Etude-tableau in c, Op. 39 No. 1

Program Note:

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) wrote over a hundred solo piano works, largely gathered in sets of preludes, etudes, and moment-musicaux. Despite his fame as a composer of unforgettable melodies, Rachmaninoff strove to infuse his lyricism with contrapuntal depth and more abstract explorations of texture. The C-minor Etude Tableau, Op. 39 No. 1, shows a side of Rachmaninoff that many listeners have not encountered. It opens with a surging theme devoid of melody, as much percussive as anything else, and energized by a contrast between glittering treble and thundering bass. The work’s climax is a shattering harmonic flurry that passes in an instant.

(c) Jason Stell