Rachmaninoff's infinite melody

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Today we share an analysis of the coda from Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor opus 30. The overwhelming melody that dominates this passage is one of Rachmaninoff's signature infinite lines. Through the use of sequences, often emphasizing the ii degree (Em), the Russian composer keeps pushing the piano line higher and higher in both register and intensity until it literally cannot go any further up and is overtaken by the orchestra, followed shortly after by a thrilling martial stretta. This final, explosive coda not only showcases Rachmaninoff’s technical mastery but also leaves listeners with a sense of awe, as the concerto closes on a note of breathtaking power and grandeur.

See if you can spot the tempo misunderstanding moment between orchestra and soloist! :S

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Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)

Performance: Daniil Trifonov and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by Myung-Whun Chung

Video made by MomentsMusicaux.