“Music is enough for a

lifetime, but a lifetime

is not enough for

music.”

S.V. Rachmaninoff

Biography

S.V. Rachmaninoff was born on April 2, 1873, on a large estate near Novgorod.

He studied music with his mother from age 4; continued at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and then graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in 1892, winning the Great Gold Medal for his new opera "Aleko." When Rachmaninoff was 24, his First Symphony was premiered.

Rachmaninov composed his brilliant 2nd Piano Concerto, and made a comeback with successful concert performances.

From 1904-1906 he was a conductor at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.

In 1909 Rachmaninov made his first tour of the United States having composed the 3rd Piano Concerto as a calling card.

In 1915 he wrote the choral masterpiece: "All-Night Vigil". The Russian Revolution of 1917 and the destruction of his estate forced him to emigrate.

On December 23, 1917, Rachmaninov left Russia on an open sledge carrying only a few books of sheet music.

As a pianist, Rachmaninov made over a hundred recordings and gave over one thousand concerts in America alone between 1918 and 1943.

In 1931, Rachmaninov signed a letter condemning the Soviet regime, that was published in the New York Times.

He became a US citizen in 1943, just a few days before his death. He died on March 28, 1943, in Beverly Hills, California.

Musik

(1891) Piano Concerto No. 1 op. 1

(1892) Prelude & Oriental Dance op. 2

(1892) Morceaux de Fantaisies op. 3 (includes 'Prelude in C sharp minor')

(1890) Six Songs op. 4

(1893) Suite No. 1, op. 5, for two pianos

(1893) Romance and Hunagrian Dance op. 6

(1893) The Rock op. 7

(1893) Trio Elegiaque, op. 9

(1896) Symphony No. 1, op. 13

(1896) Twelve Songs op. 14

(1895) Six Choruses op. 15

(1896) Six Moments Musicaux op. 16

(1901) Suite No. 2, op. 17

(1901) Piano Concerto No. 2 op. 18

(1901) Sonata for Cello and Piano op. 19

(1902) Twelve Songs op. 21

(1903) Variations on a Theme of Chopin op. 22

(1903) Ten Preludes op. 23

(1904) The Miserly Knight op. 24 (opera)

(1905) Francesca da Rimini op. 25 (opera)

(1906) Fifteen Songs op. 26, includes 'Before My Window'

(1908) Symphony No. 2 op. 27

(1908) Sonata for piano No. 1, op. 28

(1909) The Isle of the Dead op. 29 symphonic poem

(1909) Piano Concerto No. 3, op. 30

(1910) Liturgy of St John Chrysostom op. 31

(1910) Thirteen Preludes op. 32

(1911) Etudes-Tableaux op. 33

(1912) Fourteen Songs op. 34

(1913) The Bells op. 35

(1913) Sonata for piano No. 2, op. 36

(1915) All-Night Vigil op. 37

(1916) Six Songs op. 38

(1916) Etudes-Tableaux Opus 39

(1926) Piano Concerto No. 4, op. 40

(1927) The Three Russian Songs op. 41

(1931) Variations on a Theme of Corelli op. 42

(1934) Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for piano and orchestra, op. 43 (sometimes catalogued op. 42)

(1936) Symphony No. 3, op. 44

(1940) Symphonic Dances Opus 45

Piano Concerto No. 2

Thank you for attention!