Vocalise

In 1915 Sergei Rachmaninov composed the 'Fourteen Songs' opus 34. The last song of this set is the Vocalise. Written for high voice (soprano or tenor) with piano accompaniment, it contains no words, but is sung using any one vowel. The 'Vocalise' is vaguely melancholy and haunting, as so much Russian music is, but most of all it has this uncanny ability to escape your grasp. If you know it, you will recognize it instantly by the first two or three notes.

The 'Vocalise' became so popular that it has been arranged for all sorts of instrumental setups. This publication is a transcription of the version Rachmaninov himself made for voice and orchestra where the solo part is played by a Alto Saxophone.