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 17 1895 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicated that this concert was part of a tour with the violinist, Teresina Tua. Val'kova (vol. 1, p. 174) cites an announcement in the Mogilev Provincial Gazette on November 11, which lists the program indicated here according to a notice seen 'in Schmidt's store'. A review in the same publication on November 22 further confirms the concert. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 18 1895 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicated that this concert was part of a tour with the violinist, Teresina Tua. Val'kova (vol. 1, p. 175) cites a review in Mogilev Provincial Gazette of both concerts in the city, which notes attendance was less at the second concert on November 18. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 24 1895 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina believed that Rachmaninoff left the tour with the violinist, Teresina Tua, after this concert, an error that was repeated by Bertensson and Leyda (p. 67) and Harrison (p. 67). Various Russian sources confirm that Rachmaninoff continued on the tour as far as the second concert in Riga on December 5. Val'kova (vol. 1, p. 177) cites a review in Smolenskiy Vestnik on November 26, which names the works Rachmaninoff performed as solos. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 26 1895 (Julian Calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician and Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina believed that Rachmaninoff had left the concert tour with Teresina Tua by this time. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 28 1895 (Julian Calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician and Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina believed that Rachmaninoff had left the concert tour with Teresina Tua by this time. A review of the concert by A. Jacobs appeared in Rizhsky Vestnik on November 29, no. 264, which is cited by Val'kova (vol. 1, p. 178), noting that Rachmaninoff played the solo works indicated here. The review appears to also note the performance of a violin sonata by Marco Enrico Bossi. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 30 1895 (Julian Calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician and Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina believed that Rachmaninoff had left the concert tour with Teresina Tua by this time. Liepāja was known as Libava in 1895. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 2 1895 (Julian Calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician and Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina believed that Rachmaninoff had left the concert tour with Teresina Tua by this time. Vilnius was known as Vilno at the time of the concert. A review in Vilensky Vestnik on December 9, no. 266, which is cited by Val'kova (vol. 1, p. 178), notes the solo works performed by Rachmaninoff that are listed here. The review indicates Liszt's Valse-Impromptu was played as an encore. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 3 1895 (Julian Calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician and Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina believed that Rachmaninoff had left the concert tour with Teresina Tua by this time. Daugavpils was known as Dvinsk at the time of the concert. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 5 1895 (Julian Calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician and Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina believed that Rachmaninoff had left the concert tour with Teresina Tua by this time, however this appears to be the final concert in which Rachmaninoff played. Claiming that his contract with the tour promoter, Heinrich Langewitz, was void through non-payment of fees, it is understood Rachmaninoff did not proceed to concerts planned in Jelgava/Mitava (December 6), St Petersburg (December 8), Tartu/Derpt (December 10), Tallinn/Revel (December 11), St Petersburg (December 13), Pskov (December 15), Nizhny Novgorod (December 27). Val'kova (vol. 1, p. 179), however, lists the concert in Jelgava/Mitava on December 6, noting her presumption that it took place but also indicating that reliable information confirming it could not be found. A review in Rizhskiy Vestnik on December 7 notes the solo works performed by Rachmaninoff which are listed here. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
April 19 1899
Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina noted that this was Rachmaninoff’s first appearance in England. The concert was the 3rd in the season of the Philharmonic Society of London. Satina indicated that the program was copied from the book ‘History of the Philharmonic Society of London: 1813-1912’, p. 462. The attached reviews note that Rachmaninoff's Prelude was repeated by request. The aria by Borodin ('Медленно день угасал') is from Act 2 of the opera. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 10 1903 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina notes that this was a concert held under the auspices of the Ladies Committee for Prisoner Welfare. Satina cites Apetian, p. 221-222, as her reference. Threlfall and Norris note that this was the first performance of Rachmaninoff's op. 22. Keldysh (p. 205) indicates that N.I. Zabela-Vrubel sang some of Rachmaninoff's songs, along with Petrovna, which is supported by Martyn (p. 432), although the latter does not list the performance of Rachmaninoff's songs. Keldysh quotes from a review indicating that the Prelude in D major was played rather than the Prelude in B flat major. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 3 1903 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicates that Rachmaninoff included his Preludes in D minor and D major among the set. Keldysh (p. 205) notes only 5 preludes. Which concerto by Popper was played is not indicated. The concert began at 9pm. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
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.
