Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was renowned as one of the most intensely virtuosic pianists of his day, if not of all time. This may be in part because of his huge hands, which are known to have spanned a 12th on the piano keyboard. He is also remembered as a conductor and a composer whose works represent some of the last great expressions of Romanticism. Born in Russia, he trained at the Moscow Conservatory. He had early success in all three areas of his musical life, including a conducting stint at the Bolshoi Theatre and tours as a concert pianist. The Bolshevik Revolution in Russia led Rachmininoff to leave his homeland permanently, settling in New York in 1918 and Beverly Hills in 1942 (with many a summer spent in Switzerland). While he continued giving piano recitals throughout his life, he largely abandoned conducting and composition after 1917, with only a handful of works dating from his later years. As a composer, he is best remembered for his piano concertos, many solo piano pieces, orchestral works, and vocal works. This is just the tip of the iceberg: see more on Rachmaninoff at Wikipedia, Britannica, Steinway, the Atlanta Symphony, the Rachmaninoff Network, Classicals.de, Classics for Kids, Boosey & Hawkes, PBS Great Performances, his New York Times obituary, the Dallas Symphony, South Coast Repertory, BBC Music, and Classic FM, to name a few.
In 1897, Rachmaninoff fell into a deep depression, unable to compose, after his Symphony no. 1 failed in its first performance, receiving scathing reviews. He eventually found his way to physician and therapist Nikolai Dahl, who specialized in hypnotherapy. The two in engaged in daily therapy sessions for more than three months starting in January, 1900. Reinvigorated, Rachmaninoff began work on the Piano Concerto no. 2 that same year, finishing the second and third movements in time for a partial premiere that December. The first movement followed in 1901, with the full work premiered on November 9, 1901, with the composer at the piano. The performance was a resounding success, and the piece has gone on to become a staple of the repertoire for both pianists and orchestras. It is dedicated to Dahl, whom Rachmaninoff credited for guiding him out of his creative rut. See more about this piece at Wikipedia, the LA Phil, IMSLP, and the RI Phil.
Why is this showing up on a website dedicated to the wind band? Lucky for us and our piano students, there is a band transcription of this concerto! Scott Oaks did the work in 2007. We’ll hear that in a moment. First, here is a definitive recording of Rachmaninoff’s orchestral original, with Yuja Wang on solo piano and Gustavo Dudamel leading the LA Phil.
Bonus: a recording of Rachmaninoff himself!
Here is the Scott Oaks transcription as played by the Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Symphonic Band (now the Queer Big Apple Corps), led by Brian Worsdale with James Adler at the piano:
The band version is available at AdlerOaks Music.