Keys to the Drama in Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No 2
III. Allegro scherzando
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
I'm Sergei Rachmaninoff, and I'm delighted to explain the III. Allegro scherzando movement of my Piano Concerto No 2. You'll follow the music as it travels from the stormy C minor of the opening to a radiant C major, where the finale closes in a long, bright coda. Come and take a turn in the Trainer , because on this site my fellow composers and I teach you to recognize our pieces the moment you meet them.
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Where to Point Your Ears
Think of 'III. Allegro scherzando' as a race in which the pianist keeps sprinting ahead and the orchestra keeps catching up. Follow the piano first, because it has plenty of quick, sparkling passages that are easy to pick out. Then listen for the strings, which get a wide, singing tune that sounds like the music finally taking a deep breath. The brass, the timpani and the cymbals save their weight for the big moments, so you'll notice when the orchestra stops accompanying and starts to roar.A Title With a Twinkle
Allegro is the Italian word for lively, and scherzando means playful, so together they tell the player to be quick and light on their feet. I chose those words because the movement follows a slow, quiet movement in E major, and after all that calm I wanted the music to wake up and move. The mood isn't only fun, though, since the movement starts in a darker C minor and has to work its way toward something brighter. Pianists clearly enjoy it as well, because Percy Grainger made a version for solo piano in 1946.A Form With Good Manners
Choosing the form for this movement was an adventure in itself, and I settled on sonata form rather than a rondo. In plain terms, that means I present my themes, then pull them apart and shake them up, then bring them home again, and a closing section wraps everything up. So you can think of the movement as five stops on one journey: the first theme, the second theme, the shake-up, the return, and the finish. I'll take you through each stop in turn, and you'll see how the keys and the moods change along the way.Section 1: The Serious Face Before the Smile
The movement begins in C minor, and the first theme has a restless, determined energy. The tempo is the lively Allegro scherzando, and the piano and orchestra push it forward together. Nothing here is gloomy, but it isn't carefree yet either, because the music still has some distance to travel. Keep this opening in your ear, since it's the home base I keep coming back to.Section 2: The Tune Everyone Hums on the Way Out
Now the key moves to B-flat major, and the mood opens up at once. This is the second theme, a broad and singing melody that gives you a chance to relax after the busy opening. The strings carry it with real warmth, and the piano joins in with an almost tender touch. Notice how the lively pace stays the same while the feeling changes completely, which is the point of having two themes.Section 3: The Great Shake-Up
In the development, I take the themes I've just given you and start turning them around. The music changes key several times, and the mood grows restless, with the piano and the orchestra trading fragments of the tunes. You may recognize a piece of the first theme, then lose it, then catch it again in a different outfit. Don't worry about keeping track of every key, because it's enough to feel the music searching for its way back.Section 4: Back Home, With the Furniture Moved
The recapitulation brings the first theme back in its familiar spot, and you'll likely feel a small sense of relief. The second theme returns too, but this time it appears in D-flat major instead of B-flat, so the same tune glows in a new color. That change is subtle, yet it makes the melody sound richer and a little more intense than before. I like that you get the comfort of hearing it again and the surprise that it isn't quite the same.Section 5: The Grand Finish
The coda is where the movement makes its final push, and the energy climbs steadily. The dark C minor of the beginning has been left behind, and the music ends in a confident, bright C major. The piano races ahead and the whole orchestra, brass and cymbals included, joins in for the last stretch. By the end, the journey from the serious opening to this triumphant close should feel like one complete story.Over to You
Now it's your turn to hear 'III. Allegro scherzando' for yourself. Press play and let the music carry you along, and don't worry about getting everything right. While you listen, you might remember the piano racing, the singing second theme, and the move from C minor to C major. I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I enjoyed writing it.---
I hope you enjoyed learning about the III. Allegro scherzando with me. It's the movement where my concerto leaves C minor behind and finishes in the bright light of C major, and I like to think that journey stays with you after the last chord. There is still a good deal more to discover in my Piano Concerto No 2, from the story behind its writing to the other movements and the way later musicians have borrowed from them. If you'd like to keep exploring, please click on the links on this page, and let the music lead you wherever you're curious to go.