Rachmaninoff: Music for 2 Pianos – Suites Nos. 1 & 2; Symphonic Dances
1/12/2024, 11 Tracks, 1:17:22
Featuring
Howard Shelley
Hilary Macnamara
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Did you know?
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Compositional Technique
The finale of Rachmaninov's Fantaisie (Suite No 1) evokes a Russian Easter, incorporating the traditional chant 'Christ is risen' alongside the sound of bells.
Composition History
The Symphonic Dances, Rachmaninov's final work, was his only composition written entirely in the United States.
Composition History
Rachmaninov's Fantaisie (Suite No 1) was dedicated to Tchaikovsky, who died shortly before its premiere, overshadowing the event.
Composer Biography
As a child, Rachmaninov played piano duets with his grandfather, Arkady Rachmaninov, who had been a pupil of the Irish composer John Field.
Critical Reception
Rachmaninov created a two-piano version of his Symphonic Dances partly because he feared it might be poorly received by critics, as his Symphony No 3 had been.
Composer Biography
Rachmaninov's creative trauma after the disastrous premiere of his Symphony No 1 was overcome through pioneering psychotherapy with Dr. Nikolai Dahl, to whom his Piano Concerto No 2 is dedicated.
Compositional Technique
The Symphonic Dances contain self-quotations from Rachmaninov's earlier works, including his Symphony No 1 and the 'Vespers' (All-Night Vigil).
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