Classical Music | Soprano

Recorded on 08/11/2011, uploaded on 09/26/2011

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Rachmaninoff was still in his formative years as a composer when he composed his 12 Songs, op. 14. It was his third collection of songs. Throughout the set, one can observe the composer beginning to conquer the idiom of voice and piano, but must still overlook some passages that tend to strike the listener as ardent youthfulness than the tempered expression of a mature artist. The first song of the set, “I wait for thee,” was composed in 1894, but the remaining eleven in 1896 while Rachmaninoff was also working on his First Symphony.

The coming of Spring has been a favorite subject for many composers and Rachmaninoff is no different with the penultimate song of his opus 14 set, “Spring Waters” (sometimes translated as “Spring Torrents”). Based on a poem by Fyodor Tyutchev, it has become one of Rachmaninoff’s best known songs, particularly in Russia where it is frequently performed. Tyutchev’s declamatory text enthusiastically announces the arrival of Spring, and Rachmaninoff’s setting matches perfectly the mien of the poem. The sweeping triplets and sextuplets of the piano accompaniment, in an Allegro vivace tempo, certainly capture the image of rushing “torrents” rather than “waters,” while the voice mightily declares the change of seasons. The mighty force of nature, the unstoppable growth of new life can be felt throughout Rachmaninoff’s setting as it builds incessantly to the triumphal and joyous chords that follow the voice’s last utterance.       Joseph DuBose

The Steans Music Institute is the Ravinia Festival's professional studies program for young musicians.