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).
December 12 1915 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina indicates that this ‘Great Concert-Performance’ was a performance for the ‘benefit of the Polish Committee to help the Refugees’. Along with performances by the Bolshoi Ballet, the event included Verses on Poland, read by M. Ermolova and T. Shepkina-Koupernik, Verses, read by Mrs Gzovskaya, and excerpts from poems by Mickiewicz. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 18 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that this was an ‘extra Symphony Concert’, for the ‘benefit of the All-Russian Cities Union’, intended to help supply the Army with materials. Shaginian, in Vospominania (vol. 2, p. 161), indicates that Rachmaninoff played his Etude-Tableau in E flat minor, op. 16, no. 2, as an encore. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 30 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina indicates that this concert was part of Siloti’s season. St Petersburg was known as Petrograd at this time. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
October 22 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: St Petersburg was known as Petrograd at this time. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
October 29 1916 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: St Petersburg was known as Petrograd at this time. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 23 1917 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina indicates that an audience was permitted to attend the dress rehearsal for this concert the previous day, January 22, for a small fee. This was the 6th Symphony Concert in Koussevitzky’s season. It is not known what was played in the second half of the concert. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 6 1917 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that this was the 8th and last Symphony Concert in Koussevitzky’s season. The Zon Theatre stood where the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall is now situated. It is likely that an audience was allowed to attend the dress rehearsal the previous day, February 5, for a small fee, as was also noted by Apetian. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 25 1917 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 13 1917 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was the First Extra Symphony Concert in the season of Sergei Koussevitzky. An audience was permitted to attend the dress rehearsal before the concerto, on March 12, for a small fee, as Apetian also notes. The Zon Theatre stood where the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall now stands. The ‘February’ Revolution is underway at the time of this concert. Keldysh (p. 409) notes that Rachmaninoff donated his fee from this concert to 'the Union of Artist-Warriors for gifts to the army', citing a letter Rachmaninoff wrote which appeared in Russkiye Vedomosti on March 15: "Свой гонорар от первого выступления в стране, отныне свободной, на нужды армии свободной при сем прилагает свободный художник С. Рахманинов" [The free artist S. Rachmaninoff hereby donates his fee from his first performance in the country, now free, to the needs of the free army]. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 20 1917 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was the Second Extra Symphony Concert in the season of Sergei Koussevitzky. An audience was permitted to attend the dress rehearsal before the concerto, on March 19, for a small fee, as Apetian also notes. Keldysh (p. 409) quotes a review of the concert, which appears to indicate that Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody no. 12 was played as an encore. The Zon Theatre stood where the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall now stands. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 25 1917 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was the last appearance of Rachmaninoff in Moscow. Satina also notes that ‘all the proceeds will be given to the needs of the army. Orchestra seats at 4-12 roubles, boxes from 20-64 roubles. Balcony at 1.50’. Images of the program of this concert are included in Keldysh's Rachmaninoff and His Time, indicating that there were 15 minute intervals between the works. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
September 5 1917 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that this was the last appearance of Rachmaninoff in Russia. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 15 1918
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: A review in the Nationaltidende on February 16 notes that Rachmaninoff played two of his own compositions as encores. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 12 1918
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 14 1918
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
April 16 1918
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
April 20 1918
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
July 10 1918
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina was unsure exactly regarding the conductor's name. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
October 21 1918
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that this was an ‘extra’ concert, and that it was Rachmaninoff’s last performance in Europe at the time as he subsequently sailed to the USA. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 12 1919
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was Rachmaninoff’s first appearance this season with an orchestra. The concert began at 3pm. The first attached review indicates that Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto was to have been performed, but the parts were 'at sea' and the Second Concerto programmed in its place. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 28 1919
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina states that this was the first performance of the revised version of the concerto. The concert was the 3rd Subscription Concert of the Russian Symphony Orchestra Society of the season, starting at 8.15pm. According to the program, the work by Scriabin appears not to have been scheduled, yet the reviews indicate it was performed. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 29 1919
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: The concert began at 3pm. According to the program, the work by Scriabin was not scheduled, yet it is mentioned in the review. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 31 1919
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: The concert began at 2.30pm. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 1 1919
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: The concert began at 8pm. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89. Review: Boston Herald 1919.02.02 p. 11.
February 3 1919
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: The concert began at 4.30pm. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 4 1919
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: The concert began at 8.15pm. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 5 1919
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89. Review 2: Philadelphia Inquirer 1919.02.06 p. 10.
February 7 1919
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: The concert began at 8.15pm. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 27 1919
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: The concert commenced at 8.15pm. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 28 1919
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: The Symphony no. 2 in E minor was presumed by Satina to be Rachmaninoff's but was in fact by Rabaud. According to the reviews, the symphony was conducted by the concertmaster, Thaddeus Rich, as Stokowski became indisposed. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89. Review 2: Philadelphia Inquirer 1919.03.29 p. 10.