A Stylistic And Interpretative Study Of Rachmaninov Piano Sonata No.2 In B-flat Minor,Op.36(Original 1913 Version)

Piano Sonata No.2 in B-flat minor,Op.36(1913)is a powerful work composed by Rachmaninov during his prime years.This work not only occupies an important position in Rachmaninov’s solo piano oeuvre,but also has a landmark significance in the late romantic piano literature.It is intensely affective,highly virtuosic,richly polyphonic and particularly original in its musical vocabulary,as the composer combines the inherent Russian pathos and lyricism with harmonic colors and rhythmic patterns suggestive of American jazz.On the one hand,it embraces one of the most authentic genres of Western Classical music—the piano sonata,on the other hand,it synthesizes Russian artistic traditions with novel harmonic and rhythmic effects of modern times.There are two versions of this work: the original 1913 and the 1931 revision;the latter contains some substantial reduction in length and textual complexity while retaining the overall sturcture of the earlier version.Possibly based on the assumption that “newer is better”,and/or considerations on length and technical difficulty,most pianists have chosen to perform the revised version.However,I believe the two versions each has distinctive merits and the original version deserves wider and deeper appreciation.This thesis will therefore be based on Rachmaninov’s Piano Sonata No.2 in B-flat minor,Op.36’s original 1913 version,with specific regards to its compositional background,formal structure,creative techniques,and performance-related matters,with the intention to summarize its stylistic features and interpretative considerations.