November 30, 2023 – Book: Great Western Musicians: Rachmaninoff

Let's begin by highlighting the notable years of various musicians:

Sergei Rachmaninoff: 1873-1943
Chopin (Poland): 1810-1849
Franz Liszt (Hungary): 1811-1886
Mendelssohn (Germany): 1809-1847
Tchaikovsky (Russia): 1840-1893
Prokofiev (Russia): 1891-1953
Rubinstein (American-Polish Jew): 1887-1982
Johann Strauss II (Austria): 1825-1899
Czerny (Germany): 1791-1857
Bach (Germany): 1685-1750
Beethoven (Germany): 1770-1827
Mozart (Austria): 1756-1791 (died at 35)
Schubert (Austria): 1797-1828
Haydn (Austria): 1732-1809
Paganini (Italy): 1782-1840
Scriabin (Russia): 1872-1915 (a Moscow Conservatory schoolmate of Rachmaninoff)
Shostakovich (Russia - Leningrad): 1906-1975 (referred to as a musician awaiting execution throughout his life)
Debussy (France): 1862-1918 (although his compositions retained tonality, they verged on dissolution, breaking free from established rules. A harbinger of what?)
St. Petersburg Conservatory: Established in 1862 (Tchaikovsky was among the earliest students at 20 years old)
Horowitz (Russia): 1903-1989 (heard by Scriabin before the latter's death)
Stokowski (England): 1882-1977 (a conductor known for his adaptations, such as Bach)
The Juilliard School: Founded in 1905 (near New York)
Curtis Institute of Music: Founded by Mary Louise Curtis in October 1924 (in Philadelphia)

Sergei Rachmaninoff, born into a family where both parents were amateur pianists, possessed extraordinary physical abilities, he is over 2 meters tall, having very big hands, and exhibiting remarkable strength.
The Rachmaninoff family was affluent, despite the impact of the 1861 abolition of serfdom in Russia. They predominantly resided in St. Petersburg, the Russian capital. At the age of six, Sergei's family employed Anna, a recent graduate from the St. Petersburg Conservatory, to teach piano.
In 1877, Tsar Alexander II declared war on Turkey, leading to a German-Austrian alliance in 1879 against Russia, resulting in an 1881 assassination of Tsar Alexander II by a bomb.
In the same year, the Rachmaninoff family faced financial difficulties and became impoverished, necessitating the sale of all their properties. They relocated to St. Petersburg, where their eldest son Vladimir attended a military school and wasn’t home often. Sergei, recommended by his music teacher Anna, obtained a scholarship to the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
Unfortunately, upon moving to a small apartment in St. Petersburg, their children contracted diphtheria. One daughter passed away, leading Luba (Rachmaninoff's mother) to leave home and live with her own mother, as divorce was unfeasible under the Orthodox influence in Russia at that time.
Sergei showed little dedication to his studies, failing almost every subject. Eventually, on his brother Saveliy's recommendation (who had gained some fame and often interacted with Liszt and Tchaikovsky), Sergei entered the Moscow Conservatory under the tutelage of Zverev. The education in Moscow was rigorous, and at the age of 12, Sergei’s childhood ended with the death of his sister from anemia, leaving him to fend for himself.
Flourishing in this strict environment, he attended numerous concerts and met prominent figures, rapidly improving his skills. Zverev aimed to groom him into a pianist, not a composer, but Sergei favored composition. Their disagreement led to a parting. Perhaps influenced by this mentor, Rachmaninoff appeared notably more decisive, serious, and aloof in his later years compared to his carefree youth, showcasing a significant contrast.
Upon his return to Moscow in 1891, a severe famine afflicted Europe and Russia. His mother requested financial support, leading to some conflict between them.
His compositional and musical talent soared; in one year alone, around 1890, he composed over 80 substantial pieces. Reflecting on his life, his talent in composition far outweighed his technical prowess in piano.
To avoid changing teachers in his final year, he volunteered for the piano qualification exam a year early, meaning he had only a month to prepare what others had a year for. Nonetheless, he passed with flying colors. In a collaboration with conductor Safonov, Rachmaninoff was the only student who dared to refuse his modifications or interrupt his conducting.
