This was Rachmaninov's second collection of songs, which he composed just a year after the promising first. The Opus 8 set of six are all based on poems translated by Alexei Plesheyev, who died around the time Rachmaninov was setting these texts.

The first two songs are on poems by Heine. "Water Lily" tells of the moon and water lily falling in love and features delightful and carefree music. The second, "My child, your beauty is that of a flower," is subdued and attractive throughout its short duration. The sentimental text tells of the poet's desire to invoke divine providence for the beautiful child he so loves.

The fifth song, "Dream" is also from Heine. The poet speaks of his homeland and happy times from the past, then realizes his recollections are merely a dream. The melody is beautiful and exquisitely wrought, and the accompaniment restrained and subtle. Many believe this to be the finest song in the collection. The third and fourth items, are on texts by Shevchenko. "Brooding" is gloomy but beautiful, and is an effective enactment of the poem's theme of struggling futilely against fate. "I fell in love to my sorrow" features another lovely but sad melody, which in this instance expresses the laments of a young woman whose husband has been taken off to be a "lifelong soldier."

The final song is "Prayer," on Goethe texts. It may be the least attractive item in the set, owing to its melodic lack of distinction and overly dramatic character. The text deals with a young girl who asks forgiveness for rejecting the love of a worthy young man who later dies.

© Robert Cummings, All Music Guide