<P>Sergei Rachmaninoff -- the great Russian romantic and arguably the finest pianist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries -- wrote hundreds of songs, which are performed and beloved throughout the world. In his latest book, Richard D. Sylvester collects, translates, and comments upon the lyrics of these "romances" -- a particularly important task given Rachmaninoff's view of the pieces primarily as performances and his painstaking annotation of the scores. This volume is not a singing edition, but rather provides historic and descriptive information, alongside an accurate transliteration and translation of the song texts.</P>