Returning to Russia: Symphonic Dances of Sergei Rachmaninoff

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer who is particularly famous for his Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 which was written at a critical turning point in his life. One of the other crucial works which informs our understanding of his life is the swansong work Symphonic Dances, Op. 45. 

Symphonic Dances was composed between May and August 1940 in New York. At first named ‘Fantastic Dances’, it was hoped that this piece would be used for a ballet by Mikhail Fokine, a Russian choreographer. However, the work was renamed Symphonic Dances after the death of Fokine (Mitchell, 2022, p. 190). Barrie Martyn wrote that Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3, Op. 44 and Symphonic Dances have a similarity in looking back on a time in Russia to which he could no longer return. (Martyn, 1990, p. 291). This article explores this notion by finding possible ways in which Rachmaninoff references his ideas of Russia in Symphonic Dances. Here, the ideas are strongly linked to the Russia in which he was brought up: ‘Orthodox church bells, sacred chant and the Russian countryside’ near Novgorod. (Mitchell, 2019, p. 145). The focus of the article will be on several examples out of many in the piece. 

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First, we will look at the ways in which Rachmaninoff linked this piece with the Russian countryside through elements of traditional culture in rural Russia. 

The first movement, initially named ‘Mid-day’, (Piggott, 1974, p. 21) starts with staccatos of strings and a march-like rhythm (Norris, 1976, p. 107-9). This then stops and the alto saxophone solo enters which introduces a new theme. It is accompanied by historic woodwind instruments such as the oboe, cor anglais, clarinet, and bassoon. Particularly, the timbre of the alto saxophone in this part is close to a svirel, a Russian traditional flute. At the same time, the slow melody in legato reminds the listeners of melancholic folk music. The melody is repeated by strings in unison, accompanied by the piano and harp, a possible reference to historic instruments such as the balalaika in terms of timbre. Making references to traditional instruments and music is also used by previous composers. An example is the French composer Hector Berlioz, who used cor anglais playing in Ranz des Vaches, an alpine melody, in his Symphonie Fantastique in 1830 to create a countryside setting. Therefore, Rachmaninoff may have aimed for a similar effect as Berlioz in creating a countryside image. 

The second movement, originally named ‘Twilight’, (Piggott, 1974, p. 21) starts with a fanfare followed by arabesques of woodwind instruments with a waltz metre (Martyn, 1990, p. 347-354). The movement generally is filled with ‘an off-kilter feel akin to Ravel’s La Valse or Valses nobles et sentimentales’ (Mitchell, 2022, p. 190). This is likely due to the fearful and grotesque melody, and frequent change in the metres: 6/8, 3/8, and 9/8. Continual changes in metres can happen in Russian folk dances. This is illustrated in famous works such as The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky (Stravinski, 1921). Therefore, the changes in metres in Symphonic Dances may associate the work with Russian folk culture in the countryside. 

Overall, using elements of traditional rural culture allowed Rachmaninoff to link Symphonic Dances with the Russian countryside. This indeed matches one of his ideas of Russia. 

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Another possible way in which Rachmaninoff linked this piece with old Russian values was by using spirituality in music, particularly religion. 

One of the most obvious examples is the Dies irae across the piece such as towards the end in the ‘Midnight’ third movement (Piggott, 1974, p. 21). Rachmaninoff is known for using the Dies irae in other works: Symphony No. 1, Op. 13 and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 to name a few. A melody from the Gregorian chant related to death can associate Symphonic Dances with a sense of faith and spirituality. 

Religious reference can be seen again in the third movement after the Dies irae where Rachmaninoff quotes the end of the Blessed Art Thou, O Lord from the All-Night Vigil, Op. 37. This is strongly emphasised by “Alliluya” written on the score, and by ‘I thank thee, Lord’ at the end of the score (Mitchell, 2022, p. 191). Here, we can understand a victory over death symbolised by the Dies irae, and the victory concludes the piece. This means that Rachmaninoff shows the power of God, connecting the piece with spirituality. 

In addition, the third movement starts with twelve bells. The number twelve indicates midnight as the movement was initially planned to represent, and the bells are likely to be inspired by church bells. The setting of a church at midnight can create a feeling of fear towards what will happen next and an unknown power, which could be a ghost. This can lead to a spiritual atmosphere. 

We can see similar ideas of spirituality demonstrated by artists around the time when Rachmaninoff left Russia in 1917. Kazimir Malevich, a Russian painter, displayed the famous Black Square, 1915 at the top of the room corner (Wood, 2004, p. 262), where Russian religious work икона (icon) is normally placed. He also created the Russian cross with lines and rectangles of various sizes and colours in works like the Dynamic Suprematism, c. 1916. Therefore, Rachmaninoff may have used a common theme of Russian spirituality at the time to revisit the past of Russia. 

