text: six moments musicaux ( rachmaninoff ) six moments musicaux ( french for " six musical moments " ; russian : , ’ ’ ) , op. 16 , is a set of solo piano pieces composed by the russian composer sergei rachmaninoff between october and december , 1896 . each moment musical reproduces a musical form characteristic of a previous musical era . the forms that appear in rachmaninoff 's incarnation are the nocturne , song without words , barcarolle , virtuoso étude , and theme and variations . the individual pieces have been described as " true concert works , being best served on a stage and with a concert grand . " although composed as part of a set , each piece stands on its own as a concert solo with individual themes and moods . the pieces span a variety of themes ranging from the somber funeral march of number three to the majestic canon of number six , the moments musicaux are both rachmaninoff 's return to and revolution of solo piano composition . a typical performance lasts 30 minutes . in an interview in 1941 , rachmaninoff said , " what i try to do , when writing down my music , is to make it say simply and directly that which is in my heart when i am composing . " even though moments musicaux were written because he was short of money , the pieces summarize his knowledge of piano composition up to that point . andantino opens the set with a long , reflective melody that develops into a rapid climax . the second piece , allegretto , is the first of the few in the set that reveal his mastery of piano technique . andante cantabile is a contrast to its two surrounding pieces , explicitly named " funeral march " and " lament . " presto draws inspiration from several sources , including the preludes of frédéric chopin , to synthesize an explosion of melodic intensity . the fifth , adagio sostenuto is a respite in barcarolle form , before the finale maestoso , which closes the set in a thick three - part texture . in six musical moments , rachmaninoff illustrates completely , " that which is in my heart . " background by the fall of 1896 , 23 - year old rachmaninoff 's financial status was precarious , not helped by his being robbed of money on an earlier train trip . pressed for time , both financially and by those expecting a symphony , he " rushed into production . " on december 7 , he wrote to aleksandr , a russian composer he had met before he had composed the work , saying , " i hurry in order to get money i need by a certain date ... this perpetual financial pressure is , on the one hand , quite beneficial ... by the 20th of this month i have to write six piano pieces . " rachmaninoff completed all six during october and december 1896 , and dedicated all to . despite the hasty circumstances , the work evidences his early virtuosity , and sets an example for the quality of his future works . six moments musicaux is a sophisticated work that is of longer duration , thicker textures , and greater virtuosic demands on the performer than any of rachmaninoff 's previous solo piano works . it is similar to alexander scriabin 's momentous étude in d - sharp minor ( op. 8 , no. 12 ) — in both compositions , detail is more functional than in their musical argument . it is here , rather than in morceaux de fantaisie ( op. 3 , 1892 ) or morceaux de salon ( op. 10 , 1894 ) , that rachmaninoff places specific qualities of his own playing into his music . there is passionate lyricism in numbers three and five , but the others require a pianist with virtuoso technique and musical perception . these were composed during the middle of rachmaninoff 's career , and created a foundation of inner voices that he would elaborate on in his preludes ( op. 23 ) and études - tableaux ( op. 33 ) . although he usually gave the première of his own piano works , he was not the first to perform these , and the date of the first public performance has not yet been determined . the set 's name is inspired by franz schubert 's piano cycle , also called six moments musicaux ( op. 94 , 1828 ) , which are written on a much more intimate scale . composition 1 . andantino , b - flat minor the first piece has an andantino ( moderate ) tempo , is 113 measures long , and is marked at 72 quarter notes per minute . it is divided into three distinct sections . the first presents a theme in common time ( 4 / 4 ) with a typical nocturne figure for the left hand . a mid - piece pause at roughly the same area in schubert 's first moments musicaux further emphasizes the influence of schubert . the second part is marked con moto ( with motion ) , at 76 quarter notes per minute , and is a variation of the first theme in the unusual configuration of seven quarter notes per measure ( 7 / 4 ) . this part ends in a cadenza . the third section presents the last variation of the theme , again in common time , but in the fastest tempo yet , andantino con moto , at 84 quarter notes per minute . the piece ends in a coda that returns to the first tempo , and repeats portions of the previous three parts . it ends with a perfect authentic cadence into b - flat minor . andantino is the longest in the set by playing time ( about 8 : 30 ) . it is described as a " generic - hybrid , " combining elements of the nocturne and theme and variation genres . the melody is chromatic , syncopated , and long , all idiosyncratic elements rachmaninoff often includes in his works . because of this , the andantino is sometimes called an extension of his nocturne in a minor of the morceaux de salon set ( op. 10 , no. 1 , 1894 ) . however , andantino stands on its own with difficulties , such as the sections with multiple phrases in a single hand . 2 . allegretto , e - flat minor the second piece , referred to as a " glittering showpiece " , is positioned in contrast to the lyrical and " atmospheric " melody of the first piece . the piece is in the quick tempo allegretto ( quickly ) , at 92 quarter notes per minute . it is 131 measures long , the most of all six pieces , but the second shortest in terms of playing time , usually no longer than three and a half minutes ( the shortest is number four ) . this piece represents a typical nineteenth - century étude , similar in style to frédéric chopin 's études ( opp . 10 , 25 ) , with a melody interspersed between rapid figures . it is in strict ternary form with a coda : identical beginning and ending sections beginning on measures 1 and 85 , and a contrasting middle section starting on measure 45 . the second section radically changes dynamics , constantly changing from piano to fortissimo and even . it is , throughout , a relentless torrent of descending half steps and a cascading left hand figure reminiscent of chopin 's revolutionary étude ( op. 10 , no. 12 , 1831 ) . ending the piece is a slow coda in adagio ( at ease ) which closes with a perfect authentic cadence in e - flat minor . rachmaninoff revised this piece in march 1940 , changing the melody but leaving the constant sextuplets , proving that the rushing figures are not simple bravura or flair . 3 . andante cantabile , b minor the continual gauntlets of number two are relieved by the third piece in the set , an " introspective [ daydream ] . " drawing on the previous illustration of a " generic hybrid , " this piece is described as a mixture between the song without words and funeral march genres , to create what is called the " most russian " piece of the set , containing both sonorous bass and a solid melody , characteristics of russian music . comprising only 55 measures , this piece is one of the shortest but has one of the longer playing times of about seven minutes . the piece is structured as a three - part form . the theme of the first section is played entirely in minor thirds , accompanied by a left hand figure of open fifths and octaves . the middle section has the melody in minor sixths , alongside a staccato octave bass . the lament of the opening theme transforms into an explicit funeral march as the left - hand octaves become regular . 4 . presto , e minor the fourth piece is similar to the second in the quality of its performance . the fourth piece reveals resemblance to chopin 's revolutionary étude in the taxing left hand figure place throughout . the piece is 67 measures long , with a duration of about three minutes , and has the fastest tempo of the set , presto ( quick ) at 104 quarter notes per minute , and is the shortest work in terms of playing time . presto is in ternary form with a coda . the piece begins with a fortissimo introduction with a thick texture in the left hand consisting of chromatic sextuplets . the melody is a " rising quasi - military " idea , interspersed between replications of the left hand figure , the mostly two - note melody being a strong unifying element . the middle section is a brief period of falling figures in the right hand and rising scales in the left . the third section is marked vivo ( more life ) and is played even faster than the intro , 112 quarter notes per minute . at this point the piece develops a very thick texture , with the original left hand figure played in both hands in varying registers . the technique of rapidly changing the octave in which a melody is played , sometimes called " displacement " , is used to present the figure in a more dramatic form that increases the intensity of the ending . the ending , a coda in ( very quick ) , 116 quarter notes per minute , is a final , sweeping reiteration of the theme that closes in a heavy e minor chord , which revisits rachmaninoff 's preoccupation with bell sounds , prominent in his piano concerto no. 2 and prelude in c - sharp minor ( op. 3 , no. 2 ) . the piece is a major exercise in endurance and accuracy : the introduction opens in a left hand figure requiring span of a tenth interval . additionally , octave intervals invariably appear before fast runs , making quick wrists and arm action necessary . the double melodies rachmaninoff uses in this work exists purposely to " keep both hands occupied , " obscuring the melody and making it difficult for the right hand to project . this is the only piece in the set with indicated pedal markings . 5 . adagio sostenuto , d - flat major the piece is similar to the form of a barcarolle , a folk song with a rhythmic accompaniment . playing it takes approximately five minutes , and it is 53 measures long , the shortest in terms of measures . it is an adagio sostenuto ( sustained at ease ) at 54 quarter notes per minute , with a simple melody presented in ternary form . lacking any prodigious figures or difficult runs , the piece displays rachmaninoff 's capability for musical lyricism . although the piece seems simple , the mood must be sustained by playing simultaneously restrained but dynamic triplet figures in the left hand . the melody , a chordal texture with frequent suspended tones , creates a difficult task in voicing , and placing the correct emphasis on the correct notes . its relatively short melody lines are a direct contrast to rachmaninoff 's characteristically long lines , giving a shorter time to bring out the phrases . 6 . maestoso , c major the last piece in the set is a quintessential nineteenth - century work , and has been described as an " apotheosis or completion of struggle . " the piece was once summarized as : the final piece or movement of a cycle that is virtuosic and brilliant , employing the entire range of dynamics and sonorities available to the piano , bringing a set of pieces to a glorious conclusion . this " stormy , agitated " work contains a " vehemently triple - dotted main theme and only some brief midsection hazy sunshine [ that lightens ] the storm before thunders return and finally dominate . " despite the dark imagery presented to describe the piece , the work is in c major , and the end result is more light - hearted than dark , but not as triumphal as the maestoso would make it sound . like the second and fourth pieces , number six is written in the form of an étude , with a repetitive but technically challenging chordal melody that is doubled in both hands . in all , the work has three distinct elements played simultaneously : the main melody , the continuous thirty - second note broken chord figures , and a descending eighth note motif . dynamics play a large part in this piece : the fortissimo marked at the beginning is maintained all throughout the first section , with only brief respites to mezzo forte . the middle section is wholly softer , and contains two areas with significant mounting tension , creating the aforementioned " apotheosis effect " with dramatic " false starts . " here , rachmaninoff manipulates the theme contrapuntally to develop a canonic effect . this " triple counterpoint . . . is titanic both in size and impact , and in potential for disaster , " referring to the tension , waiting for the final climax , in this " continuing explosion . " immediately before the coda , the thick texture and canon suddenly disappear and the piece becomes piano . upon entering the coda , the work resumes the forte theme and amalgamates to a majestic ending played . maestoso is one of the most difficult pieces in the set . stamina and strength are required to sustain a full resonant sound , while the continuous thirty - second figure can be tiring for the pianist . consistent tempo is a problem for this piece , due to the melody being interspersed with two other elements . additionally , the dynamics , mostly " loud " and " very loud , " indicate that an accurate vision of relative volume is necessary . maintaining this accuracy while managing every other element of the piece and successfully presenting a musically solid performance continues to be the ultimate challenge of all . reception the six moments musicaux were well received by critics . during the writing of his symphony no. 1 , rachmaninoff was distracted from solo piano work , and the moments were regarded as his return to mature composition . although revolutionary and grand in style , they retain the charm of his early works , as mentioned by pianist elizabeth wolff : " they are typical of his early works , dense , rich in counterpoint , highly chromatic , poignantly nationalistic , deeply felt , and of course , exceptionally challenging to the pianist . " later performances of this work would reveal that rachmaninoff had hidden a subtle rhythm and vitality that emerged under the long , melodic phrases , furthering his acclaim as an incredibly complex musician . the moments go as far as to " confirm the inexplicable inherent in genius " , with " exquisite melody , wondrous harmonic changes , ' heavenly brevity ' , " while maintaining " a sense of contrast and variety that allows each miniature to stand alone while complementing the work on either side of it . " although it is unknown whether the financial reaction of this composition recouped his stolen money , the emotional reaction to it would be overshadowed for the following years by the catastrophic premiere in 1897 of his two - years ' labor : the symphony no. 1 , op. 13 , 1895 .