Episode 5
Donald Macleod focuses on Rachmaninov after the Russian Revolution, following his escape to Stockholm and then his move to the United States.
In this week's edition of Composer of the Week, Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Sergei Rachmaninov.
In the concluding programme of this week, Donald Macleod looks at Rachmaninov after the Revolution - his escape to Stockholm, his passage to the United States, and the new career he built for himself there. To his constant regret it was a career that left little time for composition; 39 of Rachmaninov's 45 opuses were written before he left Russia.
Nonetheless, he created some of his best-loved music in this final phase of his life; Donald Macleod introduces the composer's own performance of the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, as well as extracts from his 3rd Symphony and his Symphonic Dances in their original version for two pianos, thrillingly performed by two present-day Russian pianists, Dmitri Alexeev and Nikolai Demidenko.
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Music Played
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Sergey Rachmaninov
'Flight of the Bumble Bee', Rimsky-Korsakov arr. Rachmaninov (?1929)
Performer: Sergei Rachmaninov (pno)
- RCA 82876-67892-2,.
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Sergey Rachmaninov
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op.43 (1934)
Performer: Sergei Rachmaninov (pno) / Philadelphia Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski (cond)
- RCA 82876-67892-2,.
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Sergey Rachmaninov
Symphony no.3 in a minor, op.44 (1935-6, rev 1938) - mvt 2
Performer: 2. Allegro ma non troppo Performer: Russian State Symphony Orchestra / Valeri Polyansky (cond)
- Chandos CHAN 9802,.
- 3.
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Sergey Rachmaninov
Symphonic Dances, op.45 (1940) - no.3, original version for two pianos
Performer: 3. Lento assai - Allegro vivace - Lento assai - Allegro vivace Performer: Dmitri Alexeev, Nikolai Demidenko (pnos)
- Hyperion CDA66654,.
- 11.
Broadcasts
- Fri 6 Feb 200912:00BBC Radio 3
- Fri 6 Feb 200922:00BBC Radio 3
- Fri 8 Apr 201112:00BBC Radio 3
- Fri 8 Apr 201122:00BBC Radio 3
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