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, which is confirmed in the attached press clipping (the Prelude in G flat major, op. 23, no. 10, was included). 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.
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 first 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.
January 4 1909 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: This was likely the first performance by Rachmaninoff of his First Piano Sonata, which Threlfall and Norris (citing Oskar von Riesemann) indicate occurred at the Moscow Conservatory. The Sonata had first been performed by Konstantin Igumnov on October 17, 1908. Satina noted that this was the 2nd Chamber Music Concert of the Quartet of the Imperial Russian Music Society in Moscow. A review in Moskovskiy Vedomosti on January 9 indicates that Rachmaninoff played three of his preludes as an encore, while the review by Grigory Prokofiev in the Russkoi Muzikalnoi Gazeti provides the details: Prelude in D minor, op. 23, no. 3, Prelude in G minor, op. 23, no. 5, and Prelude in G flat major, op. 23, no. 10. Vladimir Bakaleinikov, the violist in the quartet, would later conduct concerts in America with Rachmaninoff. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 7 1909 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician and Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina notes that this was Alexander Siloti’s 3rd Chamber Music Concert of the season. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 4 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina noted that this was the first appearance of Rachmaninoff in the USA. Precise details of keys were not given, hence it is not possible to determine whether the Prelude in ‘D’ is op. 23 no. 3 or no. 4. She noted that ‘the Mason and Hamlin piano was used’, as was also noted for some other venues on this tour. At the time Satina compiled these materials on Rachmaninoff's concert career, she was employed at Smith College, later becoming an Associate Professor of Botany there. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 16 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina notes that this concert commenced at 2.30pm. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 18 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Solo Pianist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 20 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina noted that the keys of the first two preludes were not actually given in a review she had been sent, and that she had copied them from similar programs in Boston, Pittsburgh and Chicago. Her intuition was correct, as a copy of the program in the Carnegie Hall archive documents the keys of the preludes. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 27 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Solo Pianist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 26 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Solo Pianist
Notes: While the attached review does not mention Tchaikovsky's 1812, nor Karl Pohlig, the complete program is printed in the attached press clipping. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89. Review: Philadelphia Inquirer 1909.11.27 p. 15.
December 9 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 26 1909
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 3 1910
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Apetian identified a program for this concert, indicating that it was the same as for Boston on January 10 but without the D minor Sonata. The attached press clipping names the artists and location (misidentified by Satina as the Hotel Astoria), but provides no details about the musical works. It is not known if Rachmaninoff also accompanied singers in his songs, as Satina and Apetian both believed. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 9 1910
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina noted that this was a ‘Grand Sunday Concert’, and that other singers also performed with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. According to Apetian, one of the songs was Spring Waters, op. 14. The first attached review indicates that Adamo Didur also sang two songs by Rachmaninoff, while the second review appears to indicate otherwise. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 10 1910
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina identified the location of this concert but was unable to identify a program. Apetian indicated that for this concert and for the concert in New York on January 3 the program comprised his usual solo works from concerts of the time, excepting the D minor Sonata, 'but with the addition of two romances by Rachmaninoff, in particular Spring Waters from op. 14.' However, this appears to be incorrect, as the attached review does not include songs by Rachmaninoff. According to the attached press clipping, Rider-Kelsey and Grimson were both accompanied in their repertoire by Jessie Davis. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89. Review: Boston Journal 1910.01.11 p. 14.
November 11 1910
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Solo Pianist
Notes: When Rachmaninoff played this concert, the city was known as Königsberg, Germany, and adhered to the Gregorian calendar. I am grateful to J. Falleyn for his translation of the attached review, which appeared in the Königsberger Hartungsche Zeitung the day after the concert. According to the review, the Prelude in C sharp minor, op. 3, no. 2, and two Preludes from the op. 23 set, were played as encores. In the attached press clipping, however, it is indicated that Preludes by Rachmaninoff were included in the body of the program. The press clipping provides details of the orchestral works played, and the name of the concert venue (Saale der Börse, or Börsenhalle [Stock Exchange Hall]). LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 23 1910
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Solo Pianist
Notes: According to information received about a review in the Neuester Anzeiger on November 24, Rachmaninoff played three of his Preludes as well as the concerto. This fact is confirmed in the very brief attached review, naming them all from op. 23, in the Frankfurter Zeitung, although it is not clear if they were programmed or played as encores. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.