(Let's see... what else was Rachmaninov obsessed with? His hobby in his later years, spent in the States, was motorboats. He even had a studio by the waterside so he could take a spin in his boat when he liked.)

The second movement is a waltz, of a rather sinister nature. The melody whirls around a minor key, and somehow reminds me of dusk in an ancient haunted castle, in which a suave Dracula waltzes by himself under the silvery moon. The macabre character of this movement combines with the lilting rhythm to create shifty ghostly images, climaxing with an impetuous ghoulish waltz, where unnameable creatures from other worlds join in the devilish fun.

The third movement is essentially the spiritual focus of this entire work. The beginning Allegro vivace recaptures much of the dynamic intensity of the first movement, and, together with the ruminative Lento assai section, plays around with a few melodic ideas, all seemingly disparate and sporadic. It is not until short fanfares announce the start of the final section, that the listener realises that the build-up of this movement has been hinting at the Dies Irae motif. At first it materialises surreptitiously, then expands with increasing fervour and power, finally becoming boldly incorporated into the fabric of the music.

Though Rachmaninov had never outrightly stated the inner meaning of this work, it has been said that the Dies Irae in Rachmaninov's final work embodies the spiritual fight and struggle of the composer. Medtner had written in 1933 that "...[Rachmaninov's] own music's chief themes are the themes of his life..."). Some theories say it symbolises Death itself.

Yet, at last he invokes the Doxology from the Russian Orthodox chant "Blagosloven esi, Gospodi" (Blessed be the Lord), earlier employed in his 1915 setting of the All-Night Vigil. On the score was written "Alliluya" under the notes of this hymn of praise, transcribed here with a festive zest and exuberance. Rachmaninov further inscribed "I thank Thee, Lord" at the very end of the manuscript, and by the same symbolism, Rachmaninov may well be celebrating the victory of God over Death. Thus rests Rachmaninov's unsettled mind in his riches-to-rags life.

(In case you're wondering about the riches-to-rags part, Rachmaninov was born into Russian nobility but his father lost much of their family estate, and his parents separated in his childhood. Rachmaninov himself lost everything else when he left Russia for the States in 1917, never to return, and had to start from scratch; he later rose to renewed fame as a concert pianist. Now isn't the happiness of the world built on one man's tragedy?)

Left: "Morning" by Caspar David Friedrich, 1820-21.

The first movement leaps to life as played through the orchestra, with a pulsating rhythm and a yearning alto saxophone solo in the middle, joined later by beseeching strings, exuding the intensity of a Shakespearean tragedy. In the piano version, this solo evokes a different mood - more like a nymph sighing in a pristine forest, trailing her delicate fingers across the surface of a crystalline lake, letting the noonday sun glimmer off the ripples.

Though the second movement loses some of its silvery sheen and ghostly shadows in the bright orchestral colours, the pizzicato strings in the waltz rhythm add much vitality and motion, and the climax escalates into a grotesque howl as all hell breaks loose. The intensity of the finale is similar heightened, and amidst the kaleidoscopic wash of orchestral colours, we can sense the composer's conviction of victory.

Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances : Selected Recordings & Reviews

Two-Piano Version:

Symphonic Dances. Suite No.2 Op.17. Russian Rhapsody. MEDTNER Two Pieces Op.58 Nikolai Demidenko and Dmitri Alexeev (pianos) HYPERION CDA 66654 [78'53"] full-price Full-bloodied playing and an unforgiving speed gives the Dances plenty of firepower. Technically secure, the two Russian warhorses leap into booming chords and bound over delicate moonlit meadows. Just don't expect Alexeev and Demidenko to let up on steam as they burn their searing tracks into the keyboard. Click here for full review

Symphonic Dances. Suite No.1, op.5 & No.2, op.17. Études-tableaux, op.33. Russian Rhapsody. Variations on a theme by Corelli, op.42 Vladimir Ashkenazy and Andre Previn (pianos) DECCA Double 444 845-2 2 discs [134'52"] budget-price A more rational Russian pairs up with an English gentleman to offer a more sprawling, imaginative alternative. A more relaxed tempo and lyrical approach allows the listener to take in more of the scenery. For those who like their Rachmaninov less raw but no less spectacular. The Decca sound delivers again with its immediacy and clarity, even though this recording was made some 20 years ago.

Symphonic Dances. Sergei Rachmaninov and Vladimir Horowitz (pianos) RCA XXXX-XXXXX-X. 1 imaginary disc [XX'XX"] priceless A collaboration offered by the composer himself, a scintillating and definitive recording. Especially for the die-hard Rachmaninov fans out there, as well as those who want to catch a glimpse of these two piano superpowers together in action. Believe it or not: request turned down by RCA. You mean they rejected them? …

Orchestral Version:

Symphonic Dances. The Isle of the Dead. Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy DECCA Ovation 430 733-2 [54'16"] mid-price A powerful and satisfying coupling of the dynamic Dances and the ominous Isle. The late Christopher Palmer provides a fine 2-page essay that poetically introduces these works, while Ashkenazy and the Concertgebouw perform with startling conviction, reproduced in vivid Decca sound. Click here for full article.