Though dating from relatively early in Rachmaninoff’s career, “These Summer Nights” already hints at the prominent role that the piano would retain throughout his many song collections. Far from merely a supportive backsplash for the singer, the piano carries much of the narrative’s emotional weight. Daniil Rathaus’s poem describes the overwhelming nature of love, spurred by the enchanting atmosphere of a summer evening. The melody, with its alluring chromaticism and lyrical phrases, undoubtedly conveys the lovers’ unbridled passion, reaching the apex of its range on the word “bright,” with a fortississimo (extremely loud) sustained note. The piano, however, adds nuance to this whirlwind romance: the ambivalent tonalities in the interlude and the near-constant motion of the eighth-notes draws attention to the lovers’ underlying restlessness as they are swept up in the enchanting summer night.

Program Notes by Jack Slavin.
Slavin is a pianist, music educator, and arts professional based in New York City.