adolescence. In those same years, Rachmaninoff had the opportunity to quite often listen to Russian folk songs, which he loved very much all his life. Visiting the Novgorod monasteries with his grandmother, Sergei Vasilievich listened to the famous Novgorod bells and ancient Russian ritual melodies, in which he always noted the national, folk origins. In the future, this will be reflected in his work (poem-cantata "The Bells", "All-Night Vigil").

Rachmaninoff grew up in a musical family. His grandfather, Arkady Alexandrovich, who studied with John Field, was an amateur pianist and composer, a well-known author of salon romances. Several of his writings were published in the 18th century. The father of the great composer, Vasily Arkadyevich Rachmaninov, was a man of exceptional musical talent.

Interest S.V. Rachmaninoff to music showed up in early childhood. The first piano lessons were given to him by his mother, then the music teacher A.D. was invited. Ornatskaya. According to the memoirs of the composer himself, the lessons gave him "great displeasure", but by the age of four he could already play four hands with his grandfather.

When the future composer was 8 years old, his family moved to Petersburg. By that time, his musical abilities were quite noticeable, and in 1882 he was admitted to the St. Petersburg Conservatory, in the junior piano class of V.V. Demyansky.

In 1885, Rachmaninov was listened to by a very young, but already well-known musician, a cousin of Sergei Vasilievich, A.I. Siloti. Convinced of the talent of his cousin, Siloti takes him to the Moscow Conservatory, to the class of the famous pianist-teacher Nikolai Sergeevich Zverev (whose student was also Scriabin).

Rachmaninov spent several years in the famous Moscow private boarding house of the music teacher Nikolai Zverev. Here, at the age of 13, Rachmaninoff was introduced to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who later took a great part in the fate of the young musician. The famous composer noticed a capable student and closely followed his progress. After some time, P.I. Tchaikovsky said: "I predict a great future for him."

After studying with Zverev, and then with Siloti (because Zverev studied only with children), at the senior department of the conservatory, Rachmaninov begins to study under the guidance of S.I. Taneeva (counterpoint) and A.S. Arensky (composition). Since the autumn of 1886, he became one of the best students and received a scholarship named after N.G. Rubinstein.

Among the works written during the years of study: the 1st concerto for piano and orchestra and the symphonic poem "Prince Rostislav" (according to A.K. Tolstoy). Gifted with an extraordinary ear for music and memory, in 1891, at the age of 18, Rachmaninoff brilliantly graduated from the conservatory with a gold medal as a pianist in the piano class. And a year later, in 1892, when he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in the composition class, he was awarded a large gold medal for outstanding performing and composing successes. Together with him, Scriabin graduated from the conservatory, who received a small gold medal, because. the big one was awarded only to students who graduated from the conservatory in two specialties (Scriabin graduated as a pianist).

The most significant of his early works is his graduation work - the one-act opera Aleko based on Pushkin's poem The Gypsies. It was completed in an unprecedentedly short time - just over two weeks - in just 17 days. The examination took place on May 7, 1892; the commission gave Rachmaninov the highest mark.

For her, Tchaikovsky, who was present at the exam, gave his “musical grandson” (Rakhmaninov studied with Taneyev, Pyotr Ilyich’s favorite student) a five, surrounded by four pluses.

The premiere of "Aleko" at the Bolshoi Theater took place on April 27, 1893 and was a huge success. The music of the opera, captivating with youthful passion, dramatic power, richness and expressiveness of melodies, was highly appreciated by the largest musicians, critics and listeners. The musical world treated "Aleko" not as a school work, but as a creation of the highest master. He especially appreciated the opera by P.I. Tchaikovsky: "I really liked this lovely thing," he wrote to his brother.

In the last years of Tchaikovsky's life, Rachmaninoff often communicated with him. He highly appreciated the creator of The Queen of Spades. Encouraged by the first success and moral support of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, after graduating from the conservatory, composes a number of works. Among them are the symphonic fantasy "Cliff", the first suite for two pianos, "Musical Moments", a prelude in C-sharp minor, which later became one of Rachmaninov's most famous and beloved works. romances: “Do not sing, beauty, with me”, “In the silence of a secret night”, “Island”, “Spring waters”.

At the age of 20, he became a piano teacher at the Moscow Mariinsky Women's School, at 24 years old - the conductor of Savva Mamontov's Moscow Russian Private Opera, where he worked for one season, but managed to make a significant contribution to the development of Russian opera.

Thus, Rachmaninoff gained early fame as a composer, pianist and conductor.

However, his successful career was interrupted on March 15, 1897 by the unsuccessful premiere of the First Symphony (conductor - A.K. Glazunov), which ended in complete failure due to both poor performance and the innovative nature of the music. According to A.V. Ossovsky, Glazunov's inexperience as an orchestra leader during rehearsals played a certain role.

A strong shock led Rachmaninov to a creative crisis. During 1897-1901, he could not compose, concentrating on performing activities.

In 1897-1898, Rachmaninov conducted the performances of Savva Mamontov's Moscow Private Russian Opera, at the same time his international performing career began. Rachmaninov's first foreign performance took place in London in 1899. In 1900 he visited Italy.

In 1898-1900, he repeatedly performed in an ensemble with Fyodor Chaliapin.

By the early 1900s, Rachmaninov managed to overcome the creative crisis. The first major work of this period is the Second Piano Concerto (1901), for which the composer was awarded the Glinka Prize for it.

The creation of the Second Piano Concerto marked not only Rachmaninov's exit from the crisis, but at the same time - the entry into the next, mature period of creativity. The following decade and a half became the most fruitful in his biography: Sonata for Cello and Piano (1901); The cantata "Spring" (1902) based on Nekrasov's poems "Green Noise", for which the composer also received the Glinka Prize in 1906, is imbued with a joyful, springtime attitude.

A significant event in the history of Russian music was the arrival of Rachmaninoff in the fall of 1904 to the Bolshoi Theater as a conductor and head of the Russian repertoire. In the same year, the composer completed his operas The Miserly Knight and Francesca da Rimini. After two seasons, Rachmaninoff left the theater and settled first in Italy and then in Dresden. The symphonic poem "Isle of the Dead" was written here.

In March 1908, Sergei Vasilievich became a member of the Moscow Directorate of the Russian Musical Society, and in the fall of 1909, together with A.N. Skryabin and N.K. Medtner - to the Council of the Russian Music Publishing House. At the same time, he created the choral cycles "Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom" and "Vespers".

The Moscow period of Rachmaninov ended in 1917, when the Great October Socialist Revolution took place. At the end of 1917 he was invited to give several concerts in the Scandinavian countries. He went with his family and never returned to Russia. He left his homeland, broke away from the soil on which his work grew. Rachmaninoff experienced a deep inner drama until the end of his days. “After leaving Russia, I lost the desire to compose. Having lost my homeland, I lost myself ... ”he said.

