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Sergei Vassilyevich Rachmaninoff | |||||||||||
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Music to accompany this page:
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His father, a former captain in the Imperial Guard, squandered nearly all of his wife's dowry, which included five estates, by 1882. The family was forced to move into a small apartment in St. Petersburg. A diphtheria epidemic was running rapid through the city, and Sergei, and two of his siblings became ill. His sister, Sophia was unable to overcome the illness, and eventually succumbed to it. His failures and the death of Sophia humiliated and he left his wife, leaving her to raise the remaining four children on her own. From 1883-1885, Sergey studied at the conservatory in St. Petersburg, but troubles within his family life, and his obsession with the piano, drew his attention away from his studies. The result, was failure in all of his exams. At the schools recommendation, his mother sent him to Moscow to study at the Moscow conservatory, to further explore and expand his musical talents. He lived and studied with Nikolai Zveref, one of the leading musical instructors in Russia. Sergey became more disciplined, and developed a more optimistic outlook on life. Sergey moved out and began studies with his cousin, after a dispute with Zveref. He studied in earnest, and in 1892, he graduated from the conservatory with high honors. A special commendation came directly from Tchaikovsky, on his thesis project, the opera Aleko. Rachmaninoff's work received praise and recognition. He embarked on his musical career upon graduation with gusto. One of his first "professional" Rachmaninoff began working on the second and third movements Piano Concerto No. 2. Audiences reacted applauded the work, and Sergey immediately set about completing the concerto, which he dedicated to Dr. Dahl, his hypnotist. Riding on a wave of success, he announced his plans to wed. Fighting against religious, and popular objections, he wed Natalya Satina, his first cousin. The birth of their daughter, Irina, came in 1903. Sergey's first trip to the United States, came in 1909, on a concert tour. In honor of the trip, he composed Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor. He made his debut as a pianist in New York, and was met with as much approval as his performances as a conductor. The Boston Symphony offered him a permanent position as a conductor, but he declined and returned to his home in Russia. He had fallen in love with the United States at first site, and although he was not ready to relocate, he returned every season. He worked feverishly and by 1918, he had completed over 135 compositions. He Rachmaninoff slipped into a self-imposed exile, and the quantity of new compositions from him diminished. During his time in the states, he would only complete another ten compositions. He found Russia to be the the inspiration for his compositions, and being away from there, reduced his creative flow. He continued to write with the Russian flair, but his opposition to the Communist regime became publically known. In an interview with the New York Times, he announced his criticisms. In 1934, Rachmaninoff composed the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for | ||||||||||||
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Selected Compositions by Rachmaninoff:
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family in Novgorod, Russia. By the age of six, Sergey had begun piano lessons, with Anna Ornatskaya, of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. She noted a special talent in the young boy, and later recommended him for scholarship to the conservatory in 1881.
compositions, the Prelude in C-sharp Minor (Op.3 No.2) became so popular that eventually he grew to hate playing it every time time the audience demanded it. Devastation was soon to hit, after the opening of his first symphony in 1897. The reviews sent him into a downward spiral, that left him in a state of low self-esteem, and the inability to compose. After three years of depression, he finally sought the help of a hypnotist. Sergey's self-confidence was finally restored, and he began composing again.
continued to compose in the styling of Tchaikowsky, blending romance, at a time when most composers were experimenting and seeking new directions. His primary residence remained at a recently inherited estate, Ivanovka, in Russia. He briefly moved to Stockholm, Sweden, in 1917, after the Russian Revolution, but his love for the United States, tugged at him. In 1918, he finally moved to New York, and purchased a home, which he decorated in the same manner as Ivanovka.
piano and orchestra, a set of variations on a Paganini violin caprice. This would become one of his most often played compositions, along with the Second Concerto. Sergey divided his years into two touring seasons, in the United States and Europe. He would keep his European home base as Paris or Lucerne while he touring in Europe. In 1941, Rachmaninoff moved his family to Beverly Hills. His mastering of the English language was still lacking, his group of friends remained small. In 1942 he received his American citizenship. Cancer had consumed his body and on March 28, 1943, Sergey Vassilievich Rachmaninoff passed on.
