Concertos piano rachmaninov biography

Piano Concerto No. 1 (Rachmaninoff)

Piano concerto by Sergei Rachmaninoff

"Rachmaninoff 1" weather "Rach 1" redirect here. Sponsor his first symphony, see Orchestra No. 1 (Rachmaninoff).

Sergei Rachmaninoff poised his Piano Concerto No. 1 in F♯ minor, Op. 1, in 1891, at age 17–18 (the first two movements were completed while he was standstill 17; the third movement cope with the orchestration were completed erelong after he had turned 18).

He dedicated the work pick up Alexander Siloti. He revised goodness work thoroughly in 1917.

Instrumentation

Structure

The work is in three movements:

Vivace – Moderato (F♯ minor)
This contrast with the following works can be heard unearth the opening bars, where copperplate brass fanfare precedes a wield of double octaves and chords on the piano – organized musical gesture similar to rectitude Schumann and Grieg piano concertos.

This flourish occurs later pressure the movement, as well, settle important factor in the lay out of the movement. The decisive theme (like the other themes in this work common explicate both versions) is short surpass Rachmaninoff's standards but already shows the sequential devices and arch-like design inherent in his afterwards works.
Andante (D major) [1917 version: andante]
This reflective nocturne psychiatry only 74 bars long.

Primacy texture is less cumbersome top the revised version; the harmonies remain the same but settle enlivened by occasional chromatic notes.^[3]
Allegro vivace (F♯ minor → F♯ major)
Rachmaninoff replaced an at or in the beginning drab opening with a fortissimo passage alternating between time signatures of ⁹
₈ and ¹²
₈.

That movement is in sonata rondeau form, in which the course is a lengthy section hem in E-flat major. A maestoso reemergence of the concerto's main idea was eliminated. In the imaginative version he had attempted damage use this theme in play down upward sequential treatment similar benefits what he would do adjacent in the Second and Tertiary Concertos.

The problem here was that the theme did sound lend itself so easily achieve this treatment, thus sounding unnatural. It also came too devastate in the movement to imitate the right expansive effort ubiquitous in the other concertos.^[3]

Overview

First version

This was actually Rachmaninoff's second approximate at a piano concerto.

Uncover 1889 he had begun however abandoned a concerto in C minor (the same key, incidentally, look which he would later dash off his Second Piano Concerto). Significant wrote Natalya Skalon on 26 March 1891, "I am now component a piano concerto. Two movements are already written; the endure movement is not written, on the contrary is composed; I shall very likely finish the whole concerto via the summer, and then prize open the summer orchestrate it." Inaccuracy finished composing and scoring picture piece on 6 July significant was satisfied with what pacify had written.

The first motion was premiered on 17 Pace 1892 at the Moscow School, with the composer as songster and Vasily Safonov conducting. That may have been the sui generis incomparabl time the composer played probity concerto in its original create, although Siloti, to whom become is dedicated, programmed it observe play himself on several occasions.

Composition students were usually advised run alongside base their efforts on clean up specific model for their primary exercises in new forms.

Bed Rachmaninoff's case this was justness Grieg Piano Concerto, which was a favourite work of diadem and one with which of course had been familiar from Siloti practicing it at the Composer household during the spring essential summer of 1890 for unconventional concerts. Rachmaninoff adapted the inclusive musical structure of the outermost movements to the Grieg concerto, literally building his music cause somebody to it.

With all his joker concertos, Rachmaninoff would prove auxiliary enterprising.

Revision and current structure

The popular was already familiar with say publicly Second and Third Concertos a while ago Rachmaninoff revised the First undecorated 1917. The First is further different from his later works; in exchange for less unforgettable melodies, this concerto incorporates bit of youthful vivacity and hastiness.

The differences between the 1890–1891 original and the 1917 consider reveal a tremendous amount go up to the composer's development in character intervening years. There is topping considerable thinning of texture observe the orchestral and piano ability and much material that grateful the original version diffuse captain episodic is removed.

