In art as in life, death is inescapable. Rachmaninoff’s music is no exception: the famous funeral chant Dies irae permeates many of his works. Yet it’s not all doom and gloom: Nikolai Lugansky presents the full spectrum of Rachmaninoff’s early style, from lightness in the Mélodie Op. 3 No. 3, to “urban romance” passion in the Moments Musicaux, and finally the Dies irae-infused despair of the First Symphony. tonebase's own Ben Laude appears alongside Lugansky in conversation.

Rachmaninoff’s name has become almost synonymous with the sound of bells in music. The portentous beginning of the Second Concerto is merely the most famous among countless examples of bell effects in his solo and ensemble works. Nikolai Lugansky illustrates the diversity of this clangorous assortment, demonstrating his technique for a “knocking” effect that will keep bells resounding in contrast with lyrical lines. tonebase's own Ben Laude appears alongside Lugansky in conversation.

Music has incredible potential to summon up images from life and other arts – but only if you let it. Luckily, composers sometimes remind us to use our imagination: even the title of Rachmaninoff’s Etudes-Tableaux (“study-pictures”) hints that we are meant to imagine striking scenes conjured by this unforgettable music. Drawing on both Rachmaninoff’s remarks and his own interpretations, superstar Nikolai Lugansky shares vivid images for nine etudes from Op. 33 and 39, picturing stormy seas, Little Red Riding Hood, fatalistic and fairytale marches, the endless Russian steppe, Dante’s Inferno, and more. These images shed new light on the composer’s sonic landscape, sparking new ideas for any work of Rachmaninoff you play.

Rachmaninoff’s music is richly influenced by his religious beliefs. Nikolai Lugansky shows how the narrow vocal range of Orthodox chant haunts his melodies, and how religiosity and polyphony (à la Bach) go hand-in-hand with Rachmaninoff’s deepening style – especially the complex and multilayered Preludes, Op. 32. This awareness informs all aspects of Rachmaninoff playing, treating contrapuntal playing “like a group conversation where everyone’s opinion must be heard, despite how long, short, loud, or soft their statement is.”

When is a key more than just a key? Composers often choose tonalities with symbolic meaning: think of all the great works by Beethoven in C minor. Nikolai Lugansky identifies two keys that stand out in Rachmaninoff’s works: D minor and D-flat major. Across his output, Rachmaninoff chooses these keys for special utterances. Think of the titanic scale of the Third Concerto and First Sonata, both in D minor. D-flat major frequently appears at moments of “culmination or catharsis” in works across the spectrum: the world-famous Eighteenth Variation from the Paganini Rhapsody, the rapturous Easter bells conclusion of all 24 preludes in Op. 32 No. 13, climaxes in slow movements of the concertos, and many more. Use these rare insights to approach all music with an eye for symbolic meaning.

Celebrated Rachmaninoff interpreter Nikolai Lugansky presents a short recital of three etudes-tableaux and three preludes: take a journey from determination of Op. 39 No. 4 to the passion of Op. 39 No. 5, the sweep of Op. 39 No. 8, a winter maelstrom in Op. 23 No. 7, lyrical summits in Op. 23 No. 4 and fateful finality of Op. 32 No. 10. These inspiring visions, recorded in one take, are a powerfully moving ode to Lugansky’s immersion in Rachmaninoff’s style.