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).

March 11 1933

St Louis, MO, USA
Odeon Theater

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

April 3 1933

New York, NY, USA
Madison Square Garden

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: Satina indicates that this concert began at 8.30pm, while the attached review notes an audience of over 16,000. Satina notes that this was part of a Five Festivals Concert arranged by Walter Damrosch for a ‘Musicians’ Emergency Fund’. At the time, Satina believed that it was the only joint appearance of Fritz Kreisler and Rachmaninoff, however it is apparent that they played - together - in a concert in Middlesbrough, UK, on October 18 1911. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

April 23 1933

Rome, Italy
Accademia di Santa Cecilia

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: The program image has been supplied by the Academy of Santa Cecilia. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 7 1934

Baltimore, MD, USA
Lyric Theater

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: Satina indicates that this concert began at 8.30pm. Satina notes that this was the first performance of the Paganini Rhapsody. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 8 1934

Washington, DC, USA
Constitution Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: Satina notes that these were the first performances of the Paganini Rhapsody. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 14 1934

St Louis, MO, USA
Municipal Auditorium

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: The reviewer of the Globe-Democrat notes that Mr and Mrs Rachmaninoff listened to the performance of the Tchaikovsky symphony in the hall. The same reviewer, who was very perceptive in his reception of the Rhapsody, also reviews the concert the following day. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 15 1934

St Louis, MO, USA
Municipal Auditorium

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 27 1934

New York, NY, USA
Carnegie Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: Satina indicates that this concert (which began at 8.45pm) was the 3047th concert of the New York Philharmonic Society, and the first performance of the Paganini Rhapsody in New York. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 28 1934

New York, NY, USA
Carnegie Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: Satina indicates that this concert began at 2.30pm. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

February 21 1935

Vienna, Austria

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

March 7 1935

Manchester, England
Free Trade Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

March 21 1935

London, England
Queen’s Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

March 26 1935

Zurich, Switzerland

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 7 1935

Chicago, IL, USA
Orchestra Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 8 1935

Chicago, IL, USA
Orchestra Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 15 1935

St Louis, MO, USA
Municipal Auditorium

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 16 1935

St Louis, MO, USA
Municipal Building

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 29 1935

Minneapolis, MI, USA
Northrop Auditorium

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 13 1935

Philadelphia, PA, USA
Academy of Music

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 14 1935

Philadelphia, PA, USA
Academy of Music

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: Satina indicates that this concert began at 8.30pm. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 20 1935

Boston, MA, USA
Symphony Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 21 1935

Boston, MA, USA
Symphony Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

January 13 1936

New York, NY, USA
Carnegie Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: Satina notes that this was a benefit Concert for the Philadelphia Orchestra and Pension Fund. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

February 5 1936

Paris, France
Salle Pleyel

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: Satina was unaware of the orchestral works on the program. They are supplied here from Stuart Campbell's 'The Russian Paris of Rachmaninoff' (2013), p. 85. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

February 21 1936

Warsaw, Poland

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: According to Satina’s notes, she seems to have received correspondence indicating that Rachmaninoff appears also to have played his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43, at this concert. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

March 12 1936

Manchester, England
Free Trade Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

March 17 1936

Liverpool, England
Central Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: Satina was unaware of the programme for this concert, which has been reconstructed from the attached reviews. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

March 30 1936

London, England
Queen’s Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

March 31 1936

London, England
Queen’s Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 16 1936

London, England
Queen’s Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.