Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Copland, & Shostakovich

By Sam Miller | December 1, 2024

Rachmaninoff Isle of the Dead

Composed in 1909, this bone chilling piece is inspired by a painting by Arnold Böcklin. The painting depicts a small boat arriving at a desolate island seen across dark waters (Henken). This piece had a profound effect on Rachmaninoff, but the composer did not write the piece until 1909 at a house in Dresden. Rachmaninoff completed the composition in April of the same year, and two weeks later, conducted the premiere in Moscow.

  • Length: 26 Minutes
  • Sound: The piece itself seems to paint the very image that inspired it. The piece begins softly and darkly while the swells of the orchestra “suggest an implacable barcarolle, funereal but not macabre or grotesque” (Henken). The piece builds steadily to its climax as the boat approaches the island. The second half of the piece is based on the Dies Irae. The Dies Irae is part of the medieval requiem mass, and often represents death, inevitability, or even the apocalypse. In this piece, it represents mortality. Throughout this half, the theme is passed around the orchestra. The piece ends like it began, but this time with the “boat” rowing away from the island.

I discovered this piece while looking for Halloween related pieces and instantly fell in love with its theme and story. This piece is great for writing or driving, but I like listening to it by itself.

Henken, John. “Isle of the Dead, Sergei Rachmaninoff – Los Angeles.” LA Phil, https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/423/isle-of-the-dead. Accessed 27 October 2024.

The performance I have for you today is by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra under Lan Shui

Brahms Academic Festival Overture

Composed during the summer of 1880, Brahms’s Academic Festival Overture puts more emphasis on the “festival” than the “academic” with its light-hearted elements. A masterful mix of this lightheartedness combined with more serious elements gives the overture a great sense of fun. Brahms himself never went to college, but in 1876, Cambridge University offered him an honorary Doctorate in Music, which required his attendance at the ceremony. Unfortunately, Brahms was deathly afraid of sea travel, and when he heard that the Londoners were hatching lavish plans to celebrate his arrival in England (Brahms also harbored an innate horror of “fuss and lionization”), the composer stayed home and relinquished the honor. However, this was not Brahms’s only brush with academia. In 1879, the University of Breslau gave Brahms a Doctorate in Philosophy. Brahms was honored and sent a postcard to the school to express his gratitude, but a return letter from his friend Bernhard Scholz made it clear that the university expected Brahms to express his gratitude in musical form. Thus, while vacationing at Bad Ischl, Brahms composed this musical “thank you” to the university.

  • Length: 10 Minutes
  • Sound: The piece is a lighthearted and fun way to start a concert. It has a memorable theme, beautiful harmonies, and a pleasant melody.

I recommend this piece (if you’re not listening to it at a concert) if you are a teacher who is grading all of those wonderful finals, or a student who is taking them.

Henkel, Kathy. “Academic Festival Overture, Johannes Brahms – Los Angeles.” LA Phil, https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/166/academic-festival-overture. Accessed 18 November 2024.

The performance I have today is by the Orchestre de Paris under Paavo Järvi.

Copland Old American Songs

Completed in 1952, this piece is a charming collection of old American folk tunes arranged for a small orchestra and solo voice. Many of Copland’s works show his love of Americana. Billy the Kid, Rodeo, and Appalachian Spring, to name a few.

  • Length: 25 Minutes
  • Structure: The piece is divided into 2 sets with 5 songs apiece.
  • Sound: The piece itself is a delightful mix of songs ranging from children’s songs and lullabies to religious hymns and campaign songs. The first set contains: The Boatmen’s Dance (A Minstrel Song), The Dodger (The Campaign Song), Long Time Ago (A ballad and my personal favorite), Simple Gifts (Shaker Song), I Bought Me a Cat (Children’s Song). The second set is as follows: The Little Horses (Lullaby), Zion’s Walls (A Revivalist Song), The Golden Willow Tree (Anglo-American Ballad), At the River (Hymn), Ching-a-Ring Chaw (Minstrel Song).

This is a piece that I discovered through the Classical Music radio station on my way back home from school and has become one of my favorite American pieces. This piece is perfect for decompressing after a long day or driving.

Howard, Orrin. “Old American Songs.” LA Phil, https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/2524/old-american-songs. Accessed 11 November 2024.

The performance I have for you today is by the Columbia Symphony Orchestra conducted by Aaron Copland himself with Willian Warfield as Baritone. This video does not have a video of the performance, but the quality of the performance more than makes up for that.

Shostakovich Symphony No. 11 (The Year 1905)

Trigger warning: the history of this song mentions some disturbing descriptions and events. Please proceed at your own pace.

