If it was any piece that really inspired me to continue learning classical music, it must be Rachmaninov’s legendary prelude in G Minor. Whilst not necessarily his greatest work, (It is hard to top the piano concertos), it is accessible and shows off what I think is the bread and butter of his compositional style.
It begins as “alla marcia”, aptly indicated to fit the
music. The homophonic rhythms of the first section track neatly onto a marching
snare. Whilst present, the melody plays a secondary role to the dynamics and
chord voicings. As the music comes to a heroic rise, (imagine castles
overlooking the Volga), the grim minoré of what came before is overtaken in a
triumph, although the march structure is maintained, until a great climactic
build up. During this Rach takes us up and down the keyboard leading into a fortissimo
repetition of what came earlier, only for it to fragment away into nothing.
There starts the middle section. The homophony of the first
section is thrown out in favour of a romantic rubato arpeggio line, and a 4-part
harmony melody which swells up and down. It is a perfect contrast to the march.
Oddly for classical music, it is centred on a dominant seventh chord. But
instead of opting for a blues scale, Rach moulds this section with a Dominant Phrygian
scale, also known as a Spanish Phrygian, for its use in flamenco.
But what makes the middle section so encapsulating is the third
hand technique counterpoint used. Not only is it based on the first section “melody”,
tying the sections together, but it forms a 2:3 poly-rhythm with the arpeggios.
This structural complexity is made all the better by the foil set by the “alla
marcia” section.
But all middle sections must end, and so a grand build up
towards the “heroic” section brings us back to the first section. Musically, it
feels rather sneaky, adding a touch of contrast. After the “heroic” section, we
get a development of the original melody with chromatic lines, as it fizzles
down. And what a textbook Rach de-escalation, withering away to a decisive
final arpeggio.
Final Rating: (9/10)
I’m sure by my writing one can tell my love for this piece,
and clearly, I’m not alone. Several have tried to make an orchestral adaptation,
as is fashionable for piano repertoire staples such as this.
Here is a version by the Vancouver symphony orchestra:
I like the way they adapted the march section as a dialogue
between the winds and the strings, although I’m not too favourable to what’s
been done to the “heroic” section. Some of those sevenths just sound corny. But
I agree with the way the middle section is done, first as a mix of solos,
although I do find myself wondering why if a flute gets it, and an oboe gets
it, why does a clarinet not also share in the glory. (This is an arranging
practice has been done since the beginning of time and does annoy me a bit).
But what really blows me away is the soli-like close harmonies, with the brass
providing the counterpoint. What a fantastic sound. The build up is also done
quite well. I however do think that the snare drum seems to create a bit too
much open space around it, but I cant pin down why it feels that way. The
finale works quite well.
Unfortunately, I don’t think any orchestral arrangement can truly
get the same impact that the piano gives, however. This is a piano piece
through and through written for the piano, although the adaptations are
admiral.
Final Rating: 5/10
Comparative Ranking List
1. Rachmaninov Prelude in G Minor (Original): 9/10
2. Hollywood Heart: 8/10
3. Rachmaninov Prelude in G Minor (VSO): 5/10
insightful words
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