Sergei Rachmaninoff

late Romanticism

While modernism raged around him, he kept writing grand Romantic melodies: critics sneered, audiences loved it.

💡 Did you know? While his contemporaries broke tonality apart, Rachmaninov stayed true to lush late Romanticism: a „survivor“ of the 19th century in the 20th.

Russia

Born in 1873 on a country estate near Novgorod, into a noble family sliding into poverty.

💡 Did you know? Rachmaninov was at once one of the greatest composers and one of the greatest pianists of his time: a rare double gift.

the Second Piano Concerto

Still one of the world's best-loved piano concertos: its melodies feed even pop songs.

💡 Did you know? His 2nd Piano Concerto came after a severe depression: only hypnotherapy freed him from his creative block; he dedicated the work to his doctor.

Nikolai Dahl

'You will write your concerto. It will be excellent.': Rachmaninoff gratefully dedicated the Second Piano Concerto to him.

💡 Did you know? The crisis was triggered by the disastrous premiere of his First Symphony; the conductor was probably drunk.

Prelude in C-sharp minor

Audiences demanded it at every concert for the rest of his life: until he played 'the' Prelude only grudgingly.

💡 Did you know? The C-sharp minor prelude haunted Rachmaninov all his life: audiences demanded it as an encore at every concert, until he could hardly bear to hear it.

the Third Piano Concerto

The film 'Shine' (1996) made it a symbol of pianistic extremes.

💡 Did you know? Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano Concerto is considered one of the hardest ever: the film „Shine“ made its murderous difficulty known to a wide audience.

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

The famous 18th variation simply turns Paganini's theme upside down and became a film-music classic.

💡 Did you know? The famous 18th variation of the „Paganini Rhapsody“ arises simply by turning Paganini's theme upside down.

the October Revolution

He fled with his family via Scandinavia to the USA and never saw Russia again.

💡 Did you know? After the 1917 revolution Rachmaninov left Russia forever: homesickness for his lost homeland runs through all his late work.

piano virtuoso

He ranks among the greatest pianists of all time. 'When I left Russia, I lost the desire to compose,' he lamented.

💡 Did you know? In American exile Rachmaninov earned his living mainly as a celebrated concert pianist, with little time left to compose.

enormous span

He could easily reach a twelfth: some of his chords are barely playable for normal hands.

💡 Did you know? Rachmaninov's hands were so large that he easily reached chords unplayable for most pianists: some suspect an underlying connective-tissue condition.

Beverly Hills

Shortly before his 70th birthday: just weeks after receiving American citizenship.

💡 Did you know? His last words are said to have been: 'Farewell, my hands.'

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Sergei Rachmaninov was a Russian late-Romantic composer and pianist, famous for his lush piano concertos.

💡 Did you know? His hands were so large that he could reach chords unplayable for most pianists.