Adele Marcus; an early recording of Rachmaninoff

Several recordings made by pianist and master teacher Adele Marcus in the 1940s were just made available on pianist Jeffrey Biegel's website. One of the most striking is a performance of the opening movement of Rachmaninoff's second concerto, led by conductor Alfred Wallenstein.

The concerto opens [1:00] with bell-like chords that require enormous stretch. Marcus breaks them, common enough, but also accents the break rather than trying to hide it. Exposed, honest and confident, it created a syncopated feel that gave these chords a jazzy sway.

She voiced the bass with clarity [1:23] during the dark march of the first theme group, and found ways to voice phrases that articulated a sense of struggle overcome through a determination to be heard.

The second theme group [3:10] is a lesson in how to advance lyricism. The singing quality of touch that Marcus used allowed her to embrace detail without losing large gestures and motions. The interaction between the piano and the oboe and clarinet at [4:38] is haunting and leads to cadence [4:54] that absolutely floats. And...

(In case you happen to be a millennial or have not had the pleasure of playing discs like these on an old turntable, the interruption you hear at [5:26] is the end of the first record that comprises this recording. You can hear the needle tracking again after the second side has been placed at [5:35]. This recording required three 78 rpm discs. One can hear the tensions between how this music resisted and fought a technology that tried to contain it, and yet how that same technology managed to preserve it for us to hear today.)

[5:41] just like that we continue mid-thought toward the development.

The opening bars of the development are the only extended place where the piano is silent. The fleeting transitory music of the exposition is developed before ringing repeated chords [7:05] lead us to the recapitulation.

The sound that Marcus produced in this section is thrilling, and the tempo pressed slightly faster [7:38], to allow the piano to break free from the march. There is something very consistent, and personal, in the way Marcus created this moment from potentials within the very first chords that opened the movement. Very powerful.

One of my favorite moments anytime I hear this movement is the surprising gesture at [9:08] when we expect the clanging transition, but in one of the great surprises of the movement get a horn solo in A-flat. This music sinks back to G major (V) at [9:38]

Then, the twilight moment of the work. The memorable tune of the second theme group is altered, varied, teased, and barely recognizable—yet it is there. It is music that holds its breath. The fast music returns [11:08] to close the movement, but meno mosso at first, taking time to regain its speed as if snapping from a daydream.

Rachmaninoff in Valhalla; directions to where he is buried in Westchester

It is surprising to imagine that the composer Sergei Rachmaninoff is buried on a hilltop in the Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. The cemetery is about 30 miles from Manhattan.

Set your GPS for 273 Lakeview Avenue, Valhalla, NY 10595. When you arrive on Lakeview ave you will cross railroad tracks. Take the second left onto Uncas Ave. Turn right almost immediately onto Seneca Ave and follow it up the hill. Seneca curves to the left as you proceed.

Take a sharp left onto Pocantico and stay straight up the hill. As you proceed you will see the Actor's Obelisk to your right. Advance to the roundabout and bear right onto it. The Rachmaninoff site is on the outside of this rotary, just after you pass Katonah Avenue.

There are few indications in the Rachmaninoff literature about why Kensico was chosen over other possibilities. In 1992 the Times ran an article on the cemetery that is focused by the Rachmaninoff site. Roberta Hershenson interviewed Boris Nikitin, who had written a film script for a Russian television documentary on Rachmaninoff. When Rachmaninoff died in 1943; "someone told his wife this was a nice place," said Mr. Nikitin in that article. Since there was no way to transport the body to Switzerland or Russia in the midst of World War Two, Rachmaninoff ended up near Valhalla; in Kensico.

Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" and Somewhere in Time

The 1980 movie "Somewhere in Time" is worth another look. It is about chasing ghosts and mirages with a willingness to pursue that becomes reckless.

In the film the D-flat major andante cantabile from Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" becomes a symbol of unsponsored recognition.

Trying to kill the 40 minutes before the dinging hall opens, Richard Collier (Reeve) sees a room in his hotel called "Hall of History." He walks into the room which is filled with reds from floor to ceiling and begins to move around the objects like a casual tourist.

In the actual movie the scene is quite haunting. Reeve transitions from casual interest and seems pulled by the portrait behind him. The music in the film is almost inaudible as Reeve turns to view the portrait, becoming audible with the brittle colors of a distant recording. The andante cantabile is heard midway through the piano statement so that the theme itself is not revealed until played by the orchestra. The orchestral statement is full of presence and color as the distant recording is replaced by the regular soundtrack.

Observe how the character played by Jane Seymour becomes visible by reflection in the center row, left column windowpane. She is wearing a ghostly white gown. Soon after Collier moves out of frame he becomes visible as a reflection. The door is a symbolic portal and the gridwork mullions create an impression of logic and measure.

The andante cantabile is well suited for this world of reflection. This variation was created by inverting the contour of the Paganini theme upon which the work is based: every musical interval was reflected in the opposite direction.

The theme in its original form can be heard at timing [0:30] in this recording played by Rachmaninoff himself:

Back to the clip from the movie: listen to the transition at [2:38]. The magic disappears instantly with the edit to a cover version of music from the soundtrack. Not just any music works to convey the message. It is also of interest that even though the overlay of music in this montage differs significantly from actual film, that the andante cantabile section works anyway. The relationship between symbols from the movie and the Rachmaninoff is more powerful than might appear.