The opening call to prayer “Come, Let Us Worship” from Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil deftly brings the listener into the spiritual domain through the composer's masterful use of tonal obfuscation (representing the world) which settles into a pedal point that resolves the piece. The parallel musical structure with which each phrase begins reflects the structure of the text, based on Psalm 94 [95]:6. The multi-layered melody is of Rachmaninoff's invention, but its undulating, step-wise movement and asymmetric, text-related structure at once establish a kinship with the ancient znamenny chant. The bowing motion of the faithful is musically depicted through the shape of the opening phrase.
Look Inside
