In 1889 Rachmaninoff started work on a piano concerto but abandoned it, leaving only some sketches. But he returned to the genre in the following year, finishing the F-sharp minor Concerto in 1891 as a graduation project from the St. Petersburg Conservatory. It was a sensational success at its premiere, lauded by fellow pianists and public alike for its brilliant dramatic contrasts, sensuous slow movement and fiery, driving finale that required dazzling virtuosity from the soloist. Rachmaninoff performed it on a number of occasions but was dissatisfied with it and revised it extensively, especially the orchestration, shortly before his departure from Russia in December of 1917. The revision is the version generally performed today, although there exist historic recreations of the original on CD.

The overall structure of the first movement bears what was to become Rachmaninoff’s unmistakable signature, repeated in the subsequent three concertos. It opens with a brass fanfare, followed by the piano in descending octaves and ominous chords, after which the orchestra introduces the main theme followed by a much gentler cantabile second. The development involves much flashy finger work and in places recalls Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto. A lengthy cadenza leads to the end of the movement.

The quality of the themes of the second movement, the unusual harmonic progressions and languid figuration by the piano, give it the quality of an endless melody. It opens with a plaintive horn call after which the piano introduces the main theme, which never returns in its original form. The middle section is a duet for piano and bassoon. The movement has been compared to a Chopin étude. 

The Finale is particularly noteworthy for its surprising harmonic wanderings and showy pianistic display – sometimes at the expense of coherent melodies. In all of his concertos, however, Rachmaninoff’s finales alternate flashy writing for piano with a contrasting slower and more lyric middle section combining his skills as a melodist with Romantic expressiveness.

Program notes by:
Joseph & Elizabeth Kahn
Wordpros@mindspring.com
www.wordprosmusic.com