List of compositions by Sergei Rachmaninoff

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Rachmaninoff at his estate Ivanovka, proofing his Piano Concerto No. 3 (1910)
Rachmaninoff at his estate Ivanovka, proofing his Piano Concerto No. 3 (1910)

The compositions of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) cover a variety of musical forms and genres. Born in Russia, he studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Nikolai Zverev and Anton Arensky, and while there, composed some of his most famous works, including Prelude in C-sharp minor (Op. 3, No. 2), and his first piano concerto (Op. 1). His Symphony No. 1 (Op. 13) was one of his first compositions as a "Free Artist" after graduation, and subsequently his first critical failure. The derision he received sent him into depression. After being sent through autosuggestive therapy, he composed his second piano concerto (Op. 18), which is still part of the major orchestra repertoire today. In 1909, he made his first tour of the United States, and composed Piano Concerto No. 3 (Op. 30), notable for its difficult cadenza. After this, due to migration from Russia in 1917 and his busy concert career, his output as a composer decreased, and during this period, he completed only six compositions. His last work, Symphonic Dances (Op. 45), was completed in 1940.

Contents

[edit] Works

Opus Title Instrumentation Date completed

[edit] Orchestra
Scherzo in D minor orchestra 1888?
Symphony No. 1 (Op. 13) was a critical failure at its premiere.
Symphony No. 1 (Op. 13) was a critical failure at its premiere.
Manfred 1891, lost
Youth Symphony, unfinished 1891
Prince Rostislaf 1891
7 The Rock 1893
Two Don Juan Episodes 1894, lost
12 Caprice Bohémien 1894
13 Symphony No. 1 1896
27 Symphony No. 2 1908
29 Isle of the Dead 1909
44 Symphony No. 3 1936
45 Symphonic Dances 1940

[edit] Chamber
Romance in A minor violin and piano 1880s?
Cello Sonata (Op. 19) is equally difficult for cellist and pianist. Listen, excerpt (help·info)
Cello Sonata (Op. 19) is equally difficult for cellist and pianist.
Listen, excerpt (help·info)
String Quartet No. 1 two violins, viola, and cello 1890?
Lied cello and piano 1890
Mélodie on a Theme of Rachmaninoff violin or cello and piano 1890?
Trio élégiaque No. 1 violin, cello, and piano 1892
2 Two Pieces (Prelude, Danse orientale) cello and piano 1892
6 Two Pieces (Romance, Danse hongroise) violin and piano 1893
9 Trio élégiaque No. 2 piano, violin, and cello 1893, revised 1906
String Quartet No. 2 two violins, viola, and cello 1896?
19 Cello Sonata cello and piano 1901

[edit] Piano and orchestra
Concerto in C minor, projected piano and orchestra 1889
Piano Concerto No. 3 (Op. 30) is notable for its massive ossia. Listen, complete (help·info)
Piano Concerto No. 3 (Op. 30) is notable for its massive ossia.
Listen, complete (help·info)
1 Piano Concerto No. 1 1891
18 Piano Concerto No. 2 1901
30 Piano Concerto No. 3 1909
40 Piano Concerto No. 4 1926
43 Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini 1934

