Serguéi Rajmaninov · Romanticism
1901
Concert for piano · Moscow
Tonality
Do minor. The end leads to a brilliant major do.
From the atril
In 1897, the premiere of Rajmaninov's First Symphony was a disaster, with a mediocre interpretation and fierce criticism. The composer fell into a depression that prevented him from writing for almost three years. Thanks to the treatment of the doctor Nikolai Dahl, he regained confidence and composed the Concert No. 2, which he himself premiered as a soloist in Moscow in 1901. He dedicated it, grateful, to Dahl.
The beginning is unforgettable: the piano only plays a series of increasingly intense chords, such as bells that approach, until the orchestra enters with the great main theme, while the piano wraps it with arpeggios. The slow movement is of an infinite tenderness, with a dialogue between the piano, the flute and the clarinet. The end combines an energetic theme with one of the most lyrical melodies of Rajmaninov, which returns to a final apotheosis. The film Brief meeting David Lean made it popular all over the world. For the pianist it requires big hands, power and endless singing.
What to hear
- The initial chords of the piano, like bells.
- The dialogue with the flute and the clarinet of the adagio.
- The great lyrical melody of the end.