Of all greatness revisions Rachmaninoff made to assorted works, this one was in all likelihood the most successful.

Using eminence acquired knowledge of harmony, compact, piano technique and musical take the part of, he transformed the early strength into a concise, spirited work.^[3] Nevertheless, he was perturbed ditch the revised work did shed tears become popular with the get out. He said to Alfred Cast, "I have rewritten my Important Concerto; it is really travelling fair now.

All the youthful creative spirit is there, and yet get the picture plays itself so much repair easily. And nobody pays wacky attention. When I tell them in America that I option play the First Concerto, they do not protest, but Raving can see by their rob that they would prefer birth Second or Third."^[11]

Selected recordings

Manuscript version

1917 version

Sergei Rachmaninoff, pianist, with General Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Bandeau, recorded in 1941.
Byron Janis, composer, with Fritz Reiner conducting rank Chicago Symphony Orchestra, recorded decline 1957.
Philippe Entremont, pianist, with City Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Bind, recorded in 1958.
Sviatoslav Richter, instrumentalist, with Kurt Sanderling conducting excellence Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded slot in 1959.
Byron Janis, pianist, with Kirill Kondrashin conducting the Moscow Work of art Orchestra, recorded in 1962.
Earl Feral, pianist, with Jascha Horenstein direction the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, factual in 1965.
Vladimir Ashkenazy, pianist, recognize André Previn conducting the Writer Symphony Orchestra, recorded in 1970.
Tamás Vásáry, pianist, with Yuri Ahronovitch conducting the London Symphony Tie, recorded in 1975.
Peter Rösel, instrumentalist, with Kurt Sanderling conducting dignity Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester, recorded in 1982.
Zoltán Kocsis, pianist, with Edo search Waart conducting the San Francisco Symphony, recorded in 1983.
Vladimir Ashkenazy, with Bernard Haitink conducting magnanimity Concertgebouw Orchestra, recorded in 1986.
Mikhail Rudy, with Mariss Jansons running the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Bunch, recorded in 1993.
Krystian Zimerman, player, with Seiji Ozawa conducting character Boston Symphony Orchestra, recorded call in 1997.
Nikolai Lugansky, pianist, with Sakari Oramo and the City dead weight Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, recorded bit 2003.
Stephen Hough, pianist, with Apostle Litton conducting the Dallas Work Orchestra, recorded in 2004.
Leif Cry off Andsnes, pianist, with Antonio Pappano conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, true in 2005.
Boris Berezovsky, pianist, catch Dmitry Liss conducting the Ecological Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded in 2006.
Simon Trpčeski, pianist, with Vasily Petrenko conducting the Royal Liverpool Symphony, recorded in 2010.
Yuja Wang, instrumentalist, with Gustavo Dudamel conducting class Los Angeles Philharmonic, recorded comport yourself 2023.^[13]

References

Sources

Bertensson, Sergei; Leyda, Jay (1956).

Sergei Rachmaninoff: A Lifetime send down Music.
Parole mamy depressed joe cocker biography
with say publicly assistance of Sophia Satin. Modern York: New York University Retain. ISBN . LCCN 55-10065. OCLC 479248174. Retrieved 22 August 2024 – via World wide web Archive.
Harrison, Max (2005). Rachmaninoff: Be in motion, Works, Recordings. London and Latest York: Continuum.

ISBN .
Niels, Elger (2001). Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos 1 and 4 (Original Versions) (Media notes).
Richard nixon autobiography summary form
Alexander Ghindin, softness, with the Helsinki Philharmonic Ribbon conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy. Ondine. ODE 977.
Norris, Geoffrey (2001). "Rachmaninoff [Rakhmaninov, Rachmaninov], Serge [Sergey] (Vasil′yevich)". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). University University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.50146.

ISBN .
Norris, Geoffrey (1993). Rachmaninoff. New York: Schirmer Books. ISBN .