Conductor - 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, pp. 532-562), A Catalogue of the Compositions of S. Rachmaninoff by Robert Threlfall and Geoffrey Norris (Scolar Press: London, 1982), and research undertaken at the Glinka Museum of Musical Culture, Moscow.

December 3 1909

Chicago, IL, USA
Orchestra Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Concert Soloist

Notes: Satina notes that this was an afternoon concert. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 4 1909

Chicago, IL, USA
Orchestra Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Concerto Soloist

Notes: Satina notes that this was an evening concert. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 17 1909

Boston, MA, USA
Symphony Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Concerto Soloist

December 18 1909

Boston, MA, USA
Symphony Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Concerto Soloist and Conductor

Notes: Review: Boston Journal 1909.12.18 p. 4.

January 27 1910

New York, NY, USA

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.

April 4 1910 (Julian calendar)

Moscow, Russia
Assembly of the Nobility, Pillar Hall

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 13 1910

Leeds, England

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

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 28, 1910 (Julian calendar)

Moscow, Russia

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Concert Soloist

Notes: Satina notes that this performance was in celebration of the 100th Concert given in the Kerzin series, known as the Society of Lovers of Russian Music. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

January 15 1911 (Julian calendar)

Moscow, Russia
Assembly of the Nobility, Pillar Hall

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)

Kyiv, Ukraine
Merchant’s Assembly Hall

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 12 1911 (Julian calendar)

St Petersburg, Russia

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor and Concert Soloist

Notes: Satina notes that this was the 7th Symphony Concert in Alexander Siloti’s season, and that it was the first performance of Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto in St Petersburg. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

March 25 1911 (Julian calendar)

St Petersburg, Russia
Assembly of the Nobility, Large Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

Notes: Satina notes that this was part of Alexander Siloti’s 7th Season of Concerts. Satina also indicates that this was the first complete performance of the work, also noting that individual sections had previously been performed a few months earlier, according to notices published in the Russkaya Muzykal’naya Gazeta. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

March 29 1911 (Julian calendar)

Moscow, Russia
Assembly of the Nobility, Pillar Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

Notes: Satina notes that this was the 8th Symphony Concert in the season of the Philharmonic Society. Apetian did not include this concert in her list. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 10 1911 (Julian)

Moscow, Russia
Assembly of the Nobility, Column Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

Notes: Sophia Satina states that this was the 5th Symphony Concert of the season.

December 10 1911 (Julian calendar)

Moscow, Russia
Assembly of the Nobility, Pillar Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

Notes: Satina notes that this was the 5th Symphony Concert of the season. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 15 1911 (Julian calendar)

Moscow, Russia
Assembly of the Nobility, Pillar Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

Notes: Satina notes that the program is incomplete, further indicating that Rachmaninoff conducted Mussorgsky’s Hopak as an encore. The Concert was arranged by Mr Baklanoff ‘for benefit of the Society to help the needy Moscow students’. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

January 7 1912 (Julian calendar)

Moscow, Russia
Assembly of the Nobility, Pillar Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

Notes: Satina indicates that this was the 7th Symphony Concert of the season of the Moscow Philharmonic Society. It is not clear if only the Prelude of Glazunov’s work was played, nor which concerto by Davidov was performed. Satina also notes that the work by Mussorgsky was played in place of the advertised Capriccio Espagnole of Rimsky Korsakov. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

January 14 1912 (Julian calendar)

Moscow, Russia
Assembly of the Nobility, Pillar Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

Notes: Satina notes that this was the 8th Symphony Concert of the season of the Moscow Philharmonic Society. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

February 13 1912 (Julian calendar)

St Petersburg, Russia
Mariinsky Opera House

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

February 15 1912 (Julian calendar)

St Petersburg, Russia
Mariinsky Opera House

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

February 17 1912 (Julian calendar)

St Petersburg, Russia
Mariinsky Opera House

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

February 20 1912 (Julian calendar)

St Petersburg, Russia
Mariinsky Opera House

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

February 22 1912 (Julian calendar)

St Petersburg, Russia
Mariinsky Opera House

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

February 23 1912 (Julian calendar)

St Petersburg, Russia
Mariinsky Opera House

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

October 6 1912 (Julian calendar)

Moscow, Russia
Assembly of the Nobility, Pillar Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

Notes: Satina questions the spelling of cellist’s name as potentially Hening or Henning, but ultimately circles Heking with the note ‘ok’. Satina also notes that this was the 1st Symphony Concert of the season of the Moscow Philharmonic Society. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 20 1912 (Julian calendar)

Moscow, Russia
Assembly of the Nobility, Pillar Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

Notes: Satina notes that this was the 2nd Symphony Concert of the season of the Moscow Philharmonic Society. Further details about which symphony by Mozart was performed have not been indicated. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 22 1912 (Julian calendar)

Moscow, Russia

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

Notes: Satina indicates that this was a concert in memory of Edvard Grieg. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 27 1912 (Julian calendar)

Moscow, Russia
Assembly of the Nobility, Pillar Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

Notes: Satina notes that this was the 3rd Symphony Concert of the Moscow Philharmonic Society. Satina cites as her reference for this concert Apetian’s collection of Rachmaninoff’s letters, p. 433. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 3 1912 (Julian calendar)

Moscow, Russia
Assembly of the Nobility, Pillar Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

Notes: Satina notes that this was the 4th Symphony Concert of the Moscow Philharmonic Society. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 11 1912 (Julian calendar)

Moscow, Russia

Rachmaninoff's role: Conductor

Notes: About this incomplete program, Satina notes that the proceeds were to be given ‘to the needy Students of the Moscow Women College’. Satina’s reference is Apetian’s collection of Rachmaninoff’s letters, p. 433.