August 8, 2011

Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto no. 4. By the time Sergei Rachmaninov emigrated from Russia in December of 1917 he was of 44, and had already written most of his most successful compositions: the Second and Third Piano Concertos, two piano sonatas, two sets of Études-Tableaux, two sets of piano Preludes and other piano pieces, two symphonies, the symphonic poem Isle of the Dead, and the choral symphony The Bells. In fact, in the last 26 years of his life Rachmaninov wrote only five significant pieces: Piano Concerto no. 4 (in 1926, revised in 1941), piano Variations on a Theme of Corelli (in 1931), the ever-popular Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for piano and orchestra (in 1936), Symphony No. 3 (in 1941), and the orchestral Symphonic Dances.

The story of the Piano Concerto no. 4 Op. 40 is very interesting.  Rachmaninov wrote it in 1926.  He showed the score to his friends, the composer Nikolai Medtner (to whom he dedicated the Concerto) and the pianist Joseph Hoffman.  Both liked the score and were very supportive. Rachmaninov, on the other hand, felt very insecure about the piece: he apparently thought that the 3^rd movement was too long and not dynamic enough, and that there was “too much orchestra” (it’s true that the orchestra plays practically throughout the duration of the concerto, but the same could be said about the Second concerto, and why would that be wrong in itself is not at all clear).  The concerto was premiered in Philadelphia in March of 1927; Rachmaninov himself played the piano, with Leopold Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra (during that time Rachmaninov played the concerto five more times).  The reception was universal – and highly negative. The discouraged Rachmaninov made a number of cuts to the score and published it in 1928.  In 1941 he revised the concerto again, making more cuts and considerably changing the Finale.  Rachmaninov premiered the revised version in 1941, also with the Philadelphia Orchestra, but in this case under the baton of Eugene Ormandi.  The public reception, if somewhat better than in 1927, was rather cool, and Rachmaninov himself was left unsatisfied with the orchestral part.

Some musicians, Vladimir Ashkenazy in particular, believe that the original uncut manuscript version of 1926 was superior to all the revisions, and that the composer “got it right” the first time around.  The original manuscript became available to the public only in 2003 when it was published by Boosey and Hawke; very few recordings of it have been made since then.  You can hear one as performed by the pianist Eteri Andjaparidze, with Pascal Verrot conducting the Round Top Festival Orchestra.  To listen, click here.

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