Vocalise (Rachmaninoff)

Updated on Oct 01, 2024

Edit

Comment

Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14, is a song by Sergei Rachmaninoff, composed and published in 1915 as the last of his "Fourteen Songs", Op. 34. Written for high voice (soprano or tenor) with piano accompaniment, it contains no words, but is sung using any one vowel (of the singer's choosing). It was dedicated to soprano Antonina Nezhdanova.

Range

Although the original publication stipulates that the song may be sung by either soprano or tenor voice, it is usually performed by a soprano. It is sometimes transposed into a variety of keys, allowing performers to choose a vocal range more suitable to their natural voice, so that artists who may not have the higher range of a soprano can perform the song.

Derivative works

The Pet Shop Boys song "Happiness Is An Option" incorporates a large portion of the Vocalise melody in each verse, performed on oboe as background material beneath the spoken text.

Arrangements

Vocalise has been arranged for many different instrument combinations. Examples are:

For/with orchestra

for orchestra, arranged by Rachmaninoff himself, also by Morton Gould, Kurt Sanderling, and V. Kin

for strings, arranged by Clark McAlister

for soprano and orchestra, also by Rachmaninoff himself, and by Arcady Dubensky

for choir and orchestra, arranged by Norman Luboff and Walter Stoff

for flute and orchestra, arranged by Charles Gerhardt

For chamber ensemble

for flute choir (flute, alto flute, bass flute, contrabass flute, solo flute), arranged by Andy Findon

for piano trio (violin, cello and piano), arranged by the Eroica Trio

for clarinet, violin and piano, arranged by Quinto Maganini

for jazz ensemble, arranged by Don Sebesky

for 24 cellos, as performed by the London Cello Orchestra

For solo instrument and piano

for clarinet and piano, arranged by Stanley Drucker

for clarinet and piano, arranged by Thomas Swatland

for clarinet and piano, arranged by David Campbell

for trombone and piano, arranged by Christian Lindberg

for trombone and piano, arranged by Henry Charles Smith

for euphonium and piano, arranged by Steven Mead

for tuba and piano, arranged by Virginia Allen

for violin and piano, arranged by Jascha Heifetz

for cello and piano, arranged by Jascha Heifetz and Mstislav Rostropovich

for cello and piano, arranged by Wolfram Huschke

for cello and piano, arranged by Raphael Wallfisch

for double bass and piano, arranged by Stuart Sankey

for double bass and piano, arranged by Oscar G. Zimmerman (in D minor)

for saxophone and piano, arranged by John Harle

for horn and piano, transcribed by Himie Voxman

for viola and piano, arranged by Leonard Davis

for oboe and piano, arranged by Humbert Lucarelli

for bassoon and piano, arranged by Leonard Sharrow (in C minor)

for bassoon and piano, arranged by J. Michael Leonard (in E minor)

for theremin and piano, arranged by Clara Rockmore

For solo instrument

for solo piano, many arrangements, including by Alexander Siloti, Alan Richardson (1951), Zoltán Kocsis, Earl Wild, Sergio Fiorentino and Anton Borodin (2003)

for accordion, arranged by Nikolai Ryskov

for double bass, arranged by Gary Karr

for guitar, arranged by Slash

for organ, arranged by David Briggs, Patricia Bird, Jean-Paul Imbert and Gabriele Studer

for saxophone, arranged by Larry Teal

for theremin, arranged by Thorwald Jørgensen

for trumpet, arranged by Rolf Smedvig

Other

for two pianos, arranged by Vitya Vronsky

for electronic instruments, arranged by Isao Tomita

for cello with voice, arranged by Bobby McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma

References

Vocalise (Rachmaninoff) Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Contents