The First Piano Sonata features a chorale theme that may offer religious salvation to Faust, and a lyrical countersubject with stepwise motion, reminiscent of Russian Orthodox Church chants.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Rachmaninoff conceived his First Piano Sonata with symphonic proportions and a program based on Goethe's Faust, as a homage to Franz Liszt's Faust-Symphonie.
Composer Biography
Serge Rachmaninoff's early works, like the 'Mélodie' in E and the C sharp minor Prelude from his Op. 3, already showcased his essential musical style.
Compositional Technique
The Dies Irae, a Latin hymn about Judgment Day, haunted Rachmaninoff throughout his life and is featured in the finale of his First Piano Sonata.
Composition History
Rachmaninoff revised his Second Piano Sonata in 1931, removing what he considered 'superfluities and excess of voice parts', stating that 'Chopin's B flat minor Sonata lasts nineteen minutes, and all has been said'.
Composition History
Rachmaninoff began his First Piano Sonata in 1907 in Dresden, alongside his Second Symphony and an opera based on Maeterlinck's Monna Vanna, which he later abandoned.
Performer Biography
Pianist Xiayin Wang has received numerous awards in China and continued her musical training at the Manhattan School of Music, earning Bachelor's, Master's, and Professional Studies degrees.
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