Transformation of Orchestration in Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Jazz Idioms

Abstract

The breadth of the orchestra's transformation in Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in comparison with his concertos and the impact of jazz on this process have not been thoroughly examined yet, despite the fact that a number of research works has been written on the subject, even though it was the element of jazz which introduced a new level of freedom to the composer's use of the orchestra. The presence of jazz in this work was demonstrated by a renewal of the list of instruments, by the inclusion of additional specific woodwind instruments and the increase of the density of the percussion instruments because of varied and regular use. An unusually wide palette of timbral effects in the orchestra used by the composer in his work and the frequent introduction of instrumental solos in certain sections of the work raise quality of each of the timbres to a new level of significance by promoting contrast juxtapositions. These changes explain the modification of the functions of the piano and the orchestra in the concerto, as well as the change of Rachmaninoff's approach to the orchestra: the "orchestra as a whole" is often replaced by the "orchestra as a union of soloists", based on an approach similar to Mahler's. These processes are a result of the growth of the theatrical element and are related to the influence of American show culture of the 1920s-1930s in general and the jazz orchestra in particular. The impact of jazz on Rachmaninoff's orchestra is predominantly indirect, rather than direct, as in Gershwin's symphonic works. However it is precisely this fact that explains the multiplicity of manifestations of jazz and the diversity of its semantic meanings in the Rhapsody.