Concerto Soloist - Diary entries
Many of the performance details listed here have been 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 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), and A Catalogue of the Compositions of S. Rachmaninoff by Robert Threlfall and Geoffrey Norris (Scolar Press: London, 1982).
February 24 1891 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was a student concert ‘for the benefit of the needy students’. Threlfall and Norris list a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Deus Meus also on this date, although at the Conservatory, with the composer conducting, as does Martyn (p. 532). Keldysh (p. 43), however, indicates the concert was held in the small hall of the Noble Assembly, referencing a review in Moskovskiye Vedomosti to confirm the location, which also praises Rachmaninoff's contribution as both pianist and composer. Keldysh further notes the Andante from Rachmaninoff's String Quartet, arranged for string orchestra, was performed, along with works by Konyus and Koreshchenko. Keldysh previously raised doubt (p. 39) about the performance of Deus Meus under Rachmaninoff's baton at this concert, and on the basis of the detailed and comprehensive review - which does not refer to any choral works - it must be presumed that the work was not performed. Performances by students in the violin class, the solo vocal class, as well as a work for harp and a work for clarinet, are noted in the review. The order of the works noted above is not known. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 17 1892 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina notes that this was a concert by students of the Conservatory, with ‘proceeds given to the needy students’. Satina also notes that because of the lack of some instruments in the orchestra, Rachmaninoff accompanied Avierno in the playing of the Vieuxtemps. Precise details of the works, including whether more than single movements were played, were not known by Satina, although Goldenweiser in his reminiscence of the composer wrote that only the first movement of Rachmaninoff's concerto was performed, as was also confirmed by Keldysh (p. 78). LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
September 26 1892 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was the first performance of the Prelude in C sharp minor, op. 3, no. 2. The concert was the ‘18th Symphony Concert' at the Electrical Exhibit in Moscow. Satina notes the exact order of the program remains unknown, and that the details of works were copied from a review published in the journal ‘Artist’. In her 'reminiscence' of Rachmaninoff ('Vospominania'), Natalia - his wife - indicates that it was at this concert that she first heard him perform on the piano. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 2 1900 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina notes that this was a symphony concert held under the auspices of the Ladies’ Committee for Prisoner Welfare. Satina also notes that the order of compositions performed is unknown. This was the first performance of the two movements from the Second Piano Concerto. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
October 27 1901 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that this was the first performance of the complete Concerto. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 9 1903
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: This date was not recorded by Satina in her list of European concerts, although a later note in the archive indicates she was aware of its possibility. In the note, she also questions the possibility of a concert in Prague directly afterwards - 'probable the same concert was repeated in Prague'. That concert - on January 14 - has been verified more recently by way of a newspaper review. The details for this program are supplied from the website of the Vienna Symphony. At the time, the orchestra was known as the Wiener Concertverein.
January 14 1903
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Solo Pianist
Notes: This concert was not listed by Satina, however a note regarding a concert in Vienna on January 9 indicated she was aware of its possibility. I am grateful to J. Falleyn for confirming the concert, and for supplying the translation of the attached review. The exact order of the program is at present unknown. Rachmaninoff played one of his Preludes as an encore, as noted in the review.
