February 17 1943

Satina notes that this concert, commencing at 8.15pm, was the last that was given by her brother-in-law. Satina also indicates that the concert in Knoxville had been planned two months earlier (along with a concert in Chatanooga), hence, one imagines, Rachmaninoff’s willingness to return to perform here. A press clipping that advertises the concert, originally scheduled for November 9, is included with this entry. The attached reviews offer conflicting information about which works by Rachmaninoff were performed: one notes the Etudes-Tableaux in B minor and A minor, which the fourth attached press clipping indicates were programmed, while the other notes only one with the Prelude in G major, op. 32, no. 5, being added. The first review has been followed in this instance as it seems more authoritative. Confusingly, however, this review refers to the Prelude in C sharp minor, op. 3, no. 2, being performed (perhaps as an encore), but refers to it as 'no. 4'. It also notes the transcription of Mussorgsky's Hopak as an encore, but refers to the composer as Rimsky-Korsakov in error. Poignantly but quite plainly, in her notes Satina writes ‘all the concerts which were listed after – Orlando, Houston, San Antonio, Dayton, Pasadena, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Beach, etc. – were cancelled.’ LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.