Piano Concerto No. 4 in g minor, Op. 40

Composer: RACHMANINOV, Sergei

Quick Facts

  • Written in 1926; revised in 1928 and once more in 1941
    • The 1941 version is the one most commonly performed today.
  • Dedicated to Russian composer and pianist (and Rachmaninov’s friend) