Chamber Musician - 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 A Catalogue of the Compositions of S. Rachmaninoff by Robert Threlfall and Geoffrey Norris (Scolar Press: London, 1982), and from research undertaken at the Glinka Museum of Musical Culture, Moscow.
December 8 1886 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician
Notes: Threlfall and Norris list a possible performance on this date at the house of Nikolai Zverev.
November 21 1888 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicates that this was a student Concert ‘for the benefit of needy students’. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 16 1890 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina notes that this was a concert in honour of Anton Rubinstein, celebrating ‘the 50th year of artistic activity’. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
October 17 1891 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicates that this was a concert given by students of the Moscow Conservatory. Threlfall and Norris similarly note this performance (II/23). LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 30 1892 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicates that this was the first concert given by Rachmaninoff since receiving his 1891 diploma. She indicates that the details of the program were copied from a mimeograph owned by Alexander Goldenweiser. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 17 1892 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina notes that this was a concert by students of the Conservatory, with ‘proceeds given to the needy students’. Satina also notes that because of the lack of some instruments in the orchestra, Rachmaninoff accompanied Avierno in the playing of the Vieuxtemps. Precise details of the works, including whether more than single movements were played, were not known by Satina. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 28 1892 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina references a photo of the program in Apetian, p. 89. The following short paragraph is included in Satina’s notes: “В письме к М.А. Слонову от 14 декабря 1892г. Рахманинов посылает ему программу концерта в Харькове, 28 декабря 1892г. В письме перечислены вещи, которые будут испольняться Рахманиновым. Не зная, повидимому, что будет петь Слонов, Рахманинов под номером 2 пишет в шутку: "Мишка Слонов доказывает земли вращение". Под номером 5: "Мишка Слонов доказывает всю несостоятельность доводов Деруледа в Панамской пертурбации." (“In a letter to M.A. Slonov from 14 December 1892 Rachmaninoff sends him the programme for the concert in Kharkiv, 28 December 1892. The letter lists all the works to be performed by Rachmaninoff. Not knowing, apparently, what Slonov was going to sing, Rachmaninoff writes under piece number 2 as a joke: "Mishka Slonov demonstrates the Earth's rotation". Under piece number 5: "Mishka Slonov proves all the inconsistencies in Deroulède's arguments relating to the Panama perturbation.") Threlfall and Norris identified this performance, along with details of the venue. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 27 1893 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicates that Rachmaninoff’s Morceaux de fantaisie, op. 3, were repeated at the audiences request. Satina also notes that the details of this concert were copied from Apetian, p. 83-84. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 30 1893 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicates that this was the first performance of this work, as was also confirmed by Threlfall and Norris. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 31 1894 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician and Solo Pianist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was the first performance of Rachmaninoff’s op. 9, and the first performance of pieces from op. 10. Regarding Rachmaninoff’s piano works, Satina has added that the Elegy and Prelude from op. 3, and the Melody, Humorseque and Romance from op. 10 were performed, citing Apetian, p. 107. The concert would appear to be the first all-Rachmaninoff concert for the composer. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 29 1894 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Piano Soloist and Chamber Musician
Notes: The Glinka Museum has details of a ‘Music and Literary Evening’ on this date. The performance was not listed by Satina, but could be the first performance of Rachmaninoff's op. 6.
November 7 1895 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicates that this concert was part of a tour with the violinist, Teresina Tua. Satina cites Apetian, p. 126, for the details of cities played on this tour. Rachmaninoff left the tour, according to Satina, in Smolensk on 24 November, and the entry for that concert lists the further cities that were originally scheduled on the tour. The works performed with Tua have not been noted by Satina. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 10 1895 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicates that this concert was part of a tour with the violinist, Teresina Tua. The works played by Tua have not been noted by Satina. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 9 1895 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicates that this concert was part of a tour with the violinist, Teresina Tua. The works performed with Tua have not been noted by Satina. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 12 1895 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicates that this concert was part of a tour with the violinist, Teresina Tua. The works played with Tua have not been noted by Satina. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 13 1895 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicates that this concert was part of a tour with the violinist, Teresina Tua. The works played with Tua have not been noted by Satina. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 15 1895 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicates that this concert was part of a tour with the violinist, Teresina Tua. The works played with Tua have not been noted by Satina. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 17 1895 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicates that this concert was part of a tour with the violinist, Teresina Tua. The works played with Tua have not been noted by Satina. 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 indicates that this concert was part of a tour with the violinist, Teresina Tua. The works played with Tua have not been noted by Satina. 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 indicates that this concert was part of a tour with the violinist, Teresina Tua. The works played with Tua have not been noted by Satina. Rachmaninoff left the tour, according to Satina, after this concert. There were further concerts scheduled in Vitebsk, Liepāja, Vilnius, Daugavpils, Riga, Jelgava, St Petersburg, Tartu, Talinn, St Petersburg, Pskov, and Nizhny Novgorod. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 15 1899 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina notes that Rachmaninoff accompanied Chaliapin and Bremsen. It is not clear what music was played by Goldenweiser, and it is possible that Satina only copied the works from the program in which Rachmaninoff performed. She did not note who sang the bracket of songs by Rimsky-Korsakov. Satina also indicates that this concert was held under the auspices of the Ladies’ Committee for Prisoner Welfare. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 17 1900 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Chamber Musician
Notes: Details of this concert are in the Glinka Museum of Musical Culture.
March 9 1900 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina cites Apetian, p. 183, and notes that it was the first performance of ‘Fate’. There is a possibility that dates have been mixed with this concert, and it could have occurred on September 3 1900. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 2 1900 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina notes that this was a symphony concert held under the auspices of the Ladies’ Committee for Prisoner Welfare. Satina also notes that the order of compositions performed is unknown. This was the first performance of the two movements from the Second Piano Concerto. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 24 1901 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina indicates that this was the 3rd concert of the season of the Philharmonic Society, citing Apetian, p. 197, as her reference. This was the first performance of Rachmaninoff’s Suite no. 2. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 2 1901 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina notes that this concert was held under the auspices of the Ladies’ Committee for Prisoner Welfare. This was the first performance of Rachmaninoff’s Sonata for piano and cello, op. 19. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 9 1903 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina notes that this was a concert held under the auspices of the ‘Society for Improving the Conditions of Teacher’s Life in Moscow Public Schools’, and that V. Petrovna, Antonina Nezhdanova, and Leonid Sobinov also took part. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 10 1903 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Piano Soloist 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. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 13 1903 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Chamber Musician
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 16 1904 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician
Notes: Satina notes that this was a benefit concert held under the auspices of ‘the Society for the Aid of needy Medical Students – Attendants at the Old St Catherine’s Hospital’. Satina also indicates that this was the first performance of the work by Glazunov. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.