Production II

Composer

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943), Russian composer, pianist and conductor

Work

Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30

Practice

Rachmaninov left Russia for the tour without having fully learned the solo part, and famously practiced it on a silent dummy keyboard during the Atlantic crossing to not disturb other passengers.

Premiere

28 November 1909, New Theatre, New York, with the New York Symphony Society, Rach as soloist and conducted by Walter Damrosch

Premiere feedback

Critics respected Rachmaninov’s honest, simple playing but found the concerto less immediately striking than his Second. Seen as solid and reasonable rather than groundbreaking; impressive in scale, but not necessarily inspiration.

Second performance

Shortly after, with the New York Philharmonic under chief conductor Gustav Mahler, whose thorough rehearsals Rachmaninov greatly admired

Mahler’s rehearsals elaboration

Rachmaninov was struck by how seriously Mahler treated the piece, recalling a rehearsal that overran its scheduled time with no complaint from the orchestra, a level of care he did not associate with the rest of his American tour, which he otherwise experienced as exhausting and commercially driven.

Cadenza/Touring conditions

Rachmaninov wrote two alternative cadenzas for the first movement: the longer, chordal “ossia”, and a shorter, lighter toccata-style version, which he himself played. Two cadenza options suited different performers and touring demands, e.g. preparation time, technical comfort, and the demands of a heavy touring schedule.

Duration

About 40 minutes; three movements