In Now Hear This “Rachmaninoff Reborn,” Scott Yoo traces the journey of Sergei Rachmaninoff from Russian aristocrat to American artist — learn more about the famed musician with these five facts!
1) Rachmaninoff drew great inspiration from Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Introduced to his music as a child, Rachmaninoff attended the Moscow Conservatory where Tchaikovsky had served as a professor.
Listen to Rachmaninoff’s “Prelude in C-sharp minor,” composed upon graduation:
2) In addition to his prowess as a composer and pianist, Rachmaninoff was a renowned conductor, appointed Principal Conductor of the Bolshoi Theater in 1904.
3) Primed for piano, Rachmaninoff had uniquely large hands with the ability to reach across 12 notes (as reflected in his complex compositions).
Watch this satirized take on Rachmaninoff’s hand span:
4) Following the 1917 Russian Revolution, Rachmaninoff, then 44 years old, fled Russia with his family and settled in New York City on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
5) Rachmaninoff held a close personal and professional relationship with Russian pianist Vladimir Horowitz, forged during a visit to Steinway Hall in 1928.
Listen to Horowitz perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3:
