Vocalise

Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise was presented at the composer’s memorial service. A longing vocal line weaves its melancholic melody over a weeping descending bass and heart beating chords creating an atmosphere of suffering and regret. The opulent material drawn from the opening interlines the melody and accompaniment into the development section in search of an emotional climax. The piece ascends to heaven with a coda where angelic harp flurries soar above the accompaniment untangled with reminiscent echoes of the melody before coming to a rest in the final cadence.