Moscow, Russia
Notes
This entry is included solely to provide clarity, as Rachmaninoff did not perform in the concert. Satina indicated that the program of this concert, under the auspices of the Russian Musical Society, was to feature the famous tenor Leonid Sobinov, with Rachmaninoff conducting, citing as her reference Apetian’s collection of Rachmaninoff’s letters (p. 434). Keldysh (p. 343) referred to this concert in passing, also noting the inclusion of Sobinov, yet Martyn did not list it. In a note to letter 479 in Literaturnoye nasledie (vol. 2, p. 393), it is indicated that Rachmaninoff did not participate in this concert due to 'pains in his hands', further stating that he was to have played the Tchaikovsky First Concerto, with E.A. Cooper conducting. Given that Rachmaninoff conducted two further concerts before leaving for a holiday in Switzerland, it seems plausible that he cancelled the concert due to a specific issue regarding playing the piano (rather than conducting), although he did cancel a further Moscow Philharmonic concert at which he was to conduct on December 15 (see Russkaya Muzikal'naya Gazeta, 1912, p. 1163). Sakhnovsky, in his review of the concert on December 1 in Russkoe Slovo, refers to Rachmaninoff's 'health and compositional plans' leading him to Italy, indicating then that his return to Moscow in December 1913 was planned. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.