A stylistic, contextual, and musical analysis of Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini", Op. 43

Abstract

This document explores the use of the theme from Paganini's 24 th Caprice and the Dies Irae in Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43. The two themes are studied from a historical and musical perspective, and their contribution to the work's dramatic and musical design is analyzed. Chapter V is an extensive musical discussion of each of the work's twenty-four variations, where phrase structure, thematic relations, harmonic and melodic shapes, rhythmic patterns, dramatic implications, and performance challenges are discussed.