In the Silence of the Secret Night is a piano arrangement of Sergei Rachmaninoffs setting of Afanasy Fet, taken from the composers song cycle Six Romances, Op. 4 (1890-93). The poem describes a fitful lovers nocturnal yearning. This three-minute piece draws on pianist Kirill Gersteins idiomatic grasp of the composers music, transcribing the song in a way that recalls Rachmaninoffs writing from the early 1900s. It makes for an ideal vignette in a recital programme or elegant encore, suitable for advanced players.
In the transcription of Rachmaninovs song… [Gersteins] musicianship was at once liberated and liberating.
The Observer (Fiona Maddocks)
