Rachmaninoff entered the St. Petersburg College of Music when he was only nine, already a recognized talent at the piano. A troublesome child, he moved to Moscow for disciplinary reasons and entered the Moscow Conservatory of Music, where he subsequently graduated in 1892 with honors. He composed his First Piano Concerto in 1891 and a number of choral works in the years up to 1897. That year saw the premiere of his First Symphony - Op. 13 which was a complete disaster. In 1899, he performed for the first time abraod, in London, where he conducted his earlier tone poem, The Rock, to mixed reviews. In 1900, and back in Russia, he composed his Second Piano Concerto - Op. 18, which had worldwide success. In 1902, he married his first cousin, Natalia Satina, and on their honeymoon travelled throughout Europe. In 1904, he took the position of conductor of the Bolshoi and, while successful, left the following year. In 1906, he left Russia and moved to Dresden where he composed a number of major works, including his Second Symphony - Op. 27 and the First Piano Sonata - Op. 28. In 1909, he embarked on a concert tour of America which was very successful and established his reputation. When the Bolsheviks came to power in 1917, Rachmaninoff left Russia for the final time. He spent some time in Scandinavia before going to America in 1918. Over the next 25 years, he gave over a thousand concerts, often touring abroad. Traveling in Europe in the 1937-38 season, he was scheduled to appear in Vienna, but left when Hitler invaded Austria. He eventually procured American citizenship shortly before his death. In all, he produced three symphonies, numerous choral pieces and songs, solo piano works, chamber music, operas, and other orchestral works. |
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