In 1892, he graduated early, reconciled with his mentor Zverev, and cherished the watch gifted by him throughout his life.
His career debuted with the performance of his Prelude in C-sharp minor, a piece dedicated to his teacher.
Early in his career, Gutheil approached him to buy his compositions for publication. Initially sold for 400 rubles (at a time when his monthly teaching income was only 15 rubles), it turned out to be quite successful. The following year, the Prelude in C-sharp minor sold for 40 rubles.
In 1893, his mentor Zverev passed away at 61, followed by Tchaikovsky's death the same month.
From this year, he began composing for orchestras (previously mainly composing solo piano pieces) and conducted an opera for the first time.
To make a living, he had to compose numerous salon-style piano duets, reflecting the salon music popular at that time.
Between October and December 1896, he composed his six Musical Moments, a mature piece considered among his greatest solo piano works at that time.
In March 1897, his first symphony premiered. Although it was an excellent symphony, the premiere turned into a disaster after nearly two years of anticipation! For most critics, the failure of the premiere always lay with the composer. However, this failure did not dishearten Rachmaninoff as much as the realization that he had composed one of his finest works, only to witness it ruined by an inept conductor.
He subsequently signed conducting contracts to earn money, but after a few years, he still felt his compositional career was hindered by his piano performances and conducting.
In 1900, Freud’s "The Interpretation of Dreams" was published, leading to a surge in psychotherapy in Europe. In search of creative drive and inspiration, Rachmaninoff also tried it but with little effect.
In October 1900, his first piano concerto premiered in England, receiving considerable success. However, he was not pleased as he felt it did not represent his true capabilities. Inspiration from Italy subsequently revived his previous pace of composition.
By 1901, he composed three pieces, including his Second Piano Concerto, performing the piano section himself. In November, it was performed by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by his cousin Saveliy). Since then, this piece became one of the most frequently performed in orchestras.
In 1902, he announced his marriage to his cousin, Natalie (also a pianist). However, their union faced challenges due to their familial relation, prohibited by the Orthodox Church in Russia unless the couple was devout believers or resolved with monetary means.
Towards the end of 1902, Natalie became pregnant, and Rachmaninoff took up two teaching positions with manageable workloads to continue composing and performing in concerts.
In 1903, an exceptional student, 12-year-old Sergei Prokofiev (who later died in the same year as Stalin, receiving multiple Stalin Prizes), joined the class at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
The Treaty of Peking (Treaty of Shimonoseki) was negotiated on March 27, 1898 (March 6 in the 24th year of Guangxu's reign) between the Qing Dynasty and the Russian Empire. This treaty stipulated the leasing of Port Arthur and Dalian Bay and the surrounding coastal areas to Russia for 25 years as a naval base. The rapid implementation of the economic policies by the Russian government's Minister of Finance in 1904 from the Treaty of Peking paved the way for the Russo-Japanese War.
In 1894, interestingly, he collaborated on an opera to serve the emperor, and in celebration of this grand event, the Glinka Prize was established, which Rachmaninoff won. At the same time, he was both busy and pleased, composing two more operas in April and August.
Political events had never excessively troubled Rachmaninoff, but now politics had become the focal point. The Russo-Japanese War brought disastrous consequences for the Russian people. Port Arthur fell in January 1904, followed by the Japanese assault on Shenyang in March, resulting in heavy losses for the Russian army. On May 27, the entire Russian fleet was annihilated in the Battle of Tsushima. While only a small portion of territory was lost to the Russian government, these losses were catastrophic, leading to large-scale embezzlement by high-ranking officials. At that time, Lenin was in Finland, and there were several street battles between St. Petersburg and Moscow. A large group of workers, led by a priest, held a demonstration at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, presenting a petition to the Tsar. However, the guards opened fire on the crowd, killing 500 men, women, and children on Bloody Sunday (January 9, 1905), which heightened the spirit of resistance across the country. In June, the soldiers on the Potemkin mutinied in Moscow, and printing press and railway workers also began strikes, followed by a comprehensive general strike, even involving musicians from the opera and ballet. These events greatly shook the Tsar, who then agreed to the main demands of the October Manifesto, promising to establish a true parliament, the "Duma," beneath the Prime Minister, to be elected by universal suffrage. For Rachmaninoff, compared to the increasingly deteriorating political environment, his success in opera and concert conducting seemed hollow and meaningless.
Regarding "To Serve the Tsar": At that time, the content of this play was highly inappropriate. During its restaging, people in the play were seen sacrificing themselves to the Tsar, causing chaos in the performance hall. Several subsequent performances were filled with unrest in the theater. When the St. Petersburg Opera House performed "Boris Godunov," scenes related to the revolution were forced to be removed. Rimsky-Korsakov was dismissed from the conservatory, and Glazunov and Liadov, among others, resigned in protest, leading to the closure of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Rimsky-Korsakov started teaching private students, including Igor Stravinsky. In Moscow, Taneyev also quit in support of the students, protesting against Shafrov's autocratic style and conservative policies, which led to the closure of the Moscow Conservatory. Shafrov went to the United States and became the music director of the New York Philharmonic... In this environment, Rachmaninoff realized he couldn't stay any longer. Historically, it seemed impossible for his opera works to have any chance of being performed. Given the threats of strikes, frequent changes in roles, and other issues, it would have been a miracle for his operas to be staged. Rachmaninoff expressed his intention to resign on the premiere day, but the theater director Telyakovski convinced him to postpone it until the end of the musical season. At that time, Western European countries hardly performed any Russian works regularly. After the end of the season, his daughter and wife fell seriously ill, and despite efforts by doctors, who were mostly abroad, and the desire to go to Moscow, railway workers were on strike. In the midst of chaos, an invitation came from the United States, prompting him to cancel all Russian engagements and seek a peaceful life overseas.
How did Rachmaninoff create his Third Piano Concerto? After the premiere of "The Isle of the Dead" in 1909, he was appointed as the Vice President of the Russian Royal Music Society, managing music academies in various provinces. Then he agreed to perform in the United States. During the negotiation process, he secretly composed a new work as usual, promising to premiere this piece in New York. This was the Third Piano Concerto, and its creation progressed rapidly because he hoped the income from this U.S. tour would at least buy him a car. The American tour had over 20 performances, and the journey by ship was long. They couldn't print the music scores, so he had to practice on a very poor piano on the ship. In January 1910, he performed at Carnegie Hall, where critics unanimously remarked that it was overly long but a landmark work. The concerto, in its format, achieved effects akin to symphonies, symphonic poems, and sonatas. The first movement was innovatively bold but highly successful. In March, he returned from the U.S. to Russia, where Russian critics described the concerto as bright yet concise.
The United States, being an immigrant country, is known for its inclusivity and lacks the biases seen in Western and Central Europe towards many Russians choosing to flee or immigrate.
After experiencing the taste of freedom, the Russian people refused to be oppressed again. Miners went on strike, causing a direct economic impact. Authorities ordered the military to suppress the strike, resulting in the deaths of 107 miners. This led to the expulsion of the Mensheviks from the party, and the Bolsheviks formed a strong cohesive political party.
In 1912, as the political situation deteriorated and conducting and performing tasks became overwhelming, he was greatly troubled and exhausted, to the extent that during one performance, after a pause, he actually forgot what came next. For an artist who focused on the overall picture, such a mistake was unforgivable. So, by the year-end, he left the country with his family, first going to Berlin, then Switzerland, and finally Rome.
"The Bells" was a beloved piece for Rachmaninoff and one of the reasons why Rachmaninoff gradually approached the scene of the ringing bells in his Second Symphony.
In the summer of 1914, the international situation was fraught with crises. In the years 1912-1913, the Balkan Wars occurred, and the assassination in Sarajevo directly led to World War I. Rachmaninoff was worried that Russia, as it did after the defeat against Japan, might suffer another failure. However, the Russian army successfully defended St. Petersburg, which relieved his worries upon his return to Moscow. In the following years, Russia was in chaos, suffering shortages of supplies, rampant corruption in the rationing system, and declarations of independence in the Caucasus, sparking minor internal conflicts. He was deeply concerned about the worsening situation but couldn't leave Russia. Contrary to his usual need for a quiet environment to compose, amidst the turmoil of the revolution, he unexpectedly began revising his First Piano Concerto. Afterward, they moved to Stockholm, but they were lucky because they legally left, while many others left illegally.
Reports from Russia indicated that the revolution was not a temporary phenomenon. Starting from July 1918, a series of executions of members of the royal family occurred, including the assassination of the Tsar, his wife, and five children.
He believed that the United States would offer better opportunities for his development. However, he had no money. He thought the Russian immigrants lent him enough money to travel on a Norwegian ship to reach the port of New York. Ten days later, he arrived in New York, which was chaotic as the ceasefire agreement was signed that very day, and the entire city was celebrating the ceasefire of World War I. America was much better than when he left nine years ago, boasting two extraordinary orchestras: the New York Philharmonic and the New York Symphony Orchestra, attracting the greatest vocalists in the world.
Shortly after arriving in New York, he became busy with various concerts, rehearsals, and meetings, and he no longer had to worry about food and clothing. In his first music season, there were more than 36 performances plus a solo concert in Boston (the first adaptation of "The Star-Spangled Banner").
At that time, he was surprised that he hadn't recorded any records yet. He was subsequently invited for a recording, playing Chopin, Mozart, and Liszt's Second Rhapsody, including a terrifying improvised ornament that was never written down. The one responsible for distribution and recording was Edison (indeed a businessman). However, he wasn't always satisfied with the effects of the records.
Around 1920, he signed a contract with the Victory Company, demanding 25 records to be recorded within five years, with the company prepaying $15,000 annually.
Possibly due to excessive composition, his vision deteriorated, causing eye problems. He underwent surgery, which failed, and it took several years to completely cure his eye condition.
He purchased an apartment overlooking the Hudson River and attempted to obtain a driver's license in New Jersey, but he didn't pass (driving is on the left in America, unlike in Russia).
Despite a stable life, the Russian famine of 1921 deeply affected him, prompting him to organize several charity concerts.
The music season of 1922-1923 was his busiest yet, with 71 concerts scheduled over 20 weeks, ranging from Canada to Cuba. He rented a train carriage, converting it into a mobile studio for the piano, but he still couldn't sleep well. It was then that he realized he needed to reduce the number of performances and spend more time in Europe.
Towards the end of 1923, as there were only 15 concerts scheduled, he started frenetic recording. On December 27, 1924, he recorded five solo piano pieces in a single day. So, in less than four years, he had exceeded the Victory Company's five-year commitment. Within a month of rest, he prepared for the most important recording: the Second and Third Movements of Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony in collaboration with Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
When he arrived in Europe hoping for some rest, his son-in-law suddenly passed away, causing Rachmaninoff to reorganize his life.
In Dresden, eastern Germany, he completed Rachmaninoff's Fourth Piano Concerto in April. However, the Fourth Concerto wasn't as good as expected. One reason was that he hadn't composed for a long time, resulting in a lack of unity in the concerto's character, but it still turned out better than anticipated, containing innovative parts.
In 1921, Horowitz (18 years old, a boy recognized by Scriabin) made his first joint performance in Kiev and then embarked on a four-year tour in Russia. Horowitz’s first stage appearance left a profound impression on Rachmaninoff, especially his performance of the Third Concerto (Horowitz had always been exceptionally skilled at these grand compositions). Horowitz was warmly received from the start and constantly performed. Rachmaninoff said that Horowitz's 1931 recording of Rachmaninoff's Third Concerto remains unmatched to this day; he is the only performer of this work in the world.
When he returned to the United States in early 1930, due to the 1929 stock market crash, he suffered financial losses, as did the RCA company. Although he survived, they had to reconsider the value of contracts for the musicians under them.
At this time, he was already somewhat dissatisfied with himself, growing older and lacking the confidence he had in his youth.
