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Sergey Rachmaninov
April 1, 1873 - March 28, 1943
born in Semyonovo, Russia, composed during the Romantic period
born in Semyonovo, Russia, composed during the Romantic period
Sergey Vasilyevich Rachmaninov, born in Semyonovo, Russia, on April 1, 1873, is today remembered as one of the most formidable pianists of all time and the last truly great composer in the Russian Romantic tradition. Rachmaninov came from a music-loving, land-owning family; young Sergey's mother fostered the boy's innate talent by giving him his first piano lessons. After a decline in the family fortunes, the Rachmaninovs moved to St. Petersburg, where Sergey studied with Vladimir Delyansky at the Conservatory. As his star continued to rise, Sergey went to the Moscow Conservatory, where he received a sound musical training: piano lessons from the strict disciplinarian Nikolay Zverev and Alexander Siloti (Rachmaninov's cousin), counterpoint with Taneyev, and harmony with Arensky. During his time at the Conservatory, Rachmaninov boarded with Zverev, whose weekly musical Sundays provided the young musician the valuable opportunity to make important contacts and to hear a wide variety of music.
As Rachmaninov's conservatory studies continued, his burgeoning talent came into full flower; he received the personal encouragement of Tchaikovsky, and, a year after earning a degree in piano, took the Conservatory's gold medal in composition for his opera Aleko (1892). Early setbacks in his compositional career -- particularly, the dismal reception of his Symphony No. 1 (1895) -- led to an extended period of depression and self-doubt, which he overcame with the aid of hypnosis. With the resounding success of his Piano Concerto No. 2 (1900-1901), however, his lasting fame as a composer was assured. The first decade of the twentieth century proved a productive and happy one for Rachmaninov, who during that time produced such masterpieces as the Symphony No. 2 (1907), the tone poem Isle of the Dead (1907), and the Piano Concerto No. 3 (1909). On May 12, 1902, the composer married his cousin, Natalya Satina.
By the end of the decade, Rachmaninov had embarked on his first American tour, which cemented his fame and popularity in the United States. He continued to make his home in Russia but left permanently following the Revolution in 1917; he thereafter lived in Switzerland and the United States between extensive European and American tours. While his tours included conducting engagements (he was twice offered, and twice refused, leadership of the Boston Symphony Orchestra), it was his astounding pianistic abilities which won him his greatest glory. Rachmaninov was possessed of a keyboard technique marked by precision, clarity, and a singular legato sense. Indeed, the pianist's hands became the stuff of legend. He had an enormous span -- he could, with his left hand, play the chord C-E flat-G-C-G -- and his playing had a characteristic power, which pianists have described as "cosmic" and "overwhelming." He is, for example, credited with the uncanny ability to discern, and articulate profound, mysterious movements in a musical composition which usually remain undetected by the superficial perception of rhythmic structures.
Fortunately for posterity, Rachmaninov recorded much of his own music, including the four piano concerti and what is perhaps his most beloved work, the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (1934). He became an American citizen a few weeks before his death in Beverly Hills, CA, on March 28, 1943. ~ Michael Rodman, Rovi
As Rachmaninov's conservatory studies continued, his burgeoning talent came into full flower; he received the personal encouragement of Tchaikovsky, and, a year after earning a degree in piano, took the Conservatory's gold medal in composition for his opera Aleko (1892). Early setbacks in his compositional career -- particularly, the dismal reception of his Symphony No. 1 (1895) -- led to an extended period of depression and self-doubt, which he overcame with the aid of hypnosis. With the resounding success of his Piano Concerto No. 2 (1900-1901), however, his lasting fame as a composer was assured. The first decade of the twentieth century proved a productive and happy one for Rachmaninov, who during that time produced such masterpieces as the Symphony No. 2 (1907), the tone poem Isle of the Dead (1907), and the Piano Concerto No. 3 (1909). On May 12, 1902, the composer married his cousin, Natalya Satina.
By the end of the decade, Rachmaninov had embarked on his first American tour, which cemented his fame and popularity in the United States. He continued to make his home in Russia but left permanently following the Revolution in 1917; he thereafter lived in Switzerland and the United States between extensive European and American tours. While his tours included conducting engagements (he was twice offered, and twice refused, leadership of the Boston Symphony Orchestra), it was his astounding pianistic abilities which won him his greatest glory. Rachmaninov was possessed of a keyboard technique marked by precision, clarity, and a singular legato sense. Indeed, the pianist's hands became the stuff of legend. He had an enormous span -- he could, with his left hand, play the chord C-E flat-G-C-G -- and his playing had a characteristic power, which pianists have described as "cosmic" and "overwhelming." He is, for example, credited with the uncanny ability to discern, and articulate profound, mysterious movements in a musical composition which usually remain undetected by the superficial perception of rhythmic structures.