[edit] Solo piano
Étude in F-sharp major piano 1886?
Lento in D minor 1887?
Four Pieces (Romance, Prelude, Mélodie, Gavotte) 1887 or later?
Three Nocturnes (Andante cantabile, Andante maestoso—Allegro assai, Andante) 1888
Piece (Canon) in D minor 1891
Prelude in F major 1891
3 Morceaux de Fantaisie 1892
Prelude in C-sharp minor (Op. 3, No. 2) is famous for its theme and coda. Listen, complete (help·info)
Prelude in C-sharp minor (Op. 3, No. 2) is famous for its theme and coda.
Listen, complete (help·info)
No. 1, Élégie in E-flat minor
No. 2, Prélude in C-sharp minor
No. 3, Mélodie in E major (later revised)
No. 4, Polichinelle
No. 5, Serenade
10 Morceaux de Salon 1894
No. 1, Nocturne in A minor
No. 2, Valse in A major
No. 3, Barcarolle in G minor
No. 4, Mélodie in E minor
No. 5, Humoresque in G major
No. 6, Romance in F minor
No. 7, Mazurka in D-flat major
Four Improvisations (with Arensky, Glazunov, Taneyev) 1896
16 Six Moments Musicaux 1896
Six Moments Musicaux (Op. 16), range in style from the slow Andantino (pictured) to the torrential Presto. Listen, excerpt (help·info)
Six Moments Musicaux (Op. 16), range in style from the slow Andantino (pictured) to the torrential Presto.
Listen, excerpt (help·info)
No. 1 Andantino in B-flat minor
No. 2 Allegretto in E-flat minor
No. 3 Andante cantabile in B minor
No. 4 Presto in E minor
No. 5 Adagio sostenuto in D-flat major
No. 6 Maestoso in C major
Morceau de Fantaisie in G minor 1889
Fughetta in F major 1889
22 Variations on a Theme of Chopin 1903
23 Ten Preludes 1903
Prelude in G minor (Op. 23, No. 5) embodies his Russian spirit
Prelude in G minor (Op. 23, No. 5) embodies his Russian spirit
No. 1, in F-sharp minor
No. 2, in B-flat major
No. 3, in D minor
No. 4, in D major
No. 5, in G minor
No. 6, in E-flat major
No. 7, in C minor
No. 8, in A-flat major
No. 9, in E-flat minor
No. 10, in G-flat major
28 Piano Sonata No. 1 1908
32 Thirteen Preludes 1910
No. 1, in C major
No. 2, in B-flat minor
No. 3, in E major
No. 4, in E minor
No. 5, in G major
No. 6, in F minor
No. 7, in F major
No. 8, in A minor
No. 9, in A major
No. 10, in B minor
No. 11, in B major
No. 12, in G-sharp minor
No. 13, in D-flat major
33 Études-Tableaux 1911
No. 1, in F minor
No. 2, in C major
No. 3, in C minor
No. 4, in D minor
No. 5, in E-flat minor
No. 6, in E-flat major
No. 7, in G minor
No. 8, in C-sharp minor
36 Piano Sonata No. 2 1913, revised 1931
39 Études-Tableaux 1916
No. 1, in C minor
No. 2, in A minor
No. 3, in F-sharp minor
No. 4, in B minor
No. 5, in E-flat minor
No. 6, in A minor
No. 7, in C minor
No. 8, in D minor
No. 9, in D major
Three Pieces (Prelude in D minor, Oriental Sketch, Fragments) 1917
42 Variations on a Theme of Corelli 1931

[edit] Other piano
Two Pieces (Valse, Romance) piano six hands 1891
The first movement of Suite No. 2 (Op. 17) is full of idiosyncratically large and thick chords.
The first movement of Suite No. 2 (Op. 17) is full of idiosyncratically large and thick chords.
Russian Rhapsody two pianos 1891
5 Suite No. 1 (or Fantaisie-Tableaux for two pianos) two pianos 1893
Romance in G major piano duet 1894?
11 Six Morceaux piano duet 1894
No. 1, Barcarolle
No. 2, Scherzo
No. 3, Thème Russe
No. 4, Valse
No. 5, Romance
No. 6, Slava
17 Suite No. 2 two pianos 1901
Polka Italienne piano duet 1906?

[edit] Transcriptions
Transcription of Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony piano duet 1886, lost
Transcription of Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty piano duet 1891
Transcription of Glazunov: Symphony No. 6 piano duet 1896
Paraphrase of Bizet: Minuet from L'Arlésienne piano 1900, revised 1922
Paraphrase of Behr: Lachtäubchen (Op. 303) (published as Polka de V.R.) piano 1911
Cadenza of Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 piano 1919
Paraphrase of Kreisler: Liebesleid piano 1921
Paraphrase of Mussorgsky: Gopak from The Fair at Sorochintsï piano 1924
Paraphrase of Schubert: Wohin? (D795/2) piano 1925
Paraphrase of Kreisler: Liebesfreud piano 1925
Paraphrase of Rimsky-Korsakoff: Flight of the Bumblebee piano 1929
Paraphrase of Mendelssohn: Overture to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Scherzo piano 1933
Paraphrase of Bach: movements from Partita No. 3 in E major for unaccompanied violin (BWV1006) piano 1934
Paraphrase of Tchaikovsky: Lullaby piano 1941

