These gems are never far from me nor I from them.

To be sure, I’ve loved the songs in their original form for voice and piano for a very long time and am the greatest fan of these transcriptions for many reasons...not the least of which is Wild’s great respect for and scrupulous adherence to Rachmaninoff’s original scores -- but above that, they are just so beautiful to hear and so gratifying to play.

In speaking of Wild’s transcriptions of these songs and his transcriptions of seven Gershwhin songs - another favourite set of mine - he told me once that in neither set of arrangements was he desirous of changing the intent of the songs of either composer but to simply provide an appropriately beautiful setting for the piano.

In his own words, he described his arrangements as “sonic curtains and draperies.”

And what a room did he design with those curtains of rippling sound and draperies of vibrantly colourful brocades! 

These are all perfect gems and it is my greatly held belief that we all are parched for the touch of the beautiful which wants nothing but to mirror the image of the onlooker who is, in turn, reminded of their innate beauty and worthiness.

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