Sergei Rachmaninoff

The music of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 – 1943) definitely continues the Romantic era, but its unmistakably individual style makes Rachmaninoff one of the most frequently performed composers of the 20th century. His fame is based above all on a small selection of works, first and foremost his concertos and solo pieces for piano, whereas about half his work remains widely unknown. Much the same can be said for his achievement as a performer. It is generally known that Rachmaninoff was one of the most significant pianists of the 20th century, as evidenced by his recordings. However, the fact that he was also a great conductor is practically unrecognised. There is a strange contradiction between Rachmaninoff as a performer and Rachmaninoff as a composer. As a composer, he is associated with opulent pathos, whereas his performing style is famed as being rational and unassuming.

Rachmaninoff was born in 1873 on a secluded Russian estate, where his talent as a pianist was soon recognised and greatly encouraged. As a young man, he endured long years of merciless instrumental drill at the Conservatories of St. Petersburg and Moscow, before he finally received responsible tuition in piano and composition. Rachmaninoff completed his studies with highest distinctions in both subjects in 1891/92, a year before regular graduation. This was a resounding confirmation of his brilliant all-round talent, and Rachmaninoff was torn between careers as a composer, a pianist, or later as a conductor. His first choice was composition.

Rachmaninoff's first steps as a composer were extremely successful, and his opera “Aleko” was enthusiastically praised by Peter I. Tchaikovsky. However, the premiere of his Symphony no. 1 in 1897 was a public failure, and Rachmaninoff was plunged into a serious creative crisis nourished by a propensity to self-doubt, melancholy and depression. Thanks to professional medical support, Rachmaninoff was able to overcome this crisis with the composition of his Piano Concerto no. 2 in 1900/01. This marked the beginning of a particularly fruitful creative period but, throughout his life, this negative mental disposition was to surface repeatedly.

The October Revolution in 1917 was a crucial turning point for Rachmaninoff, who lost both his country estate and his savings and left Russia in December 1917, when he emigrated with his family to the USA. Here, he earned his living primarily as a pianist and began an exceptional career that made him one of the wealthiest musicians of the interwar period. However, Rachmaninoff now experienced only short phases of creative activity, in which he was able to relax and find inspiration for his work. He was an excessive smoker and the diagnosis of terminal cancer in early 1943 led finally to his death on 28 March 1943.