Rachmaninov: Preludes Op. 23 / Cinq Morceaux De Fantaisie

Idil Bir

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Cat No: 8550348

Release Date: 12 January 2000

Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 4891030503489

Genres: Classical

Composer/Series: RACHMANINOV

Description
SergeyRachmaninov (1873 - 1943)Ten Preludes, Op.23 Cinq Morceaux defantaisie, Op. 3 SergeyVasilyevich Rachmaninov was born at Semyonovo in 1873. His family, one ofstrong military traditions on both his father's and mother's side, waswell-to-do, but the extravagance of his father made it necessary to sell offmuch of their land. Rachmaninov's childhood was spent largely at the oneremaining family estate at Oneg, near Novgorod. The reduction in familycircumstances had at least one happier result. When it became necessary to sellthe estate at Oneg and to move to St. Petersburg, the expense of education forthe Imperial service proved too great. Rachmaninov could make use, instead, ofhis musical gifts, entering St. Petersburg Conservatory at the age of nine as ascholarship student.Not aparticularly industrious student and lacking the attention that he needed athome, in 1885 Rachmaninov failed his general subject examinations at theConservatory and there were threats that his scholarship would be withdrawn.His mother, now separated from his father and responsible for the boy'swelfare, arranged that he should move to Moscow to study with Zverev, a teacherof known strictness. In Zverev's house, however uncongenial the strict routine,he acquired much of his phenomenal technique as a pianist, while broadening hismusical understanding by attending concerts in the city. At the age of fifteenhe became a pupil of Zverev's former pupil Ziloti at the Conservatory, studyingcounterpoint and harmony with Sergey Taneyev and Arensky. His growing interestin composition led to a quarrel with Zverev and removal to the house of hisrelations, the Satins.In 1891Rachmaninov completed his piano studies at the Conservatory and the compositionof his first piano concerto. The following year he graduated from thecomposition class and composed his notorious Prelude in C sharp minor, apiece that was to haunt him by its excessive popularity. His early careerbrought initial success as a composer, halted by the failure of his firstsymphony, conducted badly by Glazunov, apparently drunk at the time, andreviewed in the cruellest terms by Cesar Cui who described it as a studentattempt to depict in music the seven plagues of Egypt. Rachmaninov busiedhimself as a conductor, signing a contract with the Mamontov opera company. Asa composer, however, he suffered from the poor reception of his symphony andwas only enabled to continue alter a course of treatment with Dr. Nikolay Dahl,a believer in the efficacy of hypnotism. The immediate result was the second ofhis four piano concertos.The years beforethe Russian revolution brought continued successful activity as a composer andas a conductor. In 1902 Rachmaninov married Natalya Satina and went on topursue a career that brought him increasing international lame. There werejourneys abroad and a busy professional life, from which summer holidays at theestate of Ivanovka, which he finally acquired from the Satins in 1910, providedrespite. Ail this
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