Premiered in 1957, Shostakovich’s 11th symphony tells the harrowing tale of Bloody Sunday. Bloody Sunday was the massacre of peaceful protesters led by Father Georgy Gapon by the troops of Tsar Nicholas II. One of the Survivors of this massacre was Dimitri Boleslavich Shostakovich, father of Dimitri Dimitriyevich Shostakovich. Because of this, the Revolution was a frequent topic in the Shostakovich household. In the composer’s words, “Our family discussed the Revolution of 1905 constantly… The stories deeply affected my imagination. When I was older I read much about how it happened… They were carting a mound of murdered children on a sleigh. The boys had been sitting in the trees, looking at the soldiers, and the soldiers shot them — just like that, for fun. Then they loaded them on the sleigh and drove off. A sleigh loaded with children’s bodies. And the dead children were smiling. They had been killed so suddenly that they hadn’t time to be frightened.” This was the image that Shostakovich had of the Revolution. This imagery inspired the piece that he composed to commemorate one of its greatest tragedies.

Like many of Shostakovish’s pieces, it immediately sparked controversy upon its release. The Communist Party accused Shostakovich of depicting Tsarist violence, while others saw it as a tribute to the Soviet Revolution. Shostakovich, however, quickly clarified that it was a heartfelt dedication to the memory of the people who died and/or suffered during the revolution.

  • Length: 60 Minutes
  • Structure: The piece is divided into 4 connected movements: The first two retell the story of Bloody Sunday, the third movement is a requiem for the souls lost in the massacre, and the last movement is a call to action to fight against oppression and tyranny. To me, this is like a story with no words. The first two movements especially are so vivid that listening to them is akin to watching a movie.
  • Sound: The first movement sets the stage: Titled “The Palace Square,” it depicts an empty, cold square with snow falling gently down. There is tension in the air as the protesters are seen slowly making their way to the square, and the soldiers of the Tsar come outside to meet them. As the protesters arrive, they seem to passionately ask to see the Tsar and offer their pleas for better conditions. This carries into the first part of the second movement. The movement starts with a calm crowd pleading for an audience with the Tsar. As more and more troops emerge from the palace, the tension grows. The tension ebbs and flows throughout the movement as the protestors seem to try and negotiate with the troops. Suddenly, with no warning, a snare drum plays a short burst and the strings are sent into a frenzy. It’s gunfire. The frantic string motif, representing the protestors, acts in response to the gunfire. The music becomes more panic-stricken as the theme is passed throughout the orchestra. A horrific scene unfolds as frantic protestors run away and trample each other trying to escape the troops. The music even seems to try to run high off the page before a crushing military march stifles any last hope of escape. After this display, the music returns once again to the cold, empty square, but this time, the emptiness is chilling to the bone.

    The third movement, titled “Eternal Memory,” is the aftermath of the tragedy. At first, life tries to go on; the melody is not melancholy or angry, but seems as if it is trying to return to the usual. This does not last for long though. The suppressed emotion grows ever stronger until it breaks into a cold rage. This rage doesn’t present itself as violent or dramatic, but seethes and burns. This too breaks, but this time into depression that grows into a lament for the fallen. However, this lament is brief. Almost immediately after, the music seems to channel that grief and sadness into the will to fight back and go beyond the past and fight for the future.

    This transitions perfectly into the fourth and final movement of the piece. Titled “Tocsin,” this movement is a call to action. A tocsin is a warning bell. In this movement, Shostakovich not only tells us to remember the past, but fight to never repeat it. The movement contains snippets from the songs, Tremble, Tyrants and Whirlwinds of Danger to reinforce the promise of victory for those that rise up against their oppressors. The finale of the piece contains an actual bell that rings defiantly across the concert hall, signaling victory and triumph.

This is undeniably one of my favorite pieces. It is a textbook example of Shostakovich’s brilliance and a testament to the power of storytelling in music. For me, a highschooler with too much time and a vivid imagination, I can listen to this entire piece while laying in bed (I actually did this before writing this spotlight). However, I know that many of you have neither the time nor the patience to indulge in such a luxury, so I can recommend this piece for driving or doing simple work.

“Musical Echoes of Revolution: Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11, The Year 1905.” Houston Symphony, 22 November 2023, https://houstonsymphony.org/musical-echoes-of-revolution-shostakovichs-symphony-no-11-the-year-1905/. Accessed 17 November 2024.

Wigglesworth, Mark. “Mark’s notes on Shostakovich Symphony No. 11.” Mark Wigglesworth, https://www.markwigglesworth.com/notes/marks-notes-on-shostakovich-symphony-no-11/. Accessed 17 November 2024.

The performance I have for you today is by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under the baton of Thomas Søndergard. This is not actually my favorite recording, my favorite is an old recording from 1958 by the Houston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski, but I couldn’t find a good recording of the whole piece. I also have a 10-minute video that I think is really well done that breaks down the symphony from an approachable, but music-centered point of view. It’s titled “How to Compose a Massacre,” and it really brings the story of the piece to life. 

BBC National Orchestra

How to Compose a Massacre

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About Sam

Samuel “Sam” Miller is a 12th grade student at Gonzaga Preparatory school who writes and distributes a weekly classical music blog that shares different classical songs and explores their background with his teachers and peers. He is an avid violinist studying under Mateusz Wolski, and an enthusiastic member of the Spokane Youth Symphony. Samuel started this project to pursue and share his passion for classical music with others. In his free time, Sam enjoys practicing violin, going to symphony concerts, playing tennis, hanging out with friends, video games, and spending time with his family.