Etude Tableaux Op. 39 No. 5

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The Concert Etude Op. 39 No. 5 in E flat minor was composed between 1916 and 1917 by the Russian pianist and composer Sergei Rachmaninoff . It is the fifth of nine works in Rachmaninoff's second collection of studies, the Études-Tableaux Op. 39 and is considered to be one of the last significant pieces by Rachmaninoff before his exile in 1917. The first complete performance by Rachmaninoff took place on February 21, 1917.

History of the creation of the work

The creative process of op. 39 was preceded by some personal losses by Rachmaninoff. First Rachmaninoff loses his good friend Alexander Scriabin , who dies of blood poisoning on April 14, 1915. Two months later, his former professor Sergei Taneyev dies of a heart attack after contracting pneumonia at Scriabin's funeral, and in 1916 Rachmaninoff's father dies of a heart attack. The deaths and aftermath of World War I strongly influenced Rachmaninoff and fueled his deep fear of death. This can be heard in many passages of Op. 39. The music here sounds dark and very serious.

analysis

Etude No. 5 is the longest of the 9 studies. It is very challenging both technically and musically. The performance title of the work is apassionato (in German: “passionate”, “enthusiastic”). The dense texture with its long melodies and phrasing is particularly characteristic. The formal structure corresponds to the three-part song form ABA. On closer inspection, the structure of the etude can be described with the characteristic features of a sonata movement .

The exposition begins in bar 1 and ends in measure 33. The implementation includes the same clock to it and is in bar 53 of the recapitulation replaced. Measure 73 to the end can be described as a coda . Two different themes are introduced in the exposition: Theme A, which can be subdivided into Motif 1 (bars 1 + 2) and Motif 2 (bars 2 -5), is introduced in the first 5 bars of the etude. The theme sounds with the performance title molto marcato (in German: "particularly highlighted") as a lyrical melody accompanied by triplet chords.

In measure 12, topic A is repeated one-to-one in the melody part. The accompaniment develops chromatically and diatonic through the D7 chord in bar 12. This leads to a sequential distance away from the starting key and culminates in a first climax in bar 22.

The second topic “Topic B” is introduced in measure 26. This can also be divided into two smaller units: Motif 1 (bars 26 + 27) and Motif 2 (bars 28 + 29). A specialty is the contrapuntal processing of the second motif in measure 28. Two independent melodies sound simultaneously. In contrast to the first topic, the second is less prominent.

Implementation begins in bar 33. Here a harmonious development takes place in the Lydian mode : from B flat major (end of the exposition e.g. bar 26), via C major (bar 33), to D major (bar 35) and finally to E major ( Measure 37). Subsequently, the two topics are processed in terms of motifs. The vertical merging of the first motif of topic A with the second motif of topic B from bar 41 is striking.

In measure 46 the work reaches a second climax. At the beginning of the recapitulation, the first theme is repeated, with the peculiarity that the melody part can be heard in the left hand. A reference to the Dies Irae can also be found in the chord pattern of the right hand .

In bar 60 the main climax is reached, which is followed by a transition to the concluding coda. The final part begins with a variation on the second theme. It is noticeable that the key remains in E flat minor and E flat major until the end, with the exception of the two surprising chords D flat minor 6 with a third in bass in measure 78 and D flat major 7/9 in measure 80.

Recurring motifs

A recurring motif that runs through all nine pieces in op 39 is the “Dies irae” motif, whereby mostly only the first four notes are referred to. This is often an unconscious reference. The church bells represent another motif. Rachmaninoff's grandmother often took him to church and he himself says that the motif is a childhood memory. He connects the four bell tones of St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod with tears. This and the “Dies irae” theme are connected and it is speculated that the four tones of the bells and the 4 initial tones of the “Dies irae” motif correspond.

reception

The first listeners of the work noticed that Rachmaninoff reached the technical and tonal limits of the grand piano with the Etudes Tableaux op.39. For Rachmaninoff, the expressive possibilities of the piano seem to have been reached. This is particularly evident in the rhythmic ability of the instrument, which in the work reaches its mechanical limits. Rachmaninoff's development is also seen as a border crossing. He is at a crossroads between drawing from Russian cultural assets and entering new musical territory. In doing so, he seems to be abandoning his originality and looking for something new. Rachmaninoff's potential does not yet seem to be fully exploited.

The Russian piano virtuoso Vladimir Horrowitz played the concert etude Op. 39 No. 5 in E flat minor often in his concerts, often as an encore. He was said to have a tendency towards melancholy and drama, musical attributes that are particularly expressed in this étude.

literature