Adorning Harmony: Comparing Three of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Transcriptions with the Original Works

Sergei Rachmaninoff’s piano transcriptions represent an underperformed genre among his works. They offer a unique perspective on Rachmaninoff’s compositional language because they directly compare to other composer’s original works. Much research is dedicated to understanding Rachmaninoff’s harmonic language through analysis of his own original works. However, very little has been written on Rachmaninoff’s piano transcriptions, and no studies focus on Rachmaninoff’s harmonic language displayed in the transcriptions.The following analysis aims to reconsider three of these lesser-known works and provide context for their placement alongside Rachmaninoff’s other compositions. Harmonic analysis provides insights relative to the original works within the larger framework of Rachmaninoff’s harmonic language. I will draw connections to Rachmaninoff’s other compositions and demonstrate the specific harmonic tendencies Rachmaninoff used. Through my analysis of three selected transcriptions, I aim to highlight this repertoire for further performances and cultivate a deeper understanding of Rachmaninoff’s harmonic language.Advisor: Paul Barnes