An Analyse Of The Singing And Conducting For Rachmaninoff's Cantata Becha

Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor of the late-Romantic period, some of whose works are among the most popular in the classical repertoire. He is considered as one of the most important composers in the 20th Century.Cantata Becna was composed during the mature period of Rachmaninoff's creation,and it was completed in 1902, after his famous Second Piano Concerto. The composer was at that time skilled at processing musical materials, using chorus techniques, and has already formatted his distinctive personal style.Based on his cantata Becna has this thesis two major purposes: to analyse the harmony, tonality and distinctive chord as well as the characteristics of his chorus compositions; to investigate the recreation of his work, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the connotation behind this work.Chapter One gives a brief introduction to his biography and the thoughts and characteristics about his work. Furthermore, it also presents the compositional background and lyrics of cantata Becna.This thesis then explores the Becna cantata, including its melody, dynamics, rhythm and metre, tempo and harmony, along with the analysis of the distinctive chords in this work.Chapter Three give an interpretation of the singing and conducting from the rehearser's perspective.