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Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, 4 Preludes

4/1/2012, 10 Tracks, 1:15:38

Featuring

  • Kurt Sanderling
  • Sviatoslav Richter
  • Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra
  • USSR State Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra
  • Sergei Rachmaninoff

Did you know?

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Composer Biography

Sergei Rachmaninov, the composer, could trace his musical lineage back to the Beethoven school of piano playing through his cousin Alexander Ziloti, who studied with Liszt.

Source: Booklet

Compositional Technique

The dramatic drop of a semitone between the slow movement and the scherzo-like finale in Rachmaninov's First Piano Concerto is derived from Beethoven's 'Emperor' Concerto.

Source: Booklet

Recording & Production

The Preludes on this album were recorded live during Svjatoslav Richter's first tour in North America in 1960.

Source: Booklet

Composer's Artistic Vision

The Second Piano Concerto is seen as a confession and a deep analysis of the changes Rachmaninov's mind underwent during his recovery, serving as a self-portrait.

Source: Booklet

Composition History

Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 1 was revised in 1917, just before the composer left Russia during the revolution.

Source: Booklet

Composition History

Rachmaninov dedicated his Second Piano Concerto to Nikolay Dahl, a hypnotherapist who helped him overcome a creative block after the disastrous premiere of his First Symphony.

Source: Booklet

Performer Biography

Svjatoslav Richter, the pianist on this recording, made his first trip to the West in Finland, arranged through Ekaterina Furtseva, a confidante of Nikita Khrushchev.

Source: Booklet

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Khachaturian: Piano Concerto / Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 2
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©℗ 2012 Praga Digitals