This was Rachmaninov's fourth collection of songs, and all but the first of them date from 1902. By this time he had begun to regain his confidence following the depression and loss of artistic sense that resulted from the catastrophic failure of his First Symphony in March 1897, which owed more to the possibly drunk Glazunov's poor conducting than to the young composer's fairly impressive composition.

The first song in the collection, "Fate," was written in 1900 and is by far the longest of the 12. Indeed, the others here are quite short, being of two- or three-minutes' duration, about the usual length of most of the composer's previous efforts in the genre. "Fate" was said to be inspired by Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, whose dominant motto has been linked to fate, though never positively. The texts of the song derive from Alexei Apukhtin and the music is rather ponderous and overly dramatic. The second item, "By a fresh grave," is a setting of a poem by Semyon Nadson, as is the ninth, "Melody." The former broods over sorrow and loneliness and the latter deals with the sounds of nature a man desires to hear at the moment of his death. The former is morose and dramatic, while the piano theme and vocal line in "Melody" flow beautifully.

"Twilight," a poem by Jean-Marie Guyot, is a delicate, lyrical creation about a pensive woman looking through a window at a darkening sky. "They replied," on Victor Hugo texts, offers vigorous piano accompaniment and a gentle vocal line to enact the text about men on the run seeking love. "Lilacs" is one of the better known songs here, not least because it is only one of two that the composer transcribed for piano. The text, from Ekaterina Beketova, deals with scenes of nature, and the music is bright and cheery, though tinged with a hint of sadness near the end.

"Fragment from A. Musset" is about the suffering of loneliness, and Rachmaninov's music on Musset's texts is dark and effective. "How peaceful" and the collection's last song, "How painful," are settings of poems by Glafira Galina. The former presents a stark contrast to the Musset song. The text speaks of the joy of being in solitude with nature and God, and the music is simple and vibrant, deftly evolving from the singer's initial phrase. "How painful" features a dark theme to express a text in which the poet wants to hasten the arrival of old age as a means to lessen grief.

"On the death of a Linnet," on texts of Vasily Zhukovsky about the death of a pet bird, features an attractive melody for the singer and a piano part with some interesting counterpoint. The tenth item, "Before the icon," on words of Arseny Golenischev-Kutuzov, is religious is both in text and music, Rachmaninov subtly capturing a contemplative and serene mood. "I am not a prophet," the penultimate offering, effectively continues the religious vein. It is based on texts by Alexander Kruglov.

© Robert Cummings, All Music Guide

5.Lilacs

Lilacs is the fifth of twelve songs in Rachmaninov's Op. 21 collection, from 1902. The text, by the little-known Ekaterina Beketova, speaks of a search for happiness, an apparently elusive one. This modest song was the only one from that set which Rachmaninov chose to transcribe for piano, and only one of two, from the nearly ninety, he ever reduced to the keyboard, the other being Daises, Op. 38, No. 3.

The mood of Lilacs is bright and hopeful at the outset, the theme a richly Romantic, slightly yearning one, so typical of Rachmaninov. In the latter measures there is a suggestion of sadness or disappointment. The piece lasts about two minutes and leaves the vague impression of a desire or longing for beauty that is left unfulfilled. The original song was written in the wake of Rachmaninov's renewed confidence from the success of his Second Piano Concerto (1900-01), following a long period of depression that resulted from the catastrophic failure of his First Symphony. Lilacs is modest and restrained, but is much more involved than the original accompaniment on piano, and brims with an assured sense of artistry.

This piece was not published until 1941, and this year may also sometimes be erroneously given as the date of the transcription.



© All Music Guide

7.How Fair is This Spot

Readers learning of the circumstances surrounding the composition of this song will fully understand the ecstatic sense of its passionate love music. Rachmaninov and his wife were on their honeymoon when he composed the work, which, not surprisingly, he also dedicated to her. Moreover, he had recently recovered from a depression caused by the disastrous 1897 premiere of his Symphony No. 1, which undermined his confidence and ability to compose until the appearance in 1901 of his ever-popular Piano Concerto No. 2. This was obviously a blissful time in his life, then, true to his nature, Rachmaninov was moved to write music here about romance and passion, leaving out the sunshine and merriment he must also have felt. The song features one of the composer's most soaring, beautiful vocal melodies that would not have been out of place in a slow movement of one of his concertos or symphonies. The accompaniment is appropriately subdued and just as romantic as the vocal line. The text, by G. Galina, describes a pastoral scene where young lovers have come to be alone with nature and themselves. This lovely song typically has a duration of just over two minutes.

© All Music Guide