The Bells (Rachmaninoff) IV. The Mournful Iron Bells

the sublime finale to Rachmaninoff's choral masterpiece. Op. 35, "The Bells"
IV. The Mournful Iron Bells

"While the iron bells, unfeeling, through the void repeat the doom:
There is neither rest nor respite,
save the quiet of the tomb."

Category:

Music

Tags:

• rachmaninoff
• the
• bells
• mournful
• iron
• rachmaninov

[Nijmegen1955]

At 9:30 for me the BEST part Rachmaninov ever wrote... !!!

Thanx adamjames86 for uploading this sensational music.

5 * for you

[adamjames86]

@Nijmegen1955 thank you for commenting! it is great, echos of wagner toward the end.

[LJBSasha]

Hey, this performance is being sung in English: thus, it has to be in either the UK, the British Commonwealth of Nations (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, maybe India) or the USA...

[aspergershawn]

@RichardMartin2 And he does the same thing in the Corelli Variations (which were premiered in my hometown, Montreal, in October 1931). It is in d minor throughout, yet he goes to d flat major for two central variations which are very lyrical and tender - then he goes back abruptly to d minor to conclude the piece. He certainly loved d flat major!. Oh, I forgot - there is a wonderful 2nd subject section in the 4th Piano Concerto (with revisions in all 3 versions, but always in d flat).

[RichardMartin2]

@aspergershawn Regarding D flat: Yes. There is also a substantial section of the middle movement of the Third Piano Concerto that is in D flat. (This is despite the concerto itself being principally in D minor.) It's my favourite key as well though I don't know why. It may be something to do with the key to which one's voice is "naturally" tuned, though if so, I'd expect it to be a minority opinion.

[aspergershawn]

@Nijmegen1955 So many people agree with you on this - it is truly a beautiful melody (he even quotes some of it in the third movement of his Piano Concerto no 4. It is in d flat which seems to be a special key for Rachmaninoff when he is at his most lyrical.

[robdp2002]

Amazing.  Really beautiful.

[9sibra]

i hear rather Bruckners ninth, the third movement:) Nijmegen, thanks for drawing my attention to this moment:)