Sergei Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943)
Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30
I. Allegro ma non Tanto
II. Intermezzo: Adagio
III. Finale: Alla breve

Sergei Rachmaninov lived a life of two very different halves. He was born into an aristocratic Russian family, comfortably well off, and well educated. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory and when he graduated had the means and the leisure to devote himself to composition. In time and despite some setbacks, notably the disastrous premiere of his first symphony, he built a growing reputation at home and abroad as a composer. But he fled Russia in the Revolution of 1917, in which he lost all his land and other assets, and had to start again from scratch. He couldn't even live on royalties from his earlier compositions, since the Soviet authorities never paid him any. So at the age of 44 he began another career in exile, as a pianist and conductor. In the later years he had little time for composition, but the handful of works he managed to complete in these last 25 years are very fine ones, including the Paganini Rhapsody and the Symphonic Dances.

The Third piano concerto dates from 1909, when Rachmaninov was still in Russia, and about to go on his first concert tour of the United States. He wrote it during the summer on the family estate of Ivanovka, some 600 km to the South East of Moscow, a place he went every summer to relax, absorb the spirit of the countryside, and write his music. The American tour was in the winter (November to January) and it was successful, but he found it very tiring. The concerto was first played with the composer as soloist in New York in November 1909, with the second performance a few days later. The second performance was conducted by Gustav Mahler, then principal conductor of the New York Philharmonic.

The piece quickly became established and popular, though some critics found it overlong (it lasts about 40 minutes). They all agreed with the New York Herald that “ its great length and extreme difficulties bar it from performance by any but pianists of exceptional technical powers” . On the surface it resembles the second piano concerto, but there are significant differences. It is more influenced by Russian Orthodox church music, especially the main theme of the first movement. This theme also underpins the whole work, giving it a thematic unity the second concerto lacks. And it flows more seamlessly, the different sections joined by very subtle tempo changes.

The first movement starts simply; just a simple piano theme played gently in octaves. It is quite long, rooted to the tonic D, though it rises in the middle before falling back to D again. It is repeated by the orchestra with piano decorations, and is then developed busily. After a short piano cadenza the pace slows, and a tiny fanfare-like motif leads to the second main theme, gentle and lyrical. Very gradually the speed picks up, and we hear a reprise of the opening. But this soon turns into a development of the opening theme, which becomes agitated and dramatic, swelling to a climax. This then subsides gradually, and merges into a long and complex piano solo of great brilliance. Woodwind soloists join the pianist for a few bars, who then explores the lyrical second theme, still as a piano solo. Eventually the orchestra re-enters with a recap of the opening of the concerto – but we hear just the opening theme and fanfare motif before the movement ends abruptly, but quietly.

The orchestra alone opens the adagio with a melody not sad, but nostalgic and reflective. After a while the piano joins in, and then has his own version of the theme, initially gentle but with latent passion. Orchestra and soloist together develop this, and point out some similarities with the main tune of the first movement. Rachmaninov gives us variety in a brief quick section – the piano skittering rapidly above a waltz tune in the wind. This tune is identical in notes to the first movement's main theme, though in a different rhythm. The pace slows again, and we move directly to the Finale.

The last movement is a subtle and fluid dance, mostly rapid, and not easy to analyse. The piano leads the dance, whose tune is then repeated by the orchestra. Later the piano gives us a more obviously romantic melody, rich and full. This then quietens and slows down, and the tunes are developed together – often the orchestra seems to be in one speed (slow) while the piano is dancing at a much faster speed above and around them. There is a reflective section in which the piano slows down for a while before dancing away again. A hymn-like chorale in the piano leads to a recall of the opening, and varied development of the main themes. Then the rhythm tightens, the volume grows and the speed accelerates to the main climax – the big romantic second theme is given the full treatment – and the concerto hurtles to its conclusion.