Lugansky - Rachmaninoff, Elegie in E♭ minor (Op. 3, No. 1)

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3 (1892) No. 1 - Elegie in E♭minor. Moderato - Più vivo - Tempo I Nikolai Lugansky, 2023 From Moscow Philharmonic “...Because of the popularity of the Prelude, the Opus 3 pieces are rarely played as a group. When they are, the range and subtlety of Rachmaninov’s compositional genius (even at the age of nineteen) become apparent. The emotional range is wide: from the deep tragedy of the Prelude to the joyous character of the Serenade, and the whimsy of Polichinelle. The subtlety is shown by the fact that a tiny melodic cell—the semitonal fall, or its extension the whole-tone step and their inversions—is heard at the beginning of every one of the five pieces. Whilst it is too much to claim that this gives the pieces a unity of organic strength (of which Rachmaninov was certainly capable), it is fascinating to see how this tiny cell is used again and again in these pieces. In passing, one should note also that this semitonal fall begins the Dies irae, almost the idée fixe in this composer’s mature compositions. [...]” - Robert Matthew-Walker