Six Moments Musicaux Op.16 // RACHMANINOFF

00:00 I. Andantino (B♭ minor)
06:27 II. Allegretto (E♭ minor)
09:27 III. Andante cantabile (B minor)
13:18 IV. Presto (E minor)
16:04 V. Adagio sostenuto (D♭ major)
19:36 VI. Maestoso (C major)

Six moments musicaux (French for "Six Musical Moments"; Russian: Шесть музыкальных моментов, Shest’ muzykál’nykh moméntov), Op. 16, is a set of solo piano pieces composed by the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff between October and December, 1896. Each Moment musical reproduces a musical form characteristic of a previous musical era. The forms that appear in Rachmaninoff's incarnation are the nocturne, song without words, barcarolle, virtuoso étude, and theme and variations.

The individual pieces have been described as "true concert works, being best served on a stage and with a concert grand." Although composed as part of a set, each piece stands on its own as a concert solo with individual themes and moods. The pieces span a variety of themes ranging from the somber funeral march of number three to the majestic canon of number six, the Moments musicaux are both Rachmaninoff's return to and revolution of solo piano composition. A typical performance lasts 30 minutes.

In an interview in 1941, Rachmaninoff said, "What I try to do, when writing down my music, is to make it say simply and directly that which is in my heart when I am composing." Even though Moments musicaux were written because he was short of money, the pieces summarize his knowledge of piano composition up to that point. Andantino opens the set with a long, reflective melody that develops into a rapid climax. The second piece, Allegretto, is the first of the few in the set that reveal his mastery of piano technique. Andante cantabile is a contrast to its two surrounding pieces, explicitly named "funeral march" and "lament." Presto draws inspiration from several sources, including the Preludes of Frédéric Chopin, to synthesize an explosion of melodic intensity. The fifth, Adagio sostenuto is a respite in barcarolle form, before the finale Maestoso, which closes the set in a thick three-part texture. In six musical moments, Rachmaninoff illustrates completely, "that which is in my heart."
(Source: Wikipedia)

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Work Title: Six Moments Musicaux Op.16 #MomentsMusicaux
Composer: Sergei #Rachmaninoff
Year of Composition: 1896
First Publication: 1897 - Moscow: P. Jurgenson
Piece Style: Romantic

Midi: Sequences by © piano-e-competition
Artwork: © PianoAdventure
Visualization: #Synthesia