Rachmaninoff's work, despite its popularity, suffered from ideological discrimination that unjustly categorized it as pseudo-romantic.
Composition History
The Suite No. 1 for two pianos, Op. 5, 'Fantaisie-Tableaux', was composed in 1893 and dedicated to Piotr Ilitch Tchaikovsky.
Composer Biography
Rachmaninoff left Russia in December 1917 due to the revolution and settled in the United States, where he remained until his death in 1943.
Composer Biography
Most of Rachmaninoff's original compositions were written before 1917; he composed only six additional works between 1917 and 1943, while living outside Russia.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Rachmaninoff's creative essence was inspired by Russian musical tradition, love for his homeland's nature, and the ritual songs of the Orthodox liturgy and the sound of church bells.
Composition History
Rachmaninoff's Suite No. 2 for two pianos, Op. 17, composed in 1901, marked the end of a depressive period that began after the failure of his First Symphony in 1897.
Compositional Technique
Each of the four movements in Rachmaninoff's Suite No. 1 is introduced by a poetic quotation from authors like Mikhail Lermontov and Lord Byron, reflecting its 'musical images or paintings' concept.
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