Rachmaninov was immensely impressed by Konstantin Balmont’s free adaptation of Poe’s poem The Bells: Bells have a special significance for every Russian, as their cathedrals are characterized by the splendid interplay of church bells – a listening experience that also made a lasting impression on Rachmaninov. In the four stanzas of the poem, the sounds of sleigh bells, wedding bells, fire bells and death bells are depicted with rich images. The four movements of Rachmaninoff’s most monumental symphonic poem masterfully bring out the very different moods.
The symphonic dances for large orchestra were written on Long Island in 1940. The first movement contains a quote from the (unsuccessful) first symphony, the second is supposed to deal with the years between the turn of the century and the Russian Revolution, the third combines the dies irae (symbolic for death) with the alleluia of the orthodox liturgy (for the resurrection ). The hopeful hymn of praise triumphs over the Last Judgment in the last bars created by Rachmaninoff, perhaps a premonition of his imminent death.
