Run Time: Approx. 40 Minutes
Sergei Rachmaninoff was born in 1873 in Staraya Russa, Russia. He achieved fame in his lifetime primarily as a virtuoso pianist; in particular, he had very large hands and was able to reach up to a 10th on the keyboard. Although he spent most of his career in Russia, he emigrated to the United States in 1917. Symphonic Dances was the first work he completed in his new country.
As a composer, Rachmaninoff is perhaps best known for his unapologetically lush, emotional melodies. His tunes, often prone to becoming earworms, have been adopted into popular culture, being turned into love songs and used in film. During his lifetime, many critics dismissed his music as overly sentimental, unserious, and too obviously tonal, but his florid melodies have endured, leaving a lasting influence on 21st-century music. Rachmaninoff’s compositions left a particularly large footprint in film scoring, where his characteristic grandiosity and dramatic scope lends itself perfectly to epic storytelling.
To fully appreciate the sweeping scale of Rachmaninoff’s composition, it’s perhaps prudent to consider the events that colored artistic creation at the time of its composition in 1940. The 1930s were marked by extreme human strife, particularly in America. The Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and the rise of global fascism following WWI were felt heavily by artists. Yet, it was also a period of massive technological innovation, including the first technicolor films and sound films, known as “talkies.” Perhaps as a reaction to these factors, the 1930s saw a burgeoning interest in grandiose, fantastical storytelling which would come to define American arts for the next century. Notable works created during this decade include The Hobbit (1937) and Gone with the Wind (book 1936, film 1939), classic comics like Superman (1938) and Batman (1939), as well as films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), The Wizard of Oz (1939), and King Kong (1933). Perhaps these outsized stories were a form of escapism badly needed by a demoralized population, or perhaps they were simply a reaction to a leap forward in technology. Either way, Rachmaninoff’s grandiose Symphonic Dances fits perfectly into this artistic landscape.
The first movement features two main themes. The first is built around a three-note descending motive, underscored by an insistent rhythmic pattern. It conveys the swashbuckling spirit of a hero off on a grand adventure. The second theme, in contrast, is more romantic, initially introduced by the saxophone—an unusual feature of the work’s instrumentation. If the sweeping saxophone melody reminds you a bit of the iconic “Across the Stars” music from Star Wars Episode II, you are not alone! Many have speculated that it had a significant influence on John Williams’ renowned score.
The second movement, a minor-keyed waltz, has a distinctly Russian sound to it. Evocative of the types of Russian aristocratic scenes from famous stories like Anna Karenina, it features enigmatic harmonies characteristics of Rachmaninoff’s Russian contemporaries like Prokofiev and Shostakovich, though it remains decidedly more tonal than their works.
The third movement begins with an ominous lament before bursting into fiery action. The placement evokes the traditional 3rd act conflict in a book or movie, with music that feels perfect for an action-packed sword flight. A galloping rhythm drives the action throughout, spurring the hero on. The movement builds relentlessly, maintaining its whirling energy, and ultimately brings the piece to a satisfying conclusion.