At first, Rachmaninov lived in Denmark, where he gave many concerts, earning a living, then, in 1918, he moved to America. From the first concert in the small town of Providence in the state of Rhode Island, Rachmaninov's concert activity began, which continued without interruption for almost 25 years. In America, Sergei Rachmaninoff achieved a stunning success that has ever accompanied a foreign performer here. Rachmaninoff the pianist was the idol of the concert audience, who conquered the whole world. Gave 25 concert seasons. The listeners were attracted not only by Rachmaninoff's high performing skills, but also by the manner of his playing and external asceticism, behind which the brilliant nature of the brilliant musician was hidden.

Interestingly, Americans consider Sergei Rachmaninov to be the great American composer.

In exile, Rachmaninov almost stopped his conducting performances, although in America he was invited to take the post of head of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and later the orchestra of the city of Cincinnati. But he did not agree and only occasionally stood at the conductor's stand when his own compositions were performed.

Living abroad, Rachmaninov did not forget about his homeland. He closely followed the development of Soviet culture. In 1941 he completed his last work, recognized by many as his greatest creation, "Symphonic Dances".

During the Second World War, Rachmaninoff gave several concerts in the United States and sent the entire collection to the fund of the Soviet Army, which provided her with very significant assistance. “I believe in complete victory,” he wrote. Apparently, this influenced the loyalty of the Soviet government to the memory and legacy of the great composer.

Just six weeks before his death, Rachmaninoff performed Beethoven's first concerto and his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. An attack of illness was forced to interrupt the concert tour. Rachmaninov died on March 28, 1943 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.

The great Russian composer died, but his music remained with us.

Pianists of such magnitude as Rachmaninov are born once in 100 years.

The years of life of S.V. Rachmaninoff coincided with the period of the greatest historical upheavals that affected his own life and creative path, both brilliant and tragic. He witnessed two world wars and three Russian revolutions. He welcomed the collapse of the Russian autocracy, but did not accept October. Having lived almost half of his life abroad, Rachmaninoff felt like a Russian to the end of his days. His mission in the history of world art cannot be defined and evaluated otherwise than the mission of a Russian singer.

2. The great Russian pianist and composer S.V. Rachmaninov

2.1 General creative characteristic

For most musicians and listeners, Rachmaninoff's compositions are an artistic symbol of Russia. This is a true son of the Silver Age, one of the most important elements of Russian culture at the turn of the century.

The creative image of Rachmaninoff as a composer is often defined by the words "the most Russian composer." This brief and incomplete characterization expresses both the objective qualities of Rachmaninov's style and the place of his legacy in the historical perspective of world music. It was Rachmaninov's work that acted as the synthesizing denominator that united and fused the creative principles of the Moscow (P. Tchaikovsky) and St. Petersburg ("Mighty Handful") schools into a single and integral Russian national style.

The theme "Russia and its fate", the general one for Russian art of all types and genres, found an exceptionally characteristic and complete embodiment in Rachmaninov's work. In this regard, Rachmaninoff was both a successor to the tradition of operas by Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky's symphonies, and a link in the unbroken chain of national tradition (this theme was continued in the works of S. Prokofiev, D. Shostakovich, G. Sviridov, A. Schnittke and etc.).

The special role of Rachmaninoff in the development of the national tradition is explained by the historical position of the work of Rachmaninov, a contemporary of the Russian revolution: it was the revolution, reflected in Russian art as a “catastrophe”, “the end of the world”, that has always been the semantic dominant of the theme “Russia and its fate”.

Rachmaninov's work chronologically refers to that period of Russian art, which is commonly called the "Silver Age". The main creative method of art of this period was symbolism, the features of which were clearly manifested in the work of Rachmaninov. Rachmaninov's works are saturated with complex symbolism, expressed with the help of motifs-symbols, the main of which is the motif of the medieval chorale Dies Irae. This motif in Rachmaninov symbolizes a premonition of a catastrophe, "the end of the world", "retribution".

Christian motives are very important in Rachmaninov's work: being a deeply religious person, Rachmaninoff not only made an outstanding contribution to the development of Russian sacred music, but also embodied Christian ideas and symbols in his other works. Of great importance for spiritual Russian music are his liturgical compositions - the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (1910) and the All-Night Vigil (1915). In 1913, the monumental poem "The Bells" was written to poems by Edgar Allan Poe for soloists, choir and orchestra.

Numerous threads connect Rachmaninov's music with various phenomena in the literature and art of that time. With Bely, Balmont, Merezhkovsky, Gippius Rachmaninoff has some common aesthetic and philosophical views. Rachmaninov understood art as an expression of the loftiness of human quest, an expression of the beautiful in the spiritual thoughts of man. Music is an expression of sensual beauty. Rachmaninov was also close to those who tried to reveal the spiritual roots of Russia, to revive ancient Russian music, the spiritual concert of the 18th century, partes singing. The culmination of the cultural renaissance was his All-Night Vigil.

By the nature of talent, Rachmaninoff is a lyricist with open emotionality. It was characterized by a combination of two types of deeply lyrical way of speaking: 1) pathos, emotion; 2) refinement, voicing silence.

Rakhmaninov's lyrics express love for man and nature and at the same time fear of unheard-of changes and rebellions. Beauty in ideal contemplative expression and violently bubbling beats - in this polarity Rachmaninoff appears as a man of his time. But Rachmaninoff was not only a lyricist, epic features are also clearly expressed in his work. Rachmaninov is an artist-narrator of wooden Rus', bell ringing. His epic character is of a heroic type (an emotional way of comprehending reality is combined with epic, narrative).

Melody. Unlike his contemporary Scriabin, who always thinks in music in its instrumental forms, Rachmaninoff from the very first compositions showed the vocal nature of his talent. The vocal sense of melody became the leading feature of all his genres, including instrumental ones. Rachmaninoff's music as a whole is polymelody, and this is one of the secrets of intelligibility. His melodies are characterized by breadth of breath, plasticity, and flexibility. The origins are numerous: urban and peasant song, urban romance, znamenny chant. His melodies had characteristic contours: a stormy surge with gradual rollbacks.

Harmony. He relied on the conquests of the Romantics. Multi-tert chords, expansion of subdominant formations, major-minor means, altered chords, polyharmony, organ points are characteristic. "Rakhmaninov's Harmony" - a reduced introductory harmonic third quarter chord with a fourth (in minor). The diverse implementation of bell sonorities is characteristic. The harmonic language has evolved over time.

Polyphony. In each work there is a subvocal or imitative polyphony.

Metrorhythm. Barcarolle, fluid rhythms or marching, chased rhythms are characteristic. Rhythm performs two functions: 1) helps to create an image (long rhythmic ostinato are not uncommon); 2) shaping.

