Sergej Rachmaninov, a talented pianist with composing ambitions, fell into a severe depression after the flop of his first symphony in 1897.
Composition History
Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 was inspired by psychotherapeutic treatment from Nikolay Dahl, a doctor who helped him regain self-esteem.
Album & Artwork
The album's selection of concertos represents six different countries: Russia, Italy, Austria, France, Hungary, and the USA.
Compositional Technique
Respighi's Concerto in modo misolidio uses the Mixolydian mode (G major with F instead of F sharp) as its basis, inspired by Gregorian music.
Composer Biography
Franz Schmidt, an Austrian composer, played cello in Arnold Schoenberg's quartet and was a member of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
Composer Biography
Ottorino Respighi, the Italian composer, worked for two years as a violist at the 'Opera Italiana' festival in St. Petersburg around the turn of the century.
Album & Artwork
This album presents five works for piano and orchestra, spanning from the turn of the 20th century to 1945, the year the Second World War ended.
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Franck: Symphonic Variations; Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1; Saint-Saens: Piano Concerto No. 2
