Chill With Rachmaninov

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SERGEI RACHMANINOV
Chill With Rachmaninov
Vytautas Sondeckis (cello) Bernd Glemser (piano) / Ireland National Symphony Orchestra / Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra

[ Naxos / CD ]

Release Date: Friday 30 November 2007

This item is currently out of stock. It may take 6 or more weeks to obtain from when you place your order as this is a specialist product.

Sergey Vasilyevich Rachmaninov was born at Semyonovo, Russia in 1873, the son of aristocratic parents. However, his father's extravagant lifestyle depleted the family's fortunes to the extent that they were forced to sell off most of their estate and move to St Petersburg by the time Rachmaninov was nine. It was in this city that he entered the Conservatory on a scholarship.

The subsequent separation of his parents and failure in general subject examinations brought about Rachmaninov's move to the Moscow Conservatory, where he was under the strict supervision of Nikolay Zverev, under whom he developed much of his phenomenal talent as a pianist.

In 1891 Rachmaninov completed his piano studies at the Conservatory and graduated the following year from his composition class. In the immediately ensuing years he enjoyed success as a composer but this was halted by the failure of his Symphony No. 1 at its début performance in 1897. Unfortunately, it was conducted badly by Glazunov, apparently drunk at the time, and then reviewed in hostile terms by César Cui. This severely knocked Rachmaninov's confidence and was a major cause of his depression. He was only able to return to composing after a course of treatment with Dr Nikolay Dahl, a believer in the efficacy of hypnotism. The immediate result was the second of his four piano concertos, a work which has proved to be one of the most immediately popular of all he wrote.

Rachmaninov married Natalya Satina in 1902 and the years leading up to the Russian revolution saw him acquiring international fame due to his continued successful activity as a composer and writer.

The Communist Revolution of 1917 brought many changes. While some musicians remained in Russia, others, like Rachmaninov, chose temporary or permanent exile. Such estrangement forced him to concentrate mainly on performance and as one of the most distinguished pianists of the day, he was able to support his family but found himself with little time left for composition. He undertook demanding concert tours, dazzling audiences all over the globe, but eventually settled in the United States. Rachmaninov died in Beverly Hills in 1943.

Tracks:

Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14 (arr. for cello and orchestra)
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18: II. Adagio sostenuto
Melodie in E major, Op. 3, No. 3
Morceaux de salon, Op. 10: Nocturne in A minor
Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19: Andante
Symphony No. 1 in D minor, Op. 13: Larghetto
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini: Variation 16
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini: Variation 17
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini: Variation 18
Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27: Adagio
Vocalise in E minor, Op. 34, No. 14