Forms and genres.Starts as a traditional musician: he writes piano miniatures in three movements, a piano concerto, learns the rules of the liturgical cycle. In the 900s there is a tendency to synthesis of forms, and then - to the synthesis of genres.

.2 Evolution of creative style, musical language

The origins of Rachmaninov's work are in Chopin, Schumann, Grieg - outstanding lyric poets of the 19th century, in the spiritual Orthodox culture, in the work of Mussorgsky and Borodin. Over time, the art of Rachmaninov absorbs a lot of new things, the evolution of the musical language takes place.

Rachmaninov's style, which grew out of late romanticism, subsequently underwent a significant evolution: like his contemporaries - A. Scriabin and I. Stravinsky - Rachmaninov at least twice (c. 1900 and c. 1926) radically updated the style of his music. The mature and especially late style of Rachmaninov goes far beyond the post-romantic tradition (“overcoming” of which began in the early period), and at the same time does not belong to any of the stylistic currents of the musical avant-garde of the 20th century. Thus, Rachmaninov's work stands apart in the evolution of world music of the 20th century: having absorbed many achievements of impressionism and the avant-garde, Rachmaninov's style remained uniquely individual and original, unparalleled in world art (excluding imitators and imitators). In modern musicology, a parallel with L. Van Beethoven is often used: just like Rachmaninoff, Beethoven went far beyond the limits of the style that educated him, without joining the romantics and remaining alien to the romantic worldview.

Rachmaninov's work is conventionally divided into three or four periods: early (1889-1897), mature (it is sometimes divided into two periods: 1900-1909 and 1910-1917) and late (1918-1941).

The first - the early period - began under the sign of late romanticism, assimilated mainly through the style of Tchaikovsky (First Concerto, early pieces). However, already in the Trio in D minor (1893), written in the year of Tchaikovsky's death and dedicated to his memory, Rachmaninoff gives an example of a bold creative synthesis of the traditions of romanticism (Tchaikovsky), the "Kuchkists", the old Russian church tradition and modern everyday and gypsy music. This work, one of the first examples of polystylistics in world music, symbolically heralds the continuity of tradition from Tchaikovsky to Rachmaninov and the entry of Russian music into a new stage of development. In the First Symphony, the principles of stylistic synthesis were developed even more boldly, which was one of the reasons for its failure at the premiere.

The period of maturity is marked by the formation of an individual, mature style based on the intonational baggage of Znamenny chant, Russian songwriting and the style of late European romanticism. These features are clearly expressed in the famous Second Concerto and Second Symphony, in the piano preludes op. 23. However, starting with the symphonic poem "Isle of the Dead", Rachmaninov's style becomes more complicated, which is caused, on the one hand, by an appeal to the themes of symbolism and modernity, and on the other hand, by the implementation of the achievements of modern music: impressionism, neoclassicism, new orchestral, textural, harmonic techniques.

The late - foreign period of creativity - is marked by exceptional originality. Rachmaninov's style is made up of a solid fusion of the most diverse, sometimes opposing stylistic elements: the traditions of Russian music and jazz, the old Russian znamenny chant and the "restaurant" stage of the 1930s, the virtuoso style of the 19th century - and the harsh toccato of the avant-garde. The very heterogeneity of stylistic premises contains a philosophical meaning - the absurdity, the cruelty of being in the modern world, the loss of spiritual values. The works of this period are distinguished by mysterious symbolism, semantic polyphony, and deep philosophical overtones. Rachmaninov's last work, Symphonic Dances (1941), vividly embodying all these features, is compared by many with M. Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, completed at the same time.

.3 Piano creativity

Rachmaninov's work is extremely multifaceted, his legacy includes various genres. Piano music occupies a special place in the work of Rachmaninov. He wrote the best works for his favorite instrument - the piano. These are 24 preludes, 15 etudes-pictures, 4 concertos for piano and orchestra, "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" for piano and orchestra, etc.

Rachmaninoff, as a pianist and piano composer, brought a new hero - courageous, strong-willed, restrained and severe, summarizing the best features of the intellect of that time. This hero is devoid of duality, mysticism, he expresses subtle, noble, sublime feelings. Rachmaninov also enriched Russian piano music with new themes: tragic, national-epic, landscape lyrics, a very wide range of lyrical conditions, Russian bells.

Rachmaninoff's legacy includes operas and symphonies, chamber-vocal and choral sacred music, but most of all the composer wrote for the piano. Rachmaninov's work can be considered the completion of the traditions of European romantic piano music. The legacy of the composer in the piano genre can be conditionally divided into 2 groups:

group - major works: 4 concertos, "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" for piano and orchestra, 2 sonatas, Variations on a Theme of Corelli.

group - pieces for piano solo. Early: op. 3 fantasy plays, op. 10 salon pieces, musical moments op. 16. Mature: preludes op. 23 and op. 32, etudes-paintings op. 33 and op. 39, concert polka, transcriptions of his own romances and compositions by other authors.

There is a fundamental difference between the two groups of compositions: Rachmaninov finished writing the compositions of the 2nd group in Russia (until 1917), while he wrote the compositions of the 1st group from 1891 to 1934, they cover the composer's entire life. Thus, works of a large form most fully reveal the evolution of creativity, and solo pieces help to understand the formation. In addition, Rachmaninoff also turned to the operatic genre. He is the author of 3 one-act operas "Aleko", "The Miserly Knight", "Francesca da Rimini".

A complete list of works by S.V. Rachmaninoff is reflected in the Appendix.

Rachmaninov's pianism reflects the style of a large concert stage, which is characterized by the scale of forms, virtuosity, dynamics, power, relief. Despite this, there are pieces of the finest, filigree work.

Rachmaninov's piano technique is in the style of Liszt's and Rubinstein's romantic pianism: double notes, octave-chord passages, difficult jumps, passages of small notes, polyphonic chords with a large stretch, etc.

Each created image has a register, timbre originality. Bass dominates. "The basses of life" (T. Mann), the foundations of being, to which the artist's thought is attached, with which his emotional world is correlated. The lower voices dynamically and articulately form the most expressive, most characteristic sound plan.

He liked to arrange the melody in the middle, cello register. The Rachmaninoff piano is like the cello in its slowness, in its ability to express the slow passage of time.

A downward movement is characteristic, which prevails over an upward one. Dynamic decline can mark entire sections of the form. The creative theme of Rachmaninoff was care, the art of form for him is always the art of care. In plays of small form, Rachmaninoff expresses the theme in full. Emotion is always out. The descent is uninterrupted, a gentle movement is felt in every section, in every phrase.

