SERGEI RACHMANINOV

Sergei Rachmaninov is one of the greatest pianists of all time and the last representative of late Russian romanticism as a composer. In terms of genre, his opuses are of great diversity. He wrote music for piano, orchestra; also favoured vocal lyrics, chamber music, opera genre. The largest and most important part of Rachmaninov’s legacy is piano music. “Rachmaninov’s Second”, as this symbol of victory is often called, is a three-movement Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18. This work refers to the gloomy events of the composer’s life. After the premiere of the First Symphony in 1897, Rachmaninov was crushed by the ruthless reaction of the audience and critics, which long deprived him of his determination to compose. Creative suffering turned into depression. However, after this gloomy period, the composer composed the Second Concerto, dedicating the opus to his psychiatrist Nikolai Dahl. The premiere took place on October 27, 1901 conducted by Alexander Siloti with the composer at the piano. This time the Concerto earned enthusiastic applause, which turned a new page in the composer’s life, and he triumphed.

Lukas Geniušas, one of the most famous Lithuanian pianists in the world, together with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Modestas Pitrėnas performs this monumental work, which is tantamount to a masterpiece.