Born in Oneg, Russia in 1873, Sergei Rachmaninoff was known as one of the great Russian Romantic composers, famous in particular for his piano concerti. Rachmaninoff’s early life was marked by strife and tribulations. His father, an army officer, lost the family fortune through risky business ventures before ultimately abandoning the family. His newly single mother struggled to provide for her family and keep an eye on Rachmaninoff’s studies, so at the suggestion of a relative she enrolled Sergei in courses at the Moscow Conservatory under a particularly strict piano teacher. The effect of this decision was to mold one of the greatest performers and composers in Russian history. 

Rachmaninoff studied with many noteworthy instructors and musicians throughout his time, but without a doubt the most influential of these mentors proved to be Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky’s influence can be particularly felt in Rachmaninoff’s Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G Minor, which closely follows the structure of the opening movement of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A minor, titled Pezzo elegiaco. Like this movement, Rachmaninoff’s work closes with a distinctive funeral march. However, there are many things about this piece that are distinctly Rachmaninoff’s. This trio is, rather uniquely, only a single movement work when most trios at the time were 3-4 movements. While the single movement might give audiences the impression that the work will be simple, Rachmaninoff composes 12 distinct sections within that single movement. Listeners are introduced to an elegiac theme in the piano, supported by the strings, but quickly tension and speed start to build throughout the work, following an arc of animation before suddenly shifting to its solemn close.