Rachmaninov's music impresses with courageous strength, rebellious pathos, an expression of boundless jubilation and happiness. At the same time, a number of Rachmaninov's works are saturated with sharp drama: here one can hear a deaf, painful longing, one feels the inevitability of tragic and formidable upheavals. This sharpness is not accidental. Like his contemporaries - Scriabin, Blok, Vrubel, Rachmaninov was an exponent of romantic tendencies characteristic of Russian art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Rachmaninoff's art is characterized by emotional elation. Rachmaninoff was a soulful singer of Russian nature.

An important place in the work of Rachmaninov belongs to the images of Russia, the motherland. The national character of music is manifested in a deep connection with the Russian folk song, with the intonations of ancient Russian church singing (znamenny chant), as well as in the wide implementation of bell sounds in music: a solemn chime, alarm. Rachmaninoff discovered the area of ​​bells for piano music - the ringing of bells was the sound environment in which the musicians of Russia lived. Rachmaninov found in the ringing a gradual departure, the ringing became “a question about non-existence”. As a result, the sounding image of the piano, created by Rachmaninov, is an embodied experience of the breadth and grace of the earthly elements, material existence. Textured, dynamic, register, pedal solutions of Rachmaninov serve to convey an integral, continuous, filled property and the embodiment of being.

Phenomenal technique, virtuosity were subordinated in Rachmaninov's game to high spirituality and vivid imagery of expression. Melody, power and fullness of "singing" are characteristic of his pianism. Steely and at the same time flexible rhythm and special dynamics give Rachmaninov's playing an inexhaustible richness of shades - from almost orchestral power to the most delicate piano and the expressiveness of living human speech.

One of Rachmaninov's most famous works is the Second Piano Concerto written in 1901. It combines the composer's characteristic bell-like quality and impetuous stormy movement. This is the national coloristic feature of Rachmaninov's harmonic language. The flow of melodious, Russian-style wide melodies, the element of active rhythm, brilliant virtuosity, subject to content, distinguish the music of the Third Concerto. It reveals one of the original foundations of Rachmaninov's musical style - an organic combination of breadth and freedom of melodic breathing with rhythmic energy.

.4 Symphonic creativity. "Bells"

Rachmaninoff became one of the greatest symphonists of the 20th century. The second concert opens the most fruitful period in Rachmaninov's composing activity. The most beautiful works appear: preludes, etudes-pictures. The largest symphonic works of these years were created - the Second Symphony, the symphonic poem "Isle of the Dead". In the same years, they created a wonderful work for choir a cappella "The All-Night Vigil", the opera "The Miserly Knight" by A.S. Pushkin and "Francesca da Rimini" by Dante. The symphonic heritage also includes two cantatas - "Spring" and "The Bells" - their style is determined by the instrumental interpretation of the choir, the leading role of the orchestra and a purely symphonic manner of presentation.

"The Bells" - a poem for choir, orchestra and soloists (1913) - one of the significant works of Rachmaninov, distinguished by the depth of philosophical intent, magnificent skill, richness and variety of orchestral color, breadth of truly symphonic forms. Brightly innovative, saturated with unprecedented new choral and orchestral techniques, this work had a huge impact on the choral and symphonic music of the 20th century. Based on a poem by Edgar Allan Poe translated by K. Balmont. In a generalized philosophical plan, the image of a person and the fatal force of fate pursuing him are revealed.

parts - 4 stages of a person's life, which Rachmaninoff reveals through different types of bell ringing. part - "silver ringing" of road bells, personifying youthful dreams, full of light and joy. part - "golden ringing", calling for a wedding and announcing human happiness. part - “copper ringing” reproduces the formidable sound of the alarm announcing a fire. part - “iron ringing”, painting a picture of a funeral.

Thus, the first two parts depict the image of hope, light, joy, the next two - the image of death, threat.

The theme of this work is typical for the art of symbolism, for this stage of Russian art and Rachmaninov's work: it symbolically embodied various periods of human life, leading to inevitable death. At the same time, Rachmaninov did not accept the pessimistic ending of E. Poe's poem - his orchestral conclusion is built on the major version of the sad theme of the finale, and is sublimely enlightened.

Rachmaninov himself, regarding the genre of the work, said that it could be called a choral symphony. This is supported by the scale, monumentality of the idea, the presence of 4 contrasting parts, the great role of the orchestra.

2.5 The significance of Rachmaninov's work

The significance of Rachmaninov's composer creativity is enormous.

Rachmaninov synthesized various trends in Russian art, various thematic and stylistic trends, and combined them under one denominator - the Russian national style.

Rachmaninoff enriched Russian music with the achievements of the art of the 20th century and was one of those who brought the national tradition to a new stage.

Rachmaninoff enriched the intonation fund of Russian and world music with the intonation baggage of the Old Russian Znamenny chant.

Rachmaninoff for the first time (along with Scriabin) brought Russian piano music to the world level, became one of the first Russian composers whose piano works are included in the repertoire of all pianists in the world.

No less great is the significance of Rachmaninov's performing arts.

Rachmaninoff the pianist became a standard for many generations of pianists from different countries and schools, he approved the world priority of the Russian piano school, the distinguishing features of which are:

) deep content of performance;

) attention to the intonation richness of music;

) "singing on the piano" - imitation of vocal sounding and vocal intonation by means of the piano.

Rachmaninov, a pianist, left reference recordings of many works of world music, on which many generations of musicians learn.

Conclusion

Thus, completing this work, we briefly highlight the main thing.

Rachmaninov - the largest Russian composer, pianist and conductor of the late XIX - early XX centuries.

Rachmaninov's music excites and delights millions of listeners even today, it captivates with the strength and sincerity of the feelings expressed in it, the beauty and truly Russian breadth of melodies.

Rachmaninov's legacy:

I period - early, student (late 80s - 90s): piano miniatures, the First and Second Piano Concerto, the symphonic poem "Prince Rostislav", the fantasy "Cliff", the opera "Aleko".

II period - mature (900s - until 1917): vocal and piano miniatures, Third Piano Concerto, "Isle of the Dead", cantata "Spring", "Bells", "Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom", "All-Night Vigil". The period is characterized by a contrast of moods, images, forms and genres. After leaving abroad for almost 10 years, he does not write anything, he conducts only concert and performing activities.

III period - late (1927-1943), created a number of masterpieces: “Variations on a Theme of Corelli”, Fourth Piano Concerto, Third Symphony, “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini”, Symphonic Dances. Gradually, the tragic beginning intensifies.

