IDAGIO | Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 4 - Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini 7318590009758

Featuring

Owain Arwel Hughes
Noriko Ogawa
Malmö SymfoniOrkester
Sergei Rachmaninoff

Did you know?

1/7

Compositional Technique

In his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Rachmaninov juxtaposes Paganini's famous A minor theme with the 'Dies iræ' theme from the Latin requiem mass.

Composition History

Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 1, was written when he was a relatively young student of eighteen at the Moscow Conservatory.

Composer Biography

After the 1917 Revolution, Rachmaninov left Russia and relied on his income as a concert pianist, which led to a five-year hiatus from composing.

Performer Biography

Noriko Ogawa, the pianist on this recording, is an artist-in-residence at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and has received the Japanese Ministry of Education's Art Prize.

Cultural Impact

Rachmaninov collaborated with Russian dancer Mikhail Fokin on a ballet version of his Paganini Rhapsody, which premiered in London in 1939.

Composition History

Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, was composed in 1934 at his newly built villa 'Senar' by Lake Lucerne.

Critical Reception

The premiere of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor, Op. 40, with the composer as soloist, was considered a "flop" due to its introverted character.