Rakhmaninov (Life&Times series)

The work of Sergey Rakhmaninov (1873-1943) is considered the last musical expression of Romanticism. Born in Novgorod, in pre-Revolutionary Russia, from the age of six he studied piano under Tchaikovsky and in 1892, he established his reputation as a composer with the Prelude in C-sharp Minor.

After the 1917 revolution, Rakhmaninov emigrated to the United States of America. In the West, he devoted himself to playing piano and conducting, and became renowned for the cold stoicism of his performance and the complexity of his piano concerti. Today, musical historians are divided between those who declare his music overly sentimental and those who maintain that his significance cannot be overstated.

His music remains a firm audience favorite on radio playlists and concert programs.