Sergei Rachmaninoff – his life and music

PLAYLIST for Leicester Music Society – May 2026

Sergei Rachmaninoff portrait

Before the talk: Suite No. 1 for two pianos, Op.5 (1893) 2nd movement

Vladimir Ashkenazy & Andre Previn (EMI, 1974)

Elegie Op.3 No.1 played by Rachmaninoff

'A Window in Time', Telarc

Prelude in B minor Op.32 No.10 (Sergio Fiorentino)

Piano Classics, Sergio Fiorentio -The Early Recordings, Vol.5

Included in the talk:

1

Piano concerto No.2 Op. 18 (1901) - beginning

Vladimir Ashkenazy, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kondrashin (Decca Legends,1963)

2

Prelude in C# minor Op. 3 No.2 (1892), Rachmaninoff, from 'Complete Recordings' (RCA)

3 & 4

Aleko, Op.2 (1892) – Aleko's Cavatina & Intermezzo

Neeme Jarvi, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Sergei Leiferkus (bass)

(Trio - Deutsche Grammophon, 1996)

5

Moment musicale Op.16 No.2 (1896)

Played by Rachmaninoff (from a Zenph re-recording, 2009)

6

Symphony No. 1 Op.13 (1897), Start of 4th Movement, RPO Andrew Litton (Virgin Classics)

7 & 8

Songs In the silence of the night Op.4 No.3 (1891)

Renée Fleming, Jean-Yves Thibaudet (live, BBC Radio 3)

A Dream Op.8 No.5 (1893)

Alexandre Naoumenko, Howard Shelley (Complete Songs, Hyperion, 1994/5)

9

Song Transcription 'Oh! Do not grieve for me' Earl Wild (Ivory Classics)

(Earl Wild's Legendary Rachmaninoff Transcriptions - rec. 1991 Columbus, Ohio )

10

Cello sonata, Op.19 (1901), 3rd movement, Andante

Truls Mørk and Jean-Yves Thibaudet (Virgin Classics, 2000)

11

The Bells, Op.35 (1915), 1st movement

Rattle, Berlin Philharmonic, (live recording, Warner Classics, 2013)

12 & 13

All-Night Vigil ('Vespers') Op.37 (1915)

No.6 Bogor Ditse Devo

No.5 Nunc Dimittis

USSR Academic Russian Choir cond. Alexander Sveshnikov; Konstantin Ognevoi, tenor

(rec. Melodiya, 1965)

BREAK

14 & 15

Songs How fair this spot (How peaceful) Op.21 No.7 (1902)

Lilacs Op.21 No.5 (1902)

Joan Rodgers, Howard Shelley (Hyperion, Complete Songs)

17

Prelude Op.32 No.5 in G major (1910) Sergio Fiorentio - The Early Recordings, Vol.5

16

Piano Concerto No.3 Op.30 (1909) 1st movement (beginning)

Martha Argerich, RSO Berlin, Riccardo Chailly (Philips, live, 1995)

18

Symphonic Dances Op. 45 – 2nd Mvt Moscow Phil / Kondrashin (rec. Melodiya 1963)

19

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Op.43 - excerpts Danil Trifonov

Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nezet-Seguin (rec. Deutsche Grammophon, 2015