Overall, religious references and spirituality allowed Rachmaninoff to include ideas of spirituality and religion in Symphonic Dances, which are connected to his thoughts on Russia. 

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Until now, we have been looking at Rachmaninoff’s ideas on Russia. However, in Symphonic Dances, particularly in the first and the third movements, he also explored musical pieces from the time before he left the homeland. This can also revisit the past, creating a portfolio of him as a Russian composer. 

In the first movement, according to Robert Threlfall and Geoffrey Norris, bar 21 refers to the Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 33, No. 7 as well as the entry of chorus in The Bells, Op. 35 (Threlfall and Norris, 1982, p. 144-46), both of which were composed before he left Russia. Also, the movement ends with a melody from Symphony No. 1, Op. 13, but in C major key rather than C minor (Mitchell, 2022, p. 190). So, in the first movement, there are examples of him using previous works that he composed when Russia was still his homeland. 

The same can be seen in the third movement. The twelve bells at the start reminds the Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2, as well as The Bells, Op. 35, particularly given that the prelude was known as The Bells of Moscow. The Blessed Art Thou, O Lord from the All-Night Vigil, Op. 37 is quoted after the Dies irae, and this is significant because he composed many choral works for the Russian Orthodox Church. The end of the movement has a gong in D minor and this mirrors the ending of Symphony No. 1, Op. 13 (Threlfall and Norris, 1982, p. 146). The third movement also demonstrates Rachmaninoff’s inclusion of works which predate his leave from Russia. 

From here, we can see that Rachmaninoff blends piano, orchestra, and vocals. So, as well as returning to Russia, this also allowed him to review his life as a composer, creating a piece that summarises the life of the ‘Russian’ composer. 

Overall, Rachmaninoff draws on previous works throughout Symphonic Dances. This successfully establishes a connection between the piece and his past. 

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In conclusion, Symphonic Dances of Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff was a piece used to voice various elements of his thoughts on Russia. They are evident throughout the piece and such composition allowed him to return to a nostalgia for Russia towards the end of his life. This can further explain the significance of Symphonic Dances for Rachmaninoff. It was his favourite work (Martyn, 1990, p. 347-54) and encapsulated what Russia was for him: a country of rural folk and religion, and the country of his music. 

Bibliography: 

Abraham, Gerald, Essays on Russian and East European Music (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985) 

Martyn, Barrie, RACHMANINOFF Composer, Pianist, Conductor (Aldershot: Scolar Press, Gower Publishing Company Limited, 1990) 

Mitchell, Rebecca, “In Search of Russia: Sergei Rakhmaninov and the Politics of Musical Memory after 1917” in The Slavonic and East European Review, 97 (January 2019), pp. 136-68 https://doi.org/10.5699/slaveasteurorev2.97.1.0136 (Accessed: 9th June 2024) 

Mitchell, Rebecca, Sergei Rachmaninoff (Critical Lives) (London: Reaktion Books Ltd, 2022) 

Norris, Geoffrey, Rakhmaninov (London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd., 1976) 

Piggott, Patrick, Rachmaninov Orchestral Music (London: British Broadcasting Corporation, 1974) 

Rachmaninoff, Sergei, Symphonic Dances, first edition (New York: Charles Foley, 1941) 

Available at: https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphonic_Dances,_Op.45_(Rachmaninoff,_Sergei) (Accessed: 29th March 2024) 

Schwarz, Boris, Music and Musical Life in Soviet Russia (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1983) 

Stravinsky, Igor, The Rite of Spring, first edition (Berlin: Editions Russes de Musique, 1921)

Available at: https://imslp.org/wiki/The_Rite_of_Spring,_K015_(Stravinsky,_Igor) (Accessed: 10th June 2024) 

Threlfall, Robert, and Norris, Geoffrey, A Catalogue of the Compositions of S. Rachmaninoff (London: Scolar Press, James Price Publishing Ltd., 1982) 

Wood, Paul, “The Idea of an abstract art” in Art of the avant-gardes, edited by Steve Edwards (New Haven, CT; London: Yale University Press in association with the Open University, 2004), pp. 228-71  

Discography: 

Rachmaninoff, Sergei, Symphonic Dances (1940), performed by Temirkanov, Yuri, and St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Available at (tracks 11-13): https://ustandrews-naxosmusiclibrary-com.ezproxy.st-andrews.ac.uk/h5/catalogue/SIGCD229 (Accessed: 8th June 2024)