Fortunately for posterity, Rachmaninov recorded much of his own music, including the four piano concerti and what is perhaps his most beloved work, the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (1934). He became an American citizen a few weeks before his death in Beverly Hills, CA, on March 28, 1943. ~ Michael Rodman, Rovi
Selected Discography
x
Track List: A Rachmaninoff Weekend
Title: Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini (Introduction And 24 Variations), In A Minor For Piano & Orchestra, Op. 43
Title: Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 18
Title: Prelude For Piano No.5 In D Major, Op. 23/4
Title: Vocalise, Song For Voice & Piano, Op. 34/14
Title: Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor, Op. 30
x
Track List: Etudes-Tableaux Op. 33, Op. 39
Title: Etudes-tableaux, For Piano, Op. 33
Title: Etudes-tableaux, For Piano, Op. 39
x
Track List: Evening Star: The Rachmaninov Vespers
Title: Vespers (All-Night Vigil), for alto, tenor & chorus, Op. 37
x
Track List: Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2
Title: Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 18
x
Track List: Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 30 / Suite No. 2 for two pianos
Title: Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor, Op. 30
Title: Suite No. 2 For 2 Pianos In C Major, Op. 17
x
Track List: Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 4
Title: Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 18
Title: Piano Concerto No. 4 In G Minor, Op. 40
Title: Russian Rhapsody, For 2 Pianos In E Minor, TN Ii/23
x
Track List: Rachmaninoff: Preludes (complete)
Title: Prelude For Piano No.1 In C Sharp Minor ("The Bells Of Moscow"), Op. 3/2
Title: Preludes (10) For Piano, Op. 23
Title: Preludes (13) For Piano, Op. 32
x
Track List: Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2; Dances From Aleko; Scherzo
Title: Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27
Title: Scherzo, For Orchestra In D Minor, TN Ii/40
Title: Aleko, Opera, TN Ii/70
x
Track List: Rachmaninov - Elegy, Preludes, Piano Concerto No.3
Title: Elegy, Op. 3 No. 1
Title: Prelude In C-sharp Minor, Op. 3 No. 2
Title: Polichinelle, Op. 3 No. 4
Title: Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor, Op. 30
Title: Prelude For Piano No.16 In G Major, Op. 32/5
Title: Prelude For Piano No.23 In G Sharp Minor, Op. 32/12
Title: Prelude For Piano No.6 In G Minor, Op. 23/5
Title: Prelude For Piano No.7 In E Flat Major, Op. 23/6
Title: Prelude For Piano No.3 In B Flat Major, Op. 23/2
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: 24 Preludes/Piano Sonata No.2
Disc 1
Title: Prelude For Piano No.1 In C Sharp Minor ("The Bells Of Moscow"), Op. 3/2
Title: Preludes (10) For Piano, Op. 23
Title: Preludes (13) For Piano, Op. 32
Disc 2
Title: Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op.36
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Complete Operas (Aleko, The Miserly Knight, Francesca di Rimini)
Disc 1
Title: Aleko, Opera, TN Ii/70
Disc 2
Title: The Miserly Knight, Opera, Op. 24
Disc 3
Title: Francesca Da Rimini, Opera, Op. 25
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Complete Piano Concertos / Rhapsody
Disc 1
Title: Piano Concerto No. 1 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 1
Title: Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 18
Disc 2
Title: Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor, Op. 30
Title: Piano Concerto No. 4 In G Minor, Op. 40
Disc 3
Title: Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini (Introduction And 24 Variations), In A Minor For Piano & Orchestra, Op. 43
Title: Variations On A Theme Of Corelli, For Piano, Op. 42
Title: Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op.36
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Complete Works For Cello And Piano
Title: Sonata for cello and piano in G minor, Op. 19
Title: In The Silence Of The Secret Night, Song For Voice & Piano, Op. 4/3
Title: Lied (Romance), For Cello & Piano In F Minor, TN Ii/32
Title: Melodie On A Theme By S. Rachmaninov, For Cello (or Violin) & Piano In D Major, TN Ii/33
Title: Pieces (2) For Cello & Piano, Op. 2
Title: Vocalise, instrumental arrangement, Op. 34/14
Title: Pieces (2) For Cello & Piano, Op. 2
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Morceaux de Salon, Op. 10; Moments Musicaux, Op. 16
Title: Morceaux De Salon, For Piano, Op. 10
Title: Moments Musicaux (6) For Piano, Op. 16
