Concerto Soloist - 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 Barrie Martyn’s book Rachmaninoff: Composer, Pianist, Conductor (Scolar Press: London, 1990), and A Catalogue of the Compositions of S. Rachmaninoff by Robert Threlfall and Geoffrey Norris (Scolar Press: London, 1982).
January 27 1910
Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Concerto Soloist
Notes: The exact order of the program is not known. 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 Prelude from the Cantata by JS Bach for solo piano; if so, there is no indication of the pianist. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 13 1910 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Solo Pianist
Notes: The Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody is perhaps the orchestration of Hungarian Rhapsody no. 14 for piano. Satina notes that the Prelude was performed as an encore. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
April 4 1910 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Conductor
Notes: Satina notes that the program was different to that which was announced, and that Rachmaninoff’s Spring Cantata and The Rock were not heard. Instead, this was the first performance of Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto in Moscow. Satina also indicates that Rachmaninoff conducted in this concert, and it might be presumed that Plotnikoff conducted only in the concerto. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
October 12 1910
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that this concert was part of the Leeds Festival. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
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. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 27 1910 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that this was the 4th Anniversary Celebration Concert in the 50th Anniversary of the Imperial Russian Musical Society. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 15 1911 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that this was the 6th Symphony Concert of the season of the Moscow Philharmonic Society. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
January 21 1911 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Conductor
Notes: It is not clear whether Mr Khodorovich (about whom there are presently no further details) conducted only for Rachmaninoff’s concerto. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
February 14 1911
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: When Rachmaninoff performed in this city it was known as Helsingfors. Without further details, it could be speculated that the conductor Satina refers to is Robert Kajanus. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 4 1911
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 20 1911
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 21 1911
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 23 1911
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 25 1911
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
March 28 1911
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that either in this concert, or the one in Warsaw on March 4, Isle of the Dead, op, 29, was also performed. There is no information about who the conductor was, however. Zarui Apetian lists this concert for March 15. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
October 24 1911
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina notes that on this occasion the Second Symphony was conducted by Simon Speelman. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 7, 1911
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Solo Pianist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 2 1911 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 18 1911 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: The details of this concert have been corroborated by Andrianova-Ryadnova's memoirs of Rachmaninoff in Georgia. Referring to ‘p. 660’ of the Russkaya Muzykal’naya Gazeta, Satina noted a possibility that Rachmaninoff also conducted his Second Symphony in this concert, however this was not indicated by Andrianova-Ryadnova, and would likely have made the concert overly long. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
November 22 1911 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Apetian did not include this concert in her lists. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.
December 18 1911 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was the 6th Symphony Concert of the Moscow Philharmonic Society. Satina also indicates that as an encore Rachmaninoff played Elegy, op. 3, no. 1, and ‘some Preludes from op. 23’. He accompanied Evgenija Zbrueva in ‘The Soldier’s Wife’, op. 8, no. 4 and ‘Spring Waters’, op. 14, no. 11.
January 28 1912 (Julian calendar)
Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist
Notes: Satina indicates that this was the 9th concert in the season of Siloti’s concerts. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.