Around 1930, in an interview, he said: "However, there might be a burden added to my shoulders by age. It's heavier than anything else, something I didn't understand when I was young. That's losing my homeland, being forced to leave the place of birth, spending my growing years there, struggling, tasting the bitterness of youth, and ultimately succeeding there. Now, the whole world is open to me, success awaits everywhere. There's only one place where I feel shut out, and that's my own country: Russia."
In 1924, Lenin passed away, power struggles began, and in December 1925, Stalin became the leader. Consequently, opposing voices fell silent, and the Soviet Union became self-sufficient economically, indicating that his reign of terror suppressed all dissidents. In 1931, although he had never been interested in politics, he signed a letter of condemnation against Stalin's policies because he didn't want to offend friends by refusing to sign, a serious mistake although it didn't seem so at the time. Just two months later, Curtis (a Russian) was attacked for conducting "The Bells," leading to a ban on the works of many musicians in the Soviet Union, including Rachmaninoff's.
He was also easily affected by coughing from the audience. Sometimes, if there were no coughs, he played in sequence; if there were too many coughs, he skipped parts. His sensitive nature led to the missed opportunity for this excellent work to be performed, marking the third failure since leaving Russia, and he never composed any solo piano works thereafter.
Around 1931, due to the Great Depression, the music season was quite unpleasant, with concert halls being as dismal as other places, with no profits.
In 1932, he returned to Europe to find the political situation rapidly deteriorating, especially Germany's economy. In January 1933, Hitler was elected Chancellor, and by the end of February, the Reichstag building was burned down. Hitler demanded absolute power, and the German government agreed to give him dictatorial powers in early March.
In November 1933, while in the United States, he heard that President Roosevelt had restored diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, which immediately lifted the ban on his music. This was partly attributed to Roosevelt's efforts, but Stalin began interfering in the arts in early 1934.
He was particularly happy in 1934 and 1935, with the company of grandchildren. In this environment, he began composing a large orchestral work, namely the Third Symphony (Op. 44). However, the political situation in Europe was contrary to his mood. In 1935, Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles and ordered conscription (as I wrote in the article on Hitler, even if the Western European countries violated the treaty, they felt that the cost of intervention outweighed the benefits, so they pretended not to notice).
In 1938, he returned to Europe for a tour, where he performed Beethoven's First Piano Concerto for the first time. However, on March 11, Hitler invaded Austria, and the concert was forcibly canceled, forcing him to return to Paris.
In 1939, he slipped and fell at home, unable to attend some operas, and so on.
In 1938, Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia and dissolved it. Everyone knew Poland was the next target, and an attack on Poland meant war with England and France. Against this backdrop, in August 1939, Rachmaninoff went to the United States with his family. A few days after his arrival, England and France declared war on Germany.
Regarding Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto, both he and Horowitz felt that neither the original nor the adaptation was very satisfactory. Hence, he allowed Horowitz to adapt a new version, which wasn't recorded at Carnegie until 1968.
President Roosevelt was re-elected for the third time, by which time Rachmaninoff was 68 years old, holding concerts in a series featuring Rachmaninoff's music and premiering his Rhapsody.
In 1941, as the war raged in Europe, Hitler attacked the Soviet Union in June. Rachmaninoff was worried about the Soviet Union getting involved again in the war and thus donated the next season's income to the Soviet Red Army.
In 1943, at the age of 70, he decided to retire from public performances after the next music season, settling in Los Angeles.
After attending one last performance, he experienced excruciating pain. Upon examination, it was discovered that he had a rare form of cancer. His condition deteriorated by the end of March, and he was unable to eat. On March 28th, he passed away.

Others:

Carnegie Hall is located on Seventh Avenue in New York (where Lang Lang rose to fame in 2003).
Before Rachmaninoff gained fame, Finland was under Russian rule.
Rachmaninoff treated his works just as Jiang Wen treated his scripts.
Petrograd is the central area of Saint Petersburg.
Rachmaninoff was an extremely proficient conductor. According to him, conducting could evoke more passion in him than composing.