Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini was composed in 1934 during his exile in America and is regarded as one of the most brilliant concert works of the 20th century. The composer drew on Paganini’s famous 24th Caprice and used it to create a virtuoso set of variations that impressively represents his late creative period.

The work combines Rachmaninoff’s characteristic late-Romantic musical language with a form that is unusually concentrated for him. Alongside the orchestral opulence and the typical sweeping melodic lines, his penchant for the sombre and mystical is also evident here, for instance through the inclusion of the Dies Irae melody. The virtuoso piano part is entirely in the tradition of the Russian piano school and demands the highest technical brilliance.

As a work composed in exile, the Rhapsody reflects Rachmaninoff’s conflict between his Russian heritage and his American present. It is said to have been a triumphant success at its premiere in Baltimore and quickly established itself in the international concert repertoire as one of the most powerful piano concertos of the modern era.