[edit] Operas
Esmeralda, projected 1888
Aleko 1892
24 The Miserly Knight 1904
25 Francesca da Rimini 1905
Salammbô, projected 1906
Monna Vanna, unfinished 1908

[edit] Choral works
Deus Meus six-part mixed chorus 1890?
O Mother of God Perpetually Praying mixed chorus 1893
Chorus of Spirits mixed chorus 1894?
Song of the Nightingale four-part mixed chorus and piano 1894?
15 Six Choruses for Women's or Children's Voices Women's or Children's chorus 1895
Be Praised, Night, The Pine, The Waves Slumbered, Slavery, The Angel
Panteley the Healer mixed chorus 1899
20 Spring Cantata baritone solo, chorus, and orchestra 1902
31 Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom chorus 1910
35 The Bells voice soloists, chorus, and orchestra 1913
37 All-Night Vigil chorus 1915
41 Trois Chansons Russes chorus and orchestra 1927

[edit] Solo voice and piano
"Again you are Bestirred, my Heart" 1890 or 1893
"At the Gates of the Holy Cloister" 1890
Two Boris monologues 1891?
"C'etait en Avril" 1891
"Dusk was Falling" 1891
4 Six Songs 1890-1893
The lyrics of "Oh, My Corn Field!" (Op. 4, No. 5) are based on a text by Aleksei Tolstoy that laments a failed harvest. Listen, excerpt (help·info)
The lyrics of "Oh, My Corn Field!" (Op. 4, No. 5) are based on a text by Aleksei Tolstoy that laments a failed harvest.
Listen, excerpt (help·info)
"Oh No, I Beg You, Do Not Leave!", "Morning", "In the Silence of the Secret Night", "Sing not, O Lovely One", "Oh, My Corn Field!", "It Was Not Long Ago, My Friend"
"Song of the Disenchanted," 1893?
"Do you Remember the Evening?" 1893?
"The Flower Died" 1893
8 Six Songs 1893
"Water Lily", "My Child, Your Beauty is That of a Flower", "Thoughts, Reflections", "I Fell in Love, To My Sorrow", "A Dream", "Prayer"
14 Twelve Songs 1896
"I Await You", "Small Island", "How Fleeting is Delight in Love", "I was with Her", "Summer Nights", "You are so Beloved by All", "Do Not Believe me, Friend", "Oh, do not Grieve", "She is as Beautiful as Midday", "In my Soul", "Spring Torrents", "It is Time!"
"Were you Hicupping?" 1899
"Night" 1900
21 Twelve Songs 1902
"Fate", By a Fresh Grave", "Twilight", "They Replied", "Lilacs", "Fragment from 'de Musset'", "How Peaceful", "On the Death of a Linnet", "Melody", "Before the Icon", "I am not a Prophet", "How Pained I am"
26 Fifteen Songs 1906
"There are Many Sounds", "All was Taken from Me", "We shall Rest", "Two Farewells", "Let us Leave, my Sweet", "Christ is Risen", "To the Children", "Beg for Mercy", "I am Again Alone", "At my Window", "The Fountain", Night is Sorrowful", "Yesterday we Met", "The Ring", "All Passes"
"Letter to Stanislavsky" 1908
34 Fourteen Songs 1912
Vocalise (Op. 34, No. 14) is a slow piece either sung without words or played on a string instrument.
Vocalise (Op. 34, No. 14) is a slow piece either sung without words or played on a string instrument.
"The Muse", "In the Soul of Each of Us", "The Storm", "The Migrant Wind", "Arion", "The Raising of Lazarus", "It Cannot Be", "Music", "You Knew Him", "I Remember that Day", "The Herald", "What Happiness", "Dissonance", "Vocalise"
"From the Gospel of St. John" 1915
"Prayer" 1916
"All Things Wish to Sing" 1916
38 Six Songs 1916
"At Night in my Garden", "To Her", "Daisies", "The Pied Piper", "Sleep", "A-oo!"

[edit] References

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Sergei Rachmaninoff
Overview · Life · List of works