Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3

Featuring

Owain Arwel Hughes
Noriko Ogawa
Malmö SymfoniOrkester
Sergei Rachmaninoff

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Composition History

Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 was composed after he underwent therapy with Dr. Nikolai Dahl, a psychiatrist specializing in hypnosis and an amateur musician, who helped restore his self-confidence.

Cultural Impact

The popularity of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 was boosted when it was used as the soundtrack for David Lean's famous 1946 film, Brief Encounter.

Instruments

The viola part in Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 is unusually prominent, a detail that may be connected to the fact that Dr. Dahl, to whom the concerto is dedicated, played the viola.

Composer Biography

After the disastrous premiere of his First Symphony, Rachmaninov fell into a deep spiritual crisis and composed virtually nothing for three years, describing himself as 'a man who had suffered a severe blow, the brain and hands paralyzed.'

Critical Reception

In the mid-20th century, Rachmaninov was often dismissed by those who considered themselves progressive, as his melodic, Romantic style was seen as 'schmaltz' and out of step with dodecaphonic trends.

Critical Reception

Rachmaninov's Symphony No. 1 in D minor was harshly criticized at its 1897 premiere, with composer César Cui calling it 'a musical setting of the seven plagues of Egypt.'

Compositional Technique

Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 is exceptionally difficult to play, requiring immense physical stamina and digital brilliance, so much so that its dedicatee, Josef Hofmann, never performed it.