Rachmaninov: Piano Trios

Featuring

Eduard Wulfson
Dmitry Yablonsky
Valeri Grohovski
Sergei Rachmaninoff

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Historical Context

The 1917 Revolution prompted Rachmaninov to leave Russia, forcing him to rely on his skills as a pianist to support his family.

Performer Biography

Dmitry Yablonsky, the cellist, comes from a musical family; his mother, Oxana Yablonskaya, is a concert pianist, and his father was a principal oboist.

Instruments

Dmitry Yablonsky performs on a Matteo Goffriller cello, an instrument made in 1690.

Composer Biography

Sergey Rachmaninov, the composer, was born into an aristocratic family, but his father's financial mismanagement led to the family's decline in fortunes.

Performer Biography

Valeri Grohovski, the pianist on this recording, is known for his virtuosity in both classical piano and jazz improvisation.

Composition History

Rachmaninov's second Piano Trio, Op. 9, subtitled 'à la mémoire d'un grand artiste,' was written in response to the death of Tchaikovsky in 1893.

Composer Biography

Rachmaninov studied at the Moscow Conservatory under notable teachers including Nikolay Zverev, Alexander Ziloti (his cousin), Sergey Taneyev, and Anton Arensky.