Rachmaninov believed that music should "speak from the heart" and reflect a composer's personal experiences, including their "love affairs, his religion, the books which have influenced him, the pictures he loves."
Composer Biography
Sergei Rachmaninov, the composer, was described as a "man 'stingy with words'" and rarely smiled, often appearing "world-weary" in public.
Performer Biography
Freddy Kempf, the pianist on this album, gained national prominence at age eight by performing Mozart's Piano Concerto K.V.414 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Composition History
The Etudes-tableaux, Op. 39, were among the last pieces Rachmaninov completed in Russia before he left Petrograd on December 23, 1917, during a time of great political and social upheaval.
Performer Biography
Freddy Kempf's third prize at the 1998 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow caused an outcry in the Russian press, which hailed him as "the hero of the competition."
Compositional Technique
Rachmaninov confided that each of his Etudes-tableaux, Op. 39, had its own "secret" program, though he rarely revealed their specific inspirations.
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