Chamber Musician - Diary entries

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 indicated 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. A review in Novosti Dnya on November 26 indicates that songs by Tchaikovsky, Davidov, and Rimsky-Korsakov were performed by Barsukov. The exact order of the program is unknown at present. 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, held under the auspices of the Ladies’ Committee for Prisoner Welfare, was the first performance of Rachmaninoff’s Sonata for piano and cello, op. 19. Keldysh (p. 172) notes Ysaÿe's performance of the Vieuxtemps concerto, citing a review indicating Rachmaninoff's accompaniment 'exceptionally compensated' for the absence of an orchestra. The order of the program is unknown. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

March 3 1902 (Julian Calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician

Notes: While neither Satina nor Apetian note this concert, Keldysh (p. 200) indicates this was an 'open concert' for the Evenings of Contemporary Music.

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: 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.

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.

January 18 1904 (Julian calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician

Notes: Satina notes that this was the first appearance of Rachmaninoff in one of Kerzin’s concerts. Satina cites Apetian, p. 230, as her reference. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

January 28 1908 (Julian calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician

February 2 1908 (Julian calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor, Concerto Soloist and Chamber Musician

Notes: Satina notes that this was the 5th Symphony Concert of the Moscow Philharmonic Society, and that it was the first time Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony was heard in Moscow. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

February 3 1908 (Julian calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician

Notes: Satina notes that this was the 7th of Kerzin’s Concerts. Ms Satina’s reference is Apetian, p. 322. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89. There are references both to 'Pavlovna' and 'Pavlova' for one of the singers.

March 14 1908 (Julian Calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Chamber Musician

Notes: Satina noted that this was a Symphony Concert of the Philharmonic Society, and that it was the first performance in Warsaw of Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony. I am grateful to J. Falleyn for providing the translation of the attached review, which has clarified confusion regarding the date (likely stemming from the misattribution of Gregorian and Julian Calendars) and matters relating to the program. Martyn provided a different order of the works to Satina and, like Keldysh (p. 286), included a performance of Lisa's aria from Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades, also noting that Rachmaninoff accompanied two of his songs (p. 548), 'Spring Waters' and 'By My Window' (the review confirms Rachmaninoff's songs but does not mention Tchaikovsky's aria). Martyn believed that the second pianist in the Suite was Aleksander Mikhaiłowski, however Keldysh and the attached review confirm it was Henryk Melcer. In the Gregorian Calendar, the date of this concert was March 27. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 2 1908

Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician

Notes: The performance of the Piano Trio was part of a chamber music concert given by the Czech Quartet.

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.

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.

February 6 1910 (Julian calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Chamber Musician

Notes: Satina notes that this was the 7th of Alexander Siloti’s Symphony Concerts of the season. Satina also indicates that the program previously announced had been changed: ‘Rachmaninoff’s concerto no. 3 was cancelled because the score and orchestral material did not come back in time from America. Same about the Isle of the Dead.’ The work by Bach in the ‘edition of Siloti’ is not precisely known, however it could be one of the Two Transcriptions of the Prelude from the Cantata by JS Bach for solo piano. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 4 1910

Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician and Piano Soloist

Notes: Satina was unable to find details of the other performers, or of the piano solos, but these have been supplied according to a newspaper review. Translation of review: copyright J. Falleyn. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

February 10 1911 (Julian calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician

Notes: Satina notes that this concert was arranged (perhaps by Siloti) in memory of Vera Komissarzhevskaya. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 18 1911

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist and Chamber Musician

Notes: Satina notes that her information for this concert in the Felix Corbett series was sent to her by Mr J. Tillet. Satina further notes that in Rachmaninoff’s notebook he wrote that he played ‘only 2 piano solos’, but in a later typewritten comment pondered that it was ‘possible he meant he appeared twice’. While Satina noted the Schubert she didn't indicate Rachmaninoff's participation, yet from a review in the Teeside Weekly Herald from October 21 it is apparent that the performance of Schubert's Rondo in B minor for violin and piano was performed by him with Fritz Kreisler, which would seem to be both the first time the two played together, and the only known time they did so in a public concert. The exact order of the program is not known, and difficult to determine from the review, which also notes the Prelude in C sharp minor, op. 3, no. 2, was repeated as an encore. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 3 1912 (Julian calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Chamber Musician

Notes: Satina noted that this was the 4th Symphony Concert of the Moscow Philharmonic Society. A review in Raneye Utro on November 6 indicates that as an encore Rachmaninoff accompanied Baklanoff in two songs: 'Fate', op. 21, no. 1 and 'Spring Waters', op. 14, no. 11. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 11 1912 (Julian calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Chamber Musician