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Morceaux de salon, Op. 10; Three Nocturnes; Four Pieces
Title: Nocturnes (3) For Piano, TN Ii/13
Title: Pieces (4) For Piano, TN Ii/12
Title: Morceaux De Salon, For Piano, Op. 10
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Music For 2 Pianos
Disc 1
Title: Suite No. 1 ("Fantaisie-tableaux") For 2 Pianos In G Minor, Op. 5
Title: Suite No. 2 For 2 Pianos In C Major, Op. 17
Title: Etudes-tableaux, For Piano, Op. 33
Disc 2
Title: Symphonic Dances, For Orchestra (Or 2 Pianos), Op. 45
Title: Russian Rhapsody, For 2 Pianos In E Minor, TN Ii/23
Title: Variations On A Theme Of Corelli, For Piano, Op. 42
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Opera Highlights
Title: Aleko, Opera, TN Ii/70
Title: The Miserly Knight, Opera, Op. 24
Title: Francesca Da Rimini, Opera, Op. 25
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Paganini Rhapsody, 6 Preludes, Etc
Title: Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini (Introduction And 24 Variations), In A Minor For Piano & Orchestra, Op. 43
Title: Variations On A Theme Of Corelli, For Piano, Op. 42
Title: Morceaux De Fantaisie (5), For Piano, Op. 3
Title: Preludes (10) For Piano, Op. 23
Title: Preludes (13) For Piano, Op. 32
Title: Preludes (10) For Piano, Op. 23
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2
Title: Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini (Introduction And 24 Variations), In A Minor For Piano & Orchestra, Op. 43
Title: Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 18
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2; Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini
Title: Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini (Introduction And 24 Variations), In A Minor For Piano & Orchestra, Op. 43
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos 2 & 3
Title: Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 18
Title: Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor, Op. 30
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos 3 & 4
Title: Piano Concerto No. 4 In G Minor, Op. 40
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Symphony 3/Symphonic Dances
Title: Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44
Title: Symphonic Dances, For Orchestra (Or 2 Pianos), Op. 45
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 1 / Isle Of The Dead
Title: The Isle Of The Dead, Symphonic Poem, Op. 29
Title: Symphony No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 13 (Lost; Reconstructed From Piano Duets And Orch. Fragments)
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3; Symphonic Dances
Title: Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44
Title: Symphonic Dances, For Orchestra (Or 2 Pianos), Op. 45
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3; Symphonic Dances
Title: Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44
Title: Symphonic Dances, For Orchestra (Or 2 Pianos), Op. 45
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: The "Elegiac" Piano Trios
Title: Trio Élégiaque, For Piano & Strings In G Minor, TN Ii/34
Title: Trio Élégiaque, For Piano & Strings In D Minor, Op. 9
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: The Bells/Symphonic Dances
Title: Symphonic Dances, For Orchestra (Or 2 Pianos), Op. 45
Title: The Bells, choral symphony for soprano, tenor, baritone, chorus & orchestra, Op. 35
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: The Symphonies
Disc 1
Title: Symphony No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 13 (Lost; Reconstructed From Piano Duets And Orch. Fragments)
Title: Symphonic Dances, For Orchestra (Or 2 Pianos), Op. 45
Disc 2
Title: Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27
Title: The Isle Of The Dead, Symphonic Poem, Op. 29
Disc 3
Title: Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44
Title: The Bells, choral symphony for soprano, tenor, baritone, chorus & orchestra, Op. 35
x
Track List: Rachmaninov: Vespers
Title: Vespers (All-Night Vigil), for alto, tenor & chorus, Op. 37
x
Comments
Just a note on an urelated matter: it is not a good idea to post one's email address on a public forum. My opinion, of course.
O.O
http://www.y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v = L o c y x t m Z 4 t Q & f e a t u r e = r e l a t e d
I have moved to Beethoven as my favorite. I was initially hooked on classical music after become addicted to Rachmaninov' s Second Concerto. I still enjoy it as one of my favoites. A Close second is his Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini.