- Written in 1913, Rachmaninov’s Kolokola (“The Bells”) is a symphony for chorus, three soloists, and large orchestra. The symphony’s four movements correspond to the four stanzas of Edgar Allan’s poem by the same name.1
- *Note – Rachmaninov’s text is a Russian translation of the poem by Konstantin Balmont.2
- In the poem (and consequently translated into music), four types of bells are presented, symbolizing four human experiences–birth (silver bells), marriage (golden bells), terror (brazen bells), and death (iron bells).3
- The idea of setting Balmont’s translation to music was submitted to Rachmaninov anonymously by a student at the Moscow Conservatory.
- Fun fact – Rachmaninov is said to have liked this work best of all his compositions.4
Sources
- Geoffrey Norris, “Rachmaninoff [Rakhmaninov, Rachmaninov], Serge,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed September 1, 2022, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000050146.
- V. Ilyich Seroff and Richard Taruskin, “Sergey Rachmaninoff,” Encyclopedia Britannica (2022), accessed September 1, 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sergey-Rachmaninoff.
- Geoffrey Norris, “Rachmaninoff [Rakhmaninov, Rachmaninov], Serge,” Grove Music Online.
- Robert McColley, “The Bells, Sergei Rachmaninoff,” American Symphony Orchestra (1999), accessed September 1, 2022, https://americansymphony.org/concert-notes/the-bells-sergei-rachmaninoff/.
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22025