Question by Tamberiiine: What analytically is the ‘Russian Sound’ that Rachmaninoff creates in his piano concerto?
for example I know that Greig shows his influence from the folk music of his own country in the opening flourish of his piano concerto in A minor, writting his flourish based around a motif of a falling minor second, followed by a major third, which was typical of folk music of greig’s native counrty, Norway.
but i am not very familliar with russian ‘sounding’ music, any example would be a great help.
Answers and Views:
Answer by petr b
A lot of Russian music favors melodies or thematic material in a rather small compass (range).
Stravinsky favored a motif of a descending major third, back up, half step up, half step down – all within the compass of a perfect fourth. (E down to C, up to E, up to F, down to E.) Uh, oh, another major third, minor second combo… is this something more generally ‘Northern?’
If you scan a lot of scores by one composer, it often turns out they favored one particular interval !
It is almost certain the activity within the smaller range is typical of a lot of Russian folk song.
(My personal taste keeps me far away from listening to, reading scores, or playing any Rachmaninoff.) I hope someone happily familiar with his work will give you the analytic detail you seek.
Best regards.
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charlessmith702210@s says
In the time of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, the rise of Communism and Lenin had caused Russian pianists living under the despots of the Iron Curtain to be forced to obey such totalitarianisms.
Part of the tenet of the Soviet Union is the power coming from the Kremlin with Lenin (which was like a Russian form of Carl Marx) as its batter and Joseph Stalin creating the icing.
So, "power" inside the Soviet government was transferred to the compositions of Russian composers under that time….Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Rachmaninov, and most especially, Balakirev and Scriabin. Their music focuses on the power of "bell sounds" for Russian Easter celebrations, and the national Soviet marching band in Moscow playing for the Soviet president in any press review.
Hence the "Russian piano sound"….which is devised by first the pre-striking phase and the striking phase in referring to the landing of the piano key….
Pre-striking phase…..
Before the fingers or hand land on the key, the pianist makes a little vertical windup, first starting with loose fingers, and then, stiffening them up (and stiffening the whole hand and wrist) afterwards….
Striking phase….
As the hand or fingers go down straight to the key, just before the touching of the keys, the pianist releases tension 1/8 to 1/16 of a second before the touch…and upon landing on the keys, the pianist "re-tightens" or "re-stiffens" the hand and the wrist for as long as possible….to create "extra power"…which is the main tenet to get the "Russian sound."
This is only a part of the Russian piano technique….and this is only for long notes or chords only. Shorter notes or staccato chords are another thing……