Solo Pianist - Diary entries
Many of the initial performance details listed here were compiled from Zarui Apetian’s important research, published in Literaturnoye Nasledie [Collected Literature] (Sovietskii Kompozitor: Moscow, 1980, vol. 3, pp. 439-467). These details have been subsequently cross-referenced and checked with the many itineraries and other corroborating materials, especially substantial research that identified precise program details, collected by Rachmaninoff’s sister-in-law, Sophia Satina, housed in the Rachmaninoff Archive of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C (LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R22, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89). Further information has been gathered from Barrie Martyn’s book Rachmaninoff: Composer, Pianist, Conductor (Scolar Press: London, 1990), A Catalogue of the Compositions of S. Rachmaninoff by Robert Threlfall and Geoffrey Norris (Scolar Press: London, 1982), and research undertaken at the Glinka Museum of Musical Culture, Moscow.
November 9 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was an all-Scriabin recital program. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 13 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina notes that this was an all-Rachmaninoff recital program. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 16 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicates that the complete program for this concert is unknown, but in later notes has indicated that included were the Prelude in G flat major, op. 23, no. 10, the Prelude in G major, op. 32, no. 5, and the Etudes-Tableaux in F minor and G minor from op. 33. Encores included the Barcarolle, op. 10, no. 3, the Polichinelle, op. 3, no. 4, and the transcription of ‘Lilacs’, op. 21, no. 5. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 18 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 24 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: St Petersburg was known as Petrograd at this time. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 26 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina believes that the program also included a Moment musical, op. 16, six Etudes-Tableau from op. 33, and six Preludes from op. 23 and op. 32. St Petersburg was known as Petrograd at this time. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 30 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina notes that this was the 3rd Symphony Concert of the season. As encores, Rachmaninoff played his Prelude in G sharp minor, op. 32, no. 12, and Prelude in G minor, op. 23, no. 5. Satina also indicates that, due to the war, audience members were allowed to listen to the final rehearsal on the previous day, November 29, for a small fee, the money raised being donated to ‘wounded men’. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 3 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was an all-Scriabin recital program. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 5 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina writes: ‘A printed program of this concert has been given to Rachmaninoff by a Russian refugee in Europe. This rare copy is added at present to section 5 of the Rachmaninoff Archive’. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 9 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was an all-Scriabin recital program. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 10 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina writes that this recital was given to students of the Conservatory in the morning. Satina indicates that only Rachmaninoff and Scriabin works were in the program, which itself raises a question: up to this point, in recitals Rachmaninoff was either exclusively playing his own works, or those of Scriabin. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 13 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 14 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicates that the complete program for this concert is unknown, but in later notes has indicated that included were the Prelude in G flat major, op. 23, no. 10, the Prelude in G major, op. 32, no. 5, the Etudes-Tableaux in F minor and G minor from op. 33. Encores included the Barcarolle, op. 10, no. 3, the Polichinelle, op. 3, no. 4, and the transcription of ‘Lilacs’, op. 21, no. 5. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 16 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: St Petersburg was known as Petrograd at this time. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 18 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: St Petersburg was known as Petrograd at this time. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 10 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was an all-Rachmaninoff recital program. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 28 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was a concert for the benefit of the All-Russian Cities Union, and included Scriabin’s Piano Sonata no. 5, op. 53, and ‘Ten Preludes’, along with unknown works by Rachmaninoff. St Petersburg was known as Petrograd at this time. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 3 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicates that this concert was for the benefit of the All-Russian Cities Union, and that it comprised an all-Rachmaninoff program. St Petersburg was known as Petrograd at this time. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 15 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina notes that this was an all-Rachmaninoff recital program. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 29 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina notes that this was the first performance of the Etudes-Tableaux, op. 39, although it is pertinent that only 8 are included in the set: the manuscripts for nos. 5 and 9 bear the date 1917, so it is likely that one of these was not played. (Threlfall and Norris claim that no. 5 was performed at this concert.) Satina indicates that the program has been constructed from a review of both this concert and one on December 1, and that it’s not possible to ascertain if Rachmaninoff played 6 Preludes from op. 23 and 6 Preludes from op. 32, or only 6 in total (or whether there were 12 Preludes in total from the two nights). Satina also indicates that the Variations on a Theme of Chopin, op. 22, might have been performed at this concert. St Petersburg was known as Petrograd at this time. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 1 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: This was the second performance of the Etudes-Tableaux, op. 39, although it is pertinent that only 8 are included in the set: the manuscripts for nos. 5 and 9 bear the date 1917, so it is likely that one of these was not played. Satina indicates that the program has been constructed from a review of both this concert and that on November 29, and that it’s not possible to ascertain if Rachmaninoff played 6 Preludes from op. 23 and 6 Preludes from op. 32, or only 6 in total (or whether there were 12 Preludes in total from the two nights). St Petersburg was known as Petrograd at this time. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 5 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina notes that this was the first performance of the still-incomplete set of Etudes-Tableaux, op. 39, in Moscow. Satina has placed a question mark next to the venue, presumably indicating that the precise location is uncertain. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 6 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicates that the program was the same as given in the concert on December 5 1916, also noting that ‘25% of the proceeds were given to the needy Students of the College’. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 8 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina notes that this was an all-Rachmaninoff program. St Petersburg was known as Petrograd at this time. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 11 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina notes that this was an all-Rachmaninoff program. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 16 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was an all-Rachmaninoff program. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 19 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicates that she could not find a complete program, but that the concert included Preludes from op. 23 and op. 32, and some Etudes-Tableaux. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 21 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina notes an all-Rachmaninoff program at this concert. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 9 1917 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: The reference to ‘Fifteen Etudes-Tableaux’ is of interest. Two of the Etudes-Tableaux from op. 39 are dated from February 1917 on their manuscripts, yet nine from this set (including the held-over no. 6 in A minor, originally planned for the op. 33 set) plus the published 6 from the op. 33 set could represent this total number of Etudes-Tableaux. Alternatively, one or two Etudes-Tableaux from op. 33, which were published only posthumously – in C minor and D minor – might have been included, although this perhaps seems less likely. Apetian also noted the same number of Etudes-Tableaux in this concert. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 15 1917 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina notes an all-Rachmaninoff program at this concert. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.