Composer · Late Romantic
Sergei Rachmaninoff
1873–1943 · Russian
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) was the last great representative of Russian Romanticism, a composer of sweeping, melancholy lyricism and a piano virtuoso of legendary gifts. His early career was nearly derailed by the catastrophic premiere of his First Symphony in 1897, which plunged him into a years-long depression; he recovered, with the help of therapy, to write the hugely popular Second Piano Concerto, and went on to create the works for which he is loved: the piano concertos, the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, the symphonies, the songs and the great piano pieces. After the Russian Revolution he left his homeland forever, settling eventually in the United States and supporting himself largely as a touring concert pianist, composing far less but with undiminished mastery. His music’s combination of long-breathed melody, rich harmony and deep, nostalgic emotion has made it among the most beloved of all.
Works
- Cinq Études-tableaux (orchestration Respighi) 1
- Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 1 1
- Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor, Op. 40 1
- Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 1
- Scherzo in D minor 1
- Symphonic Dances, Op. 45 2
- Symphony No. 1 in D minor, Op. 13 1
- Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 1
- The Rock, Op. 7 1
Performed at
Upcoming
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Classics by Rachmaninoff: Paganini Rhapsody and Symphonic Dances Langer · Rachmaninoff
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Klaus Mäkelä and Yunchan Lim: Larcher, Rachmaninoff’s Fourth Piano Concerto and Sibelius’s Seventh Larcher · Rachmaninoff · Sibelius
Past guides
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Noseda: Debussy, Berg’s Violin Concerto and Rachmaninoff’s First Debussy · Berg · Rachmaninoff
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Elim Chan: Bartók, a New Oboe Concerto and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances Bartók · Matthews · Rachmaninoff
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Treviño: Messiaen, Illés and Rachmaninoff’s Second Messiaen · Illés · Rachmaninoff
Sources 1
- Sergei Rachmaninoff, Wikipedia