When Rachmaninoff's music sounds, it seems as if you hear a passionate, figurative, persuasive speech. The composer conveys the ecstasy of life - and the music flows like an endless, wide river (Second Concerto). Sometimes it seethes like a swift spring stream (the romance "Spring Waters"). Rachmaninoff talks about those moments when a person enjoys the peace of nature or rejoices in the beauty of the steppe, forest, lake - and the music becomes especially gentle, light, somehow transparent and fragile (romances "It's good here", "Island", "Lilac") . In the "musical landscapes" of Rachmaninov, as well as in the descriptions of nature by his favorite writer A.P. Chekhov or in the paintings of the artist I.I. Levitan, the charm of Russian nature, modest, dim, but infinitely poetic, is subtly and soulfully conveyed. Rachmaninoff also has many pages full of drama, anxiety, and rebellious impulse.

His art is distinguished by life truthfulness, democratic orientation, sincerity and emotional completeness of artistic expression. Passionate impulses of irreconcilable protest and quiet contemplation, quivering alertness and strong-willed determination, gloomy tragedy and the rapture of the anthem closely coexist in his compositions. The theme of the motherland, central to the mature work of Rachmaninov, was most fully embodied in his major instrumental works.

Contemporaries recognized Rachmaninoff as the greatest pianist of the 20th century. Rachmaninov constantly gave concerts in Russia and abroad. In 1899, he made a tour of France, which was accompanied by a resounding success. In 1909 he performed with his works in the United States of America. His performances were brilliant, his performance was virtuoso, distinguished by inner harmony and completeness.

Rachmaninov is also known as one of the greatest opera and symphony conductors of his time, who gave a unique and multifaceted interpretation of many classical works written before him. For the first time he took up the conductor's stand at the age of only twenty years - in 1893, in Kyiv, as the author of the opera "Aleko". In 1897, his work began as a second conductor at the Moscow Private Russian Opera S.I. Mamontov, where Rachmaninov acquired the necessary practice and performance experience.

A deep and versatile understanding of art, a subtle mastery of the style of the author transmitted by him, taste, self-control, discipline in work, preliminary and final - all this, combined with sincerity and simplicity, with the rarest personal musical talent and selfless devotion to lofty goals, puts Rachmaninov's performance on almost unattainable level.

Bibliography

1.Vysotskaya L.N. History of Musical Art: Textbook / Compiled by: L.N. Vysotskaya, V.V. Amosov. - Vladimir: Publishing house Vladim. state un-ta, 2012. - 138 p.

2.Emokhonova L.G. World art culture: textbook / L.G. Emokhonov. - M.: Academy, 2008. - 240 p.

.Konstantinova S.V. History of world and domestic culture / S.V. Konstantinov. - M.: Eksmo, 2008. - 32 p.

.Mozheiko L.M. History of Russian music / L.M. Mozheiko. - Grodno: GrGU, 2012. - 470 p.

.Rapatskaya L.A. History of the artistic culture of Russia (from ancient times to the end of the XX century): textbook. allowance / L.A. Rapatskaya. - M.: Academy, 2008. - 384 p.

.Rapatskaya L.A. World Art. Grade 11. Part 2: Russian Artistic Culture Textbook. - In 2 parts / L.A. Rapatskaya. - M.: Vlados, 2008. - 319 p.

.Sergei Rachmaninov: History and Modernity: Sat. articles. - Rostov-on-Don, 2005. - 488 p.

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Rapidly developed. Reforms were actively carried out, society began to live in a new way.

The nineteenth century gave Russia a galaxy of talented cultural figures. , sculptor and finally, . At the end of the 19th century, Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov was born, who was destined to create in the 20th century.

Sergei Vasilievich was born in March 1873 in the Novgorod region. His family belonged to the nobility and was very fond of music. And grandfather had a certain fame in musical circles, as the author of romances.

From the age of five, Sergei began to receive a systematic education. In 1882, being a 9-year-old boy, he entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Three years later, fate brought him to Moscow, where he continued his studies at the local conservatory.

At the Moscow Conservatory, Sergei Rachmaninov was a student of the famous musician and teacher Zverev. His teacher was more than worthy. In addition to Sergei, he was engaged in the education of a well-known Russian composer in the future.

During the years of study, Rachmaninoff wrote several pieces of music that gave rise to his musical future. His work made an impression on. The personality of Pyotr Ilyich ultimately had a great influence on the young composer, who respected Tchaikovsky as a person and highly appreciated his professional qualities.

In 1893 Pyotr Tchaikovsky dies. This tragic event stunned Rachmaninov. The Russian composer immediately reflects his emotions and experiences in a new piece of music - “In Memory of the Great Artist”. In subsequent years, the symphony "Cliff", the romances "In the silence of the secret night", "Do not sing beauty in my presence", "Spring waters" will appear.

In 1897, the premiere of Rachmaninov's First Symphony took place. The premiere was a failure. The reason for the failure, according to eyewitnesses, was mainly in the poor preparation of the orchestra and conductor Glazunov. The composer himself considered himself the main reason for the failure. He was very worried, and for several years he did not even write music.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a rise began in the work of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Your career is definitely on the rise. In the next 15 years, the composer will write many unique pieces of music. The second concerto for piano and orchestra goes with a bang, the cantata "Vesta" and concerto number three for piano and orchestra, the symphony "Isle of the Dead" and many other works have made the author one of the most famous Russian composers. In the same years, the maestro felt more and more confident in the role of a conductor, worked at the Bolshoi Theater, wrote operas.

In February 1917, a revolution broke out in the Russian Empire. Intelligentsia, people of creative professions, life is not easy. December came, and Sergey Vasilyevich went on tour to the Scandinavian countries. From the shores of the Scandinavian Peninsula, his path lay, not to his homeland, but to the New World. Now the composer lives in the USA with his family.

Abroad, Rachmaninoff tours a lot, his concerts are popular. Due to the large touring programs, he has almost no free time for creativity. However, after several years of living abroad, he still begins to write music, though not in those volumes. His creative crisis was associated with homesickness. In the life of any talented person in the creative profession, the theme of the Motherland is far from the last. Native life, native culture, nature - all this inspires a person for creativity. And he didn't have any of that in the US.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff died in the early spring of 1943, in the USA.

Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninov (1873-1943) - an outstanding Russian composer, pianist and conductor. In his musical activity, he creatively reworked the principles of Western European music, successfully combining the traditions of the Moscow and St. Petersburg composer schools.

His works are distinguished by deep emotionality, an extraordinary lyrical sense of life, patriotism and democracy. In his works, the composer sought to convey all the greatness of the Russian spirit, using the language of folk chant and bell ringing. The name of Rachmaninov as a pianist is on a par with the most outstanding performers of the planet.

Childhood and youth

Sergei Rachmaninov was born on March 20 (April 1), 1873 in the family estate of his mother Oneg, located in the Novgorod province. In these places he spent his early childhood. The beautiful nature of the Russian North-West forever sunk into the soul of the future composer, and its images will be found more than once in his works. Thanks to his grandmother, with whom young Sergei visited local monasteries, he forever fell in love with old Russian ritual tunes and folk songs.

The love of music was passed on to the composer with the blood of his mother, because his older relatives were directly related to her. Rachmaninov's grandfather studied with D. Field, and later became a pianist, composed music and gave concerts in different cities. Father Vasily Arkadyevich was naturally endowed with musical talent, and mother Lyubov Petrovna taught her son to play the piano from an early age.

Later, A. Ornatskaya became his new teacher, who contributed to the placement of her ward in the St. Petersburg Conservatory. However, studies here clearly did not work out, and at the family council it was decided to send Sergei to Moscow to the private boarding school of the professor of the local conservatory N. Zverev. Later, A. Siloti and S. Taneev also became his mentors. At this time, Sergei meets P. Tchaikovsky, who predicted a great future for him.

Composer debut

In 1892, Rachmaninoff graduated from the Moscow Conservatory as a composer and pianist, and the very next year he received a gold medal for the opera Aleko, which was written on a libretto provided to all students who graduated in the free composition class. P. Tchaikovsky liked this work very much, who was present at the final exam and gave Sergei an A with three pluses. On his recommendation, the opera was accepted for production at the Imperial Bolshoi Theatre. She was a huge success with the general public. Critics noted the extraordinary drama of the work, its inner richness and expressiveness of the melody.

The great support of Tchaikovsky, who had the highest authority in the musical world, inspired Rachmaninoff to new achievements. At this time, the symphony "Cliff", the cycle "Musical Moments", as well as a number of romances, among which "In the Silence of the Secret Night" and "Spring Waters" appear. The death of the great composer impressed Rachmaninov so much that he wrote the Ellegiac Trio, in which he brilliantly conveyed all the pain of parting with his mentor.

The first opuses of the composer brought him wide popularity, but did not add wealth. Rachmaninov was forced to get a job at the Mariinsky Women's School. In 1897, he worked for one season as a conductor in S. Mamontov's private Russian opera and managed to raise this genre to new heights. Soon Sergei Vasilyevich suffered a new setback: the premiere of his First Symphony was a complete failure. Partly the reason for this was due to the erroneous actions of the musicians who performed under the baton of the inexperienced conductor A. Glazunov. He contributed to the fiasco and the innovative nature of the presented musical material. This failure affected Rachmaninov's state of mind so much that he stopped writing music for several years and even had to be treated by a psychiatrist. However, this did not stop him from doing other things. In 1899, Sergei Vasilyevich went on his first international tour as a performer, giving a concert in London. At the same time, he repeatedly performed together with F. Chaliapin.

On the way to new achievements

Only in 1900 did the composer finish the Second Piano Concerto, which marked the beginning of a new period in his work. In 1901, this work was performed in Moscow in the author's performance together with the orchestra under the direction of A. Siloti. The second concert instantly gained great popularity and became an integral part of the repertoire of the world's best pianists. Later, fragments of the work will repeatedly sound in various films. Immediately after this, Rachmaninoff wrote the Sonata for Cello and Piano, which turned out to be filled with a poetic and agitated tone. The sing-song themes of the work amaze with emotional richness and extraordinary fullness of sound.

The universal recognition of the composer's genius Rachmaninov brought him to the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, where he served for two seasons. During this period, he wrote two one-act operas, The Miserly Knight and Francesco de Rimini, which, however, did not gain much fame, unlike Aleko. Another opera, Monna Vanna, remained unfinished. In 1906, Sergei Vasilievich went on a trip to the Apennines, and then moved to Germany and lived in Dresden for three years.

In 1909, Rachmaninoff wrote the Third Piano Concerto, which is not inferior in melody and freshness of inspiration to the Second Concerto, surpassing it in maturity and firmness of thought. According to Asafiev, it is from this work that "the titanic style of Rachmaninov's pianoforte" begins to take shape. Soon he goes on tour overseas, and when he returns, he gets the position of inspector of Russian music.

New music

From the beginning of the second decade of the 20th century, Rachmaninoff became interested in large choral forms, creating brilliant liturgical compositions “The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom" and "All-Night Vigil". In a letter to his friend, a professor at the Moscow Conservatory, he described the work on the liturgy as follows: "I haven't written in a long time... anything with such pleasure." The debut performance of the work by the Synodal Choir took place in Moscow in November 1910.

In 1913, another monumental work was published - the musical poem "The Bells", written to the words of the poem by E. Poe, translated by K. Balmont. Rachmaninov was prompted to write music by an anonymous letter, to which a Russian translation of Poe's poem was attached with the comment that it should fit perfectly to music. This poetic work immediately sunk into the soul of Sergei Vasilyevich, and he began to work on his composition “with feverish fervor”.

During these years, he wrote several romances: "Lilacs", "Daisies" (to the verses of I. Severyanin), "It's good here", as well as a number of small pieces for piano. In total, there are about 80 romances in Rachmaninov's creative biography, most of which he dedicated to women. So, in 1916 he created six works dedicated to the outstanding performer Nina Koshyts. Sergei Vasilievich repeatedly personally accompanied her at concerts and showed his enthusiastic love. After leaving the country, Rachmaninoff would no longer write a single romance.

Life in exile

In 1917, during the revolutionary hard times, when the Bolsheviks came to power, Rachmaninoff went on tour with his family to Scandinavia and never returned to his homeland. This step was extremely difficult for him, because at one moment the spiritual connection that connected him with his country was interrupted. “Having left the country, I lost the desire to compose”, Rachmaninov will say later. In 1918, he went to the USA with his wife and children. Here he showed himself, first of all, as a talented pianist who gave many concerts over a quarter of a century. Best of all, he was able to perform his own works, as well as various interpretations of the works of romantic composers - Liszt, Chopin, Schumann. He also performed very rarely as a conductor here, although he was invited to conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the orchestra in Cincinnati.

Much employment largely explains the long creative stagnation of Sergei Vasilyevich. Only in the period 1926/27, after an almost ten-year pause, did he write his Fourth Concerto. Moreover, the author revised this work dedicated to N. Medtner several times. The first performance of the concerto took place in Philadelphia in March 1927. In 1934, Rachmaninoff wrote Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. This work includes 24 variations dedicated to 24 caprices of the great Italian, who inspired more than one composer. Rhapsody is most often performed without a break, but inside it is organically divided into three parts.

In 1941, Rachmaninoff finished writing his last work, Symphonic Dances. In this symphonic suite one can clearly hear the author's favorite church motifs, as well as the musical notes of Rimsky-Korsakov's opera The Golden Cockerel. In general, all his foreign works are imbued with a kind of tragedy, mysticism, awareness of separation from one's own soil. Despite a serious illness (lung cancer), Sergei Vasilievich continued active concert activity. Just a month and a half before his death, he enthusiastically played Beethoven's first concerto, and only a serious attack of illness forced him to interrupt the tour. Sergei Rachmaninov died on March 28, 1943 in Bererley Hills and was buried in Kensico Cemetery.

Personal life

In the life of the great composer there were many women who at various times acted as his muses. Among them is Verochka Skalon, for whom he wrote a romance to the verses of A. Fet "In the silence of a secret night." Then a new love appeared in his life - the wife of his close friend P. Ladyzhensky ─ Anna. She conquered him with her black gypsy eyes and extraordinary femininity. As a sign of worship to her, the romance "Oh no, I beg you, don't leave" appeared. In 1893, Rachmaninoff had a new hobby - Natalya Satina, whom he knew well from adolescence, since at one time he lived in her parents' house. According to tradition, the composer wrote a romance, this time "Do not sing, beauty, in front of me." Their relationship developed into a marriage, which the couple entered into in 1902. A year later, their eldest daughter, Irina, was born to them, and in 1907, the youngest Tatyana.

The name of this great musician is known all over the world, and he can safely be called a "Russian genius". Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov was a magnificent pianist who had no equal, a brilliant conductor and composer who left behind a huge cultural heritage. He created such outstanding works that, with their inspiration, cannot leave anyone indifferent. Fatal fate decreed that the maestro had to leave his homeland, but the love of the motherland, like the love of music, he carried in his heart throughout his life and reflected this in his brilliant work.

Read a brief biography of Sergei Rachmaninov and many interesting facts about the composer on our page.

Brief biography of Rachmaninoff

Sergei Rachmaninov was born on April 1, 1873 in the Oneg estate in the Novgorod province. From a young age, the boy began to show a special interest in music, so his mother, Lyubov Petrovna, began to teach him to play the instrument from the age of four. When Sergei Vasilyevich was nine years old, the whole family was forced to move to live in the northern capital, as their estate was sold for debts. The father of the future composer left the family, so one mother now took care of the children. It was she who decided to give Sergei exactly a musical education, as she originally wanted.

Soon Rachmaninov was admitted to the junior department at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. But the boy did not work out with his studies, because he preferred to spend time on the street, and not at the piano. Then, on the advice of Alexander Siloti, who was Rakhmaninov's cousin, it was decided to transfer the young musician to the Moscow Conservatory to N.S. Zverev. This teacher has long been famous for his special system of educating gifted students. He chose two or three talented children from the class and took them to his home for full board. There, Nikolai Sergeevich taught his students to discipline, the highest organization and systematic studies, dealing with each of them individually. In 1887, Rachmaninoff began composing and recording his first works. At that time, his teacher in counterpoint becomes S.I. Taneev .

Sergei Vasilyevich graduated from the conservatory in two classes - piano (1891) and composition (1892). His graduation work was the opera "Aleko", created by him in just seventeen days. For his essay, he received the highest mark "5+". In 1892, Sergei Vasilievich first appeared before the public as a pianist, with his famous Prelude in C-sharp minor, which became a real gem of his work.

In 1897, the long-awaited premiere of the First Symphony took place, on which Rachmaninov had been working for a long time. After this concert, which was extremely unsuccessful for the composer, he did not compose anything for three years, as the work failed. The public and ruthless critics greeted the symphony negatively, and Rachmaninov himself was extremely disappointed. As a result, he destroyed the score, forbidding it ever to be performed. Leaving the composition for a while, Sergei Vasilievich came to grips with performing activities. In 1900, he returned to his favorite pastime and began to write the Second Piano Concerto. Following him, other popular works of the composer come out. In 1906, Rachmaninoff decided to leave his permanent job at the Mariinsky Women's College, where he taught music theory, in order to take up creativity.

In 1917, the composer and his family went to Sweden with a concert program, and it was assumed that they would return in two months. However, as it turned out, they said goodbye to their native lands forever. Soon the Rachmaninoff family moved to America. They greatly appreciated the talent of Sergei Vasilyevich and considered him a world-class pianist. He had to work hard and hard, preparing concert programs, sometimes because of which his hands hurt a lot.

During this period, Rachmaninoff again takes a long break and does not compose anything for almost eight years. Only in 1926 did the Fourth Piano Concerto appear from his pen.

In 1931, the Rachmaninov family bought a plot on the lake in Switzerland, and soon the Senar villa appeared there. It is here that he creates his iconic compositions - and the Third Symphony. The composer wrote symphonic dances in 1940 and this was his last work.

On March 28, 1943, the seriously ill Rachmaninov died in the circle of his family in Beverly Hills.

Interesting facts from the life of Rachmaninoff

• Rachmaninov and his teacher N. Zverev had a conflict over composition. Both were very upset by this, and the musicians were able to reconcile only after the final exam. Then Zverev gave Rachmaninov his gold watch, which the composer carefully kept all his life.
• In the final class of the piano department, Sergei Rachmaninov was left without a teacher, since A. Siloti left the conservatory, and his student did not want to change his mentor. As a result, he had to independently prepare the graduation program, with which he performed brilliantly in the exam.
• Since Rachmaninov graduated from two faculties at once with honors, he was awarded the Big Gold Medal.
• When there were rehearsals for the first opera " Aleko ”, approached the novice composer P.I. Chaikovsky and offered to perform Rachmaninov's work together with his new performance " Iolanta ', if he doesn't mind. From happiness and delight, Rachmaninoff could not even utter a word.
• From the biography of Rachmaninoff, we know that in 1903 Rachmaninoff married Natalya Satina, who was his cousin. Because of this, the musician even had to forgive the "Highest Resolution" for marriage.

• The composer admitted that the failure of the first symphony upset him not because of negative reviews, but because he himself did not like the composition already at the first rehearsal, but he did not begin to correct anything.
• Despite the fact that Rachmaninoff spent the last decades of his life in the United States, he renounced the citizenship of this state, as he did not want to renounce his homeland.
• Villa "Senar" was named after the first syllables of the names of Sergei Vasilyevich and his wife Natalia Rakhmaninova. This place became special for the composer, he even specially brought Russian birch trees there, and he created the estate in the national style.

