Solo Pianist - Diary entries

Many of the initial performance details listed here were 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, especially substantial research that identified precise program details, 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), 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.

October 19 1931

Buffalo, NY, USA
Consistory Auditorium

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: It is not clear which Gavotte by Gluck arranged by Ernst Pauer was played here: there appear to be two (one in D from the ballet Don Juan, and one in G from the opera Paris and Helena). There is also a Gavotte from Pauer’s Alte Tänze, which Rachmaninoff added to a program later this season. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 20 1931

Detroit, MI, USA
Masonic Auditorium

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: It is not clear which Gavotte by Gluck arranged by Ernst Pauer was played here: there appear to be two (one in D from the ballet Don Juan, and one in G from the opera Paris and Helena). There is also a Gavotte from Pauer’s Alte Tänze, which Rachmaninoff added to a program later this season. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 21 1931

Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Armory

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: It is not clear which Gavotte by Gluck arranged by Ernst Pauer was played here: there appear to be two (one in D from the ballet Don Juan, and one in G from the opera Paris and Helena). There is also a Gavotte from Pauer’s Alte Tänze, which Rachmaninoff added to a program later this season. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 23 1931

Syracuse, NY, USA
Lincoln Auditorium

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: Satina notes that Rachmaninoff’s Variations, op. 42, was not mentioned in the review. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 1 1931

Boston, MA, USA
Symphony Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: It is not clear which Gavotte by Gluck arranged by Ernst Pauer was played here: there appear to be two (one in D from the ballet Don Juan, and one in G from the opera Paris and Helena). There is also a Gavotte from Pauer’s Alte Tänze, which Rachmaninoff added to a program later this season. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 5 1931

Washington, DC, USA
Constitution Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: It is not clear which Gavotte by Gluck arranged by Ernst Pauer was played here: there appear to be two (one in D from the ballet Don Juan, and one in G from the opera Paris and Helena). There is also a Gavotte from Pauer’s Alte Tänze, which Rachmaninoff added to a program later this season. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 7 1931

New York, NY, USA
Carnegie Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: It is not clear which Gavotte by Gluck arranged by Ernst Pauer was played here: there appear to be two (one in D from the ballet Don Juan, and one in G from the opera Paris and Helena). There is also a Gavotte from Pauer’s Alte Tänze, which Rachmaninoff added to a program later this season. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 11 1931

Millburn, NJ, USA
High School Auditorium

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: Satina indicates that this concert began at 8.30pm. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 12 1931

New York, NY, USA
Juilliard School of Music

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: Satina indicates that this concert began at 8.30pm and that this was the first performance of Rachmaninoff’s Oriental Sketch. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 15 1931

Indianapolis, IN, USA
English Auditorium

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 16 1931

Louisville, KY, USA
Louisville Memorial

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 17 1931

Cincinnati, OH, USA
Emery Auditorium

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 2 1931

Providence, RI, USA
Infantry Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 5 1931

Philadelphia, PA, USA
Academy of Music

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: Fragments from this concert were recorded without Rachmaninoff's knowledge: Brahms Ballade in D minor (bars 145-150), and Liszt Ballade in B minor no. 2 (beginning to bar 125). The recording was made by Bell Telephone Laboratories, and released by Marston Records in 2018. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 10 1931

Portland, ME, USA
City Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

December 12 1931

New York, NY, USA
Carnegie Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: Satina indicates that this concert began at 2.30pm. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

February 2 1932

Wilmington, DE, USA

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: It is not clear which Gavotte by Gluck arranged by Ernst Pauer was played here: there appear to be two (one in D from the ballet Don Juan, and one in G from the opera Paris and Helena). The other Gavotte is presumably from Pauer’s Alte Tänze. Satina indicates that the Strauss-Tausig was ‘probably’ ‘Man lebt nur einmal’. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

February 8 1932

New York, NY, USA
Town Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: Satina indicates that this concert began at 8.30pm. Satina writes that the two Gavottes by Gluck-Pauer were probably the same as played in Wilmington on February 2, however those works are not clear, either. Satina also notes that this program was part of an ‘Endowment Series’. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

March 16 1932

Paris, France

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 18 1932

Toronto, ON, Canada

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: Satina notes that the work by Chopin was not mentioned in the review. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 22 1932

Lynchburg, VA, USA
Smith Memorial Building

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 24 1932

Columbus, OH, USA
Memorial Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 25 1932

Urbana, IL, USA
University Auditorium

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 30 1932

Chicago, IL, USA
Orchestra Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

October 31 1932

Winnetka, IL, USA
New Trier High School

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 1 1932

Madison, WI, USA
Stock Pavilion, University of Wisconsin

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 5 1932

New York, NY, USA
Carnegie Hall

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 10 1932

Little Rock, AR, USA
High School Auditorium

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 14 1932

Shreveport, LA, USA
Municipal Auditorium

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: Satina notes that the keys of the works by Chopin are based on those played in Nashville and Brooklyn, as indicated in reviews. It might be that different works by Chopin were played in some iterations of this program. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.

November 16 1932

Nashville, TN, USA
Ryman Auditorium

Rachmaninoff's role: Solo Pianist

Notes: Satina notes that the keys of the works by Chopin are based on those played in Nashville and Brooklyn, as indicated in reviews. It might be that different works by Chopin were played in some iterations of this program. LoC, Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive, ML31.R33, Papers of Sophie Satin, boxes 82-89.