Piano Concerto No. 2

At a glance

• What it isthe first movement, Moderato, of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor.
• Who, when, whywritten after he broke a long silence following his First Symphony's failure; the complete work premiered in Moscow in 1901.
• What to listen forthe eight chords for piano alone, the first theme in the strings, and the second theme sung by the piano.

Listen for

• The openingthe piano strikes chords very softly, sounding the same low note in between, and builds them louder over eight steps. It recalls Russian church bells.
• The first themeonce the bells have rung, the strings sing a broad, dark theme while the piano supports it with rippling chords.
• The second themethe mood brightens and the piano sings a warm, lyrical melody.

When it was written

After the harsh reception of his First Symphony in 1897, Rachmaninoff could not write large works for several years. Treated by the physician Nikolai Dahl in 1900, he regained his confidence and wrote this concerto. The second and third movements were performed first, and in 1901, with the first movement complete, the whole work was premiered.

Rachmaninoff loved the bells of Russian Orthodox churches, and many of his works include passages imitating them. The opening of this concerto is often cited as one. He dedicated the concerto to Dr Dahl.