Born on April 1, 1873, on the estate of Oneg, near Novgorod in Russia; Died on March 28, 1943, in Beverly Hills, California
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Composed: 1900-01
Estimated length: 35 minutes
First performance: November 9, 1901, in Moscow, with Rachmaninoff as the soloist and Alexander Siloti conducting the Moscow Philharmonic.
First Nashville Symphony performance: November 25, 1947, with conductor William Strickland and soloist Eugene List at War Memorial Auditorium.
One of the most-beloved concertos in the repertoire sprang into being following a nightmarish dry spell. Sergei Rachmaninoff was working his way out of a long episode of deep depression at the turn of the century. In 1900, the Russian composer sought treatment from the pioneering hypnotherapist Nikolai Dahl (who also happened to be an accomplished musician and was particularly sympathetic to his patient’s plight).
A breakthrough came, and by the summertime Rachmaninoff was composing again. “New musical ideas began to stir within me,” he later recalled, “far more than I needed for my concerto.” He completed the Piano Concerto No. 2 the following year and dedicated it to Dahl. It was an immediate success and quickly established itself in the repertory.
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
Few openings are as famous as the eight chords that toll like bells from the solo piano at the outset. The orchestra enters with the first of the opening movement’s two main themes—a grandly sweeping idea that seems capable of flowing on without measure. Rachmaninoff combines virtuosity with refined orchestral detail to paint this canvas.
The Adagio sostenuto basks in one of the composer’s most unforgettable melodies. Tchaikovsky, whom Rachmaninoff had idolized who became an early supporter, provided a model in his own First Piano Concerto for the introduction of a scherzo-like central section that contrasts with the lyrical framework surrounding it. A brief solo for the pianist serves as a transition back to the nostalgic principal melody.
A short prelude launches the finale but gives way to a mini-cadenza before the main theme is stated. Unlike the first movement, Rachmaninoff establishes a striking contrast between this theme—tightly confined, yet volatile—and the familiar second theme, which is initially played by the violas. It is this melody that encapsulates the Second Concerto’s melancholy, elegiac lyricism—almost as if Rachmaninoff were attempting to smuggle the emotional impact of his beloved Tchaikovsky into a troubled new century.
Among the ensuing episodes are a transformation of the moody second theme into a grandiose version for the entire orchestra, spiced with assertive piano chords. But the spell dissolves quickly. A fleet-fingered coda closes the concerto in the major, with a decisive rhythmic gesture that became Rachmaninoff’s signature to draw the curtain.
In addition to solo piano, scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, and strings.
− Thomas May is the Nashville Symphony's program annotator.
Featured on Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto — November 8 & 9, 2024
Nashville Symphony
Michael Francis, conductor
Natasha Paremski, piano
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