Rachmaninov

Musical Moment No. 4, Opus 16

Rachmaninoff was a composer who succeeded in expressing abstract emotions in his music. Conviction is a particularly tumultuous abstract emotion that arises from the acceptance of emotional dichotomy within one's self ( i.e. the knowledge that dark emotions are a natural part of our existence as well as light or pleasant emotions.)

As you listen to Rachmaninoff's Musical Moment Opus 16 No. 4 you can hear dichotomy in the structure of the composition. The right hand carries a clear melodic line while the left hand whirls out gestures of energy...just as the image on this page portrays lines of energy forcefully moving both towards and away from the vortex at the center of the canvas.