Classical Music | Music for Duo

Recorded on 04/22/2008, uploaded on 01/18/2009

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Scherzo, Op. 11 No. 2        Sergei Rachmaninoff       

Rachmaninoff's life was troubled from an early age: his father drank heavily, and his parents separated when he was a child. It was also during this time that his sister died. The composer was plagued with depression throughout his life, and actually suffered a mental breakdown after the failure of his First Symphony in 1897. The Six Pieces for Piano Duet, op. 11 were written in 1894, just after his studies at the Moscow Conservatory. The Romance, in C minor, is a beautiful example of Rachmaninoff's melancholy and lyricism. The Scherzo is in D Major, and is one of the most exciting movements of the set. It is very playful and virtuosic, clearly evincing a youthful Rachmaninoff in a rare playful mood.     Westhuizen Duo

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.