Destination Rachmaninov: Departure

Featuring

Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Daniil Trifonov
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Sergei Rachmaninoff

Did you know?

1/7

Compositional Technique

Despite its sentimental connection, Daniil Trifonov considers Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto to be one of his least Romantic works, describing it as more Classical due to its simplicity, polyphony, and counterpoint.

Composer Biography

Rachmaninov's cousin and conservatory professor, Alexander Siloti, was a pianist, conductor, and composer who mentored and promoted the young Rachmaninov.

Historical Context

Rachmaninov's Fourth Piano Concerto was written in 1926, almost a decade after he left Russia following the Bolshevik Revolution, during a period when he was a celebrated piano virtuoso touring extensively.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Daniil Trifonov, the pianist on this album, states that each of Rachmaninov's four piano concertos has a very specific musical language, synthesizing his musical interests and aesthetic preoccupations at the time of its composition.

Critical Reception

Critical reception for Rachmaninov's Fourth Concerto was mixed, largely because audiences expected it to be similar to his successful Second Concerto, which had become a repertoire staple.

Composer's Artistic Vision

For his Fourth Piano Concerto, Rachmaninov did not look back to earlier styles but instead incorporated contemporary influences like jazz, film music, and industry, resulting in a 'jazzy, mechanical' feel.

Composition History

Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto, which made him world-famous, began with the second movement, based on a Romance he composed for the Skalon sisters in 1890.