• When the Great Patriotic War began, Rachmaninov was extremely upset by this, and he even transferred one of the fees for his performance (the amount was about 4 thousand dollars) to support the Soviet army. His example was immediately followed by other famous musicians.
• Rachmaninov's extraordinary talent was passed on to him from his grandfather Arkady Alexandrovich, who was not only an excellent pianist, but also composed small piano works.
• From childhood, Sergei Vasilyevich had a fantastic memory. He could easily perform a piece from memory, even if he heard it only once.
• Rachmaninov also performed as a conductor, and all his productions (“ Prince Igor » Borodin, « Mermaid » Dargomyzhsky and others) have become the standard.
• In addition to a good memory, the composer had another unique feature, which was noted by many researchers of his life and work. He could easily cover 12 white keys on the piano at once, which was beyond the power of many famous pianists.
• With the money transferred by Rachmaninov to his homeland during the Great Patriotic War, an aircraft for the army was built.
• The composer really wanted to visit his native country again, there is evidence that he tried to do this shortly before his death, however, he was not allowed.
• Rachmaninoff practiced his favorite instrument every day, until the end of his life.
• Sergei Vasilievich did not really like the attention of reporters, photographers and always preferred to avoid meeting with a crowd of journalists.
• Few people from music lovers know, but the melody of the famous single “All by myself”, which was performed by a popular singer Celine Dion , was borrowed from Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto . Songwriter Eric Carmen believed that the legacy of the great composer is a national treasure, but soon he had to settle all issues with the maestro's heirs for a long time. Moreover, he was even forced to indicate the name of Rachmaninoff as the real author of the song.

• Rachmaninoff's biography says that the young composer was very amorous, and he often had strong feelings for girls. So, one of his hobbies was Vera Skalon, whom he met at the age of 17. It was to this girl that he dedicated several of his works: “In the Silence of the Secret Night”, part 2 of the First Piano Concerto. And he called his beloved Rachmaninov Verochka or "My Psychopath". It is interesting that almost at the same time he falls in love with the wife of his friend Anna Lodyzhenskaya and also composes romances for her.
• Few people know, but during his lifetime, Rachmaninov patented a special device for pianists - a heating pad, in which performers could warm their hands before an important performance.

The creative image of Sergei Vasilyevich is unusually multifaceted, because throughout his life he turned to the most diverse musical genres and left real masterpieces in almost every one of them. There is one common feature that unites all his works with an invisible thread - this is love for the Motherland and connection with Russian culture. It is no secret that it was the image of his native land that took center stage in his work. The most surprising thing is that Rachmaninoff did not compose historical works or programs that were connected with historical themes. But this did not prevent him from expressing the depth of patriotic feelings in his music. Another distinguishing feature of Rachmaninoff is lyricism, a large role in his work is given to song, lingering melody.

Unusual habits and sayings of a true musician

• Very often, the composer noted that he was only 85 percent a musician. If they were interested in where the remaining 15 had gone, Rachmaninov answered that he was also a man.
• Sergei Vasilyevich was very upset by the failure of his works, but a successful performance could also cause creative doubts in him. Once, after a successful performance, he was forced to lock himself in the dressing room so as not to see anyone. When the maestro opened the door, he immediately asked that they not tell him anything about the concert, since he was not a musician, but a shoemaker.
• Despite the large fees for his performances, Rachmaninov preferred to dress quite modestly, which was noticed by many journalists of that time. But this did not stop him from keeping the latest models of expensive cars in his garage.
• Rachmaninoff always treated his hands with care, many contemporaries noted that he had very beautiful ones. Even the buttons on his shoes before concerts were always fastened by his wife so that he would not injure his fingers.
• Rachmaninoff was demanding not only to himself, but also to the public. He especially did not like it when people in the hall began to cough and talk during his performance. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that he could miss several variations in the work.

The personality of the famous musician has always attracted the attention of filmmakers, who, based on the biography of Rachmaninov, shot a sufficient number of films that tell about the life of the composer.

The film "Poem of Wings" (1980), directed by Daniil Khrabrovitsky, tells about Soviet aviation, however, the figure of Sergei Rachmaninov, played by Oleg Yefremov, appears quite often in the film.

In 1992, the Tsentrnauchfilm studio released the film "Portrait of Rachmaninov" in two parts. The director of the film is A. Kosachev.

Film Sergei Rachmaninov. Two Lives ”can be called the first film dedicated to the composer, which covered the entire life of the musician. It is noteworthy that the grandson of the talented performer Alexander Rachmaninov was directly involved in the creation of the picture. The film shows two lives of Sergei Vasilievich - in his homeland and in the USA. This picture is especially interesting because it contains rare materials and information that was obtained from personal conversations with Rachmaninov's relatives and friends. Very accurately tells about his foreign life and creative path.

In 2003, Andrei Konchalovsky made a documentary film "Sergei Rachmaninov", which was included in the cycle "Geniuses". The picture acquaints the public with rare shots from the life of a famous musician. Konchalovsky himself admitted that this is his favorite composer, endowed with a strong, real Russian character.

In 2007, Pavel Lungin's film Lilac Branch was released, which was dedicated to the 135th anniversary of the musician. First of all, this is a feature film, where real facts and fiction of the screenwriter interact very closely. Even at the very end of the tape there is a note that the events are fiction, however, like the main character himself. Nevertheless, this film deserves the attention of all lovers and admirers of Rachmaninov's talent. From the very first minute, the audience is immersed in the world of music, finding themselves at the maestro's concert at Carnegie Hall. The magnificent play of the actors (Evgeny Tsyganov, Victoria Tolstoganova), as well as the famous compositions of Sergei Vasilyevich, will instantly transfer all viewers to that time, forcing them to deeply experience all the moments of their personal life together with the main character of the picture.

In 2012, the Kultura TV channel presented a film about Sergei Vasilyevich from the Scores Don't Burn series. Artem Vargaftik in his author's program touched on the old Spanish theme "Folia", on which Rachmaninov composed his famous Variations.

There is a huge number of films in which you can hear excellent examples of Sergei Rachmaninov's work, and every year their number is constantly replenished. We will give only some list of the most popular films in which the composer's music is found.

1. Dreamland (2016)
2. Zootopia (2016)
3. Bridget Jones' Diary 3 (2016)
4. The Good Wife (2015)
5. Party's Over (2015)
6. Birdman (2014)
7. Paganini: The Devil's Violinist (2013)
8. Ben-Stevenson: The Choreographer and His Muses (2012)
9. Miracle (2012)
10. One Evening (2010)
11. Chorus (2009)
12. Tear (2007)
13. Six Demons by Emily Rose (2005)
14. Shrek 2 (2004)
15. The Bridget Jones Diaries (2001)
16. Petty Rascals (2000)
17. Proscenium (2000), Sabrina (1995)
18. Brief Encounter (1993)
19. My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)
20. Glitter (1996)
21. New York Nights (1984)
22. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Despite emigration, Rachmaninoff always thought about his native land and deeply experienced the outbreak of hostilities. The great musician had a dream that he never parted with for a moment. Rachmaninov really wanted to be on his native land again, however, this was not destined to come true. During the First International Piano Competition. Tchaikovsky, held in 1958, one of the laureates named Van Cliburn took a small handful of Russian soil to America to pour on the grave of S. Rachmaninoff, the great "Russian genius".

Video: watch a film about S. Rachmaninoff