Eight Mood Pictures, Op. 1

One of Medtner’s most ardent supporters, Sergei Rachmaninov, famously said about his friend that his “beginning, published works would be hard for him to equal in later life.” Indeed, Medtner set a high standard with his first published composition, “Prologue,” from the opening piece of Eight Mood Pictures, Op. 1. Inspired by Mikhail Lermentov’s poem, “The Angel,” this heavenly piece is perfect in every way with the opening theme’s serene and ethereal qualities. The music then builds with more passion as it reaches to the climatic point before receding peacefully in the distance at the conclusion of the work. This piece is significant in Medtner’s overall compositional output: the poem would later appear in the preface of his book, The Muse and the Fashion, which laid out his artistic credo.

The remaining pieces in Op. 1 also demonstrate a sense of originality and maturity despite them being reworkings and revisions from his teenage years. No. 2 exhibits a tempestuous and agitated character; No. 3 features a melancholic march; No. 4 is a sweet, lyrical piece; in No. 5, the following quote from another Lermentov poem appears: “through swirling snowstorm and roaring wind a distant bell tolls—it is a funeral chime;” No. 6 conveys a more joyful and festive character; No. 7 suggests a more agitated mood with the syncopated rhythms and interlocking hands; No. 8 is a radiant, graceful waltz.