Notes: Satina noted that the proceeds were to be given ‘to the needy Students of the Moscow Women College’. Her reference was Apetian’s collection of Rachmaninoff’s letters (p. 433), which included incomplete details of the program. Further details have been added from Keldysh (p. 343) and Martyn (p. 557), who note Rachmaninoff accompanied Nezhdanova in a group of his songs. The numeration of the orchestral Hungarian Rhapsody of Liszt corresponds with no. 14 in the piano version. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 7 1915 (Julian calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician and Solo Pianist

Notes: Satina indicates that this was a chamber music concert, however she does not offer information on which chamber works by Rachmaninoff were played. However, Apetian recorded the works that are indicated, though also noting that it was not clear which of the Etudes-Tableaux were played. Keldysh (p. 403) notes that the violinist and cellist were local musicians. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 21 1915 (Julian calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician and Piano Soloist

Notes: Satina indicates that this was a concert arranged by Rachmaninoff, with Anatoly Brandukov assisting, in the ‘Hall of the Nobility Girl Institution’. Further, that it was for ‘the benefit of the All Russian Nobility Union’, with the money being sent to ‘the Division on the front’. Keldysh (p. 404) indicates that the concert took place at the Noble Women's Institute. While Satina indicated only that it was an all-Rachmaninoff program, Apetian notes the pieces indicated here. The name of the violinist is not known. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

January 24 1916 (Julian Calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician

Notes: Neither Satina nor Apetian noted this concert, in which Rachmaninoff's role was limited to accompanying some of his songs in an encore. The concert was the 6th of Koussevitzky's season, and is mentioned by Keldysh (p. 404) in regard only to Nezhdanova's participation, without providing further program details. Keldysh indicates that Rachmaninoff's role in the concert was not advertised, and that the audience was surprised when he seated himself at the piano to accompany Nezhdanova's encores. The review by Yury Engel in Russkiye Vedomosti on January 27 notes: 'В псполненных ею сверх программы романсах Рахманинова аккомпанировал сам композитор, так совершенно, как только он умеет' ['In the Rachmaninoff romances performed by her in addition to what was listed on the program, the composer himself was accompanying, so perfectly as only he is able to']. It is not known which songs were performed in the encore.

February 10 1916 (Julian calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber musician

Notes: Satina indicates that this was a chamber music concert. Apetian also notes the concert but was unable to name the program or the other performers. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

March 10 1916 (Julian calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician

Notes: Neither Satina nor Apetian recorded a concert on this date, yet Keldysh (p. 404) noted a performance with Nina Koshetz, citing a review in Muzika (1916, no. 250, p. 186). An image of the program was published online in an auction of materials relating to Rachmaninoff in Paris in March 2026, from which the details have been taken. Vera Epaneshnikova accompanied Koshetz in the songs by Grechaninov, Bagrinovsky and Medtner, while Rachmaninoff accompanied his own songs. Both 'Dissonance', op. 34, no. 13, and 'He Took Everything From Me', op. 26, no. 2, were mentioned in the review referenced by Keldysh. (No song of the title of 'Да, любитъ сна' ['Yes, Love Sleep'] has been identified in Medtner's catalogue.)

October 24 1916 (Julian calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician

Notes: Satina notes that this was the first performance of the complete series of songs, op. 38, which is dedicated to Nina Koshetz. Satina also indicates that the program – which contained three parts – appears to be the same as performed in Kyiv on January 20 1917, which is confirmed by Apetian. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 30 1916 (Julian calendar)

Rachmaninoff's role: Chamber Musician

Notes: Satina indicated that the same program was given here as in the concert in Moscow, October 24 1916, (and, therefore, Kyiv, January 20 1917), however in noting the possible addition of ‘How fair this spot’, op. 21, no. 7, and ‘When Yesterday we met’, op. 26, no. 13, ‘and possibly some others’ she likely realised there was an issue with her assertion. Asafiev, in a review in Muzikalny Sovremennik, 1916, no. 5/6, p. 14, notes both of these songs, thereby confirming their inclusion. His review does not mention 'Arion', op. 34, no. 5, 'What Happiness', op. 34, no. 12, or 'Dissonance', op. 34, no. 13. Timofeev, in his review in Rech on November 1, notes that both Koshetz and Rachmaninoff performed eighteen songs in total, and at present it is not possible to know which of the songs not named by Asafiev made up the numbers. Timofeev also indicates that Koshetz and Rachmaninoff performed 'наизуст' ['by heart', i.e., without music]. St Petersburg was known as Petrograd at this time. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.