November 15 1903 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina notes that this was the 3rd concert in the season of Alexander Siloti. Satina also notes that this was the first performance of the works by Goedicke and Rimsky-Korsakov. Keldysh (p. 201 and p. 206) indicates that Rachmaninoff played three preludes from op. 23 as encores. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
May 26 1907
Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that this was the 4th Russian Symphony Concert arranged by Sergei Diaghilev in Paris. Keldysh (p. 280) and Martyn (p. 547) indicate that Chevillard also conducted works by Glazunov, Balakirev, and Mussorgsky. Satina believed that Rachmaninoff's The Rock, op. 7, was performed at this concert, yet neither Keldysh nor Martyn noted it, nor is it mentioned in the translation of the attached review. I am grateful to J. Falleyn for confirming details of the this concert, and for supplying the review. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 7 1907 (Julian Calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina has added this date in pencil, apparently as a consequence of a reference in materials of Zarui Apetian. Satina notes: ‘see Warsavsky Dnevnik, November 9, 1907, no. 309. Article by Zataevich, Apetian p. 339’. Satina indicates that Rachmaninoff had incorrectly identified the date of this concert as being in 1908, referring to his new ‘book’ for recording details of his concert activity. Zataevich's review indicates that as well as playing the Prelude in C sharp minor, op. 3, no. 2, after the concerto, at the end of the concert he played three more Preludes, including the one in G flat major, op. 23, no. 10. Keldysh (p. 283) refers to this concert according to the Julian calendar, as with the date of the review he cites. In the Gregorian Calendar, this date was November 20. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 23 1908
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 2 1908 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor, Concerto Soloist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina notes that this was the 5th Symphony Concert of the Moscow Philharmonic Society, and that it was the first time Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony was heard in Moscow. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 9 1908
Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Concerto Soloist
Notes: There has been confusion about the date of this concert: in her Library of Congress materials, Satina listed it for November 9, although Martyn listed a concert in Amsterdam on this date, noting only a performance of the Symphony no. 2. Martyn listed a concert in Antwerp on November 27, with the program as outlined here. Satina, who relied on Rachmaninoff's notebook as her source, did not list any performance on November 27. Adding further to the confusion, Satina contradicted herself in 'Vospominania', noting a concert on November 9 in Amsterdam. Recent advice based on newspaper reviews indicates that November 9 is the correct date for this concert in Antwerp. It is not known who conducted the orchestra in Rachmaninoff's concerto. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 7 1908
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicated her belief that Rachmaninoff also played solos in this concert, and speculated that these works were likely from op. 3 and op. 23. I am grateful to J. Falleyn for the translation of the attached review, which confirms the performance of a number of Preludes (including op. 23, no. 3, op. 23, no. 5, and finally op. 3, no. 2, as an encore). LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 8 1908
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that Rachmaninoff also played solos in these concerts, and speculated that these works were likely from op. 3 and op. 23. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 10 1908
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that Rachmaninoff also played solos in these concerts, and speculated that these works were likely from op. 3 and op. 23. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 12 1908
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that Rachmaninoff also played solos in these concerts, and speculated that these works were likely from op. 3 and op. 23. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 13 1908
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that Rachmaninoff also played solos in these concerts, and speculated that these works were likely from op. 3 and op. 23. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 18 1908
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that Rachmaninoff also played solos in these concerts, and speculated that these works were likely from op. 3 and op. 23. While Satina believed that the orchestra was again the Concertgebouw, Keldysh (p. 288) indicates it was the Cäcilien-verein. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 3 1909 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that this 9pm concert was the 6th Symphony Concert in the season of the Imperial Russian Music Society. She does not note who conducted Rachmaninoff’s Symphony, but Martyn confirms it was the composer (p. 549). LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 10 1909 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina dated this concert as January 1, yet placed it in her list after a concert on January 7. It is therefore presumed that the initial listing was a typographical error. Satina indicated that this was the 6th of Alexander Siloti’s Symphonic Concerts. The works by Noren, Sibelius and Glazunov are noted with the word ‘manuscript’, likely indicating that the works were yet to be published. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 16,1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina noted that Rachmaninoff played solos at this concert, and the program confirms the performance of three preludes. I'm informed that a review in the Dresdner Nachrichten lists the preludes as F sharp minor, F sharp (which perhaps can be read as G flat major), and G minor, with the Prelude in C sharp minor, op. 3, no. 2, given as an encore. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 8 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89. Press: Philadelphia Inquirer 1909.11.07 p. 9.
November 10 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 13 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that this was Rachmaninoff’s first appearance in New York. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 15 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 28 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that this was the world premiere performance of the Third Piano Concerto. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 30 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 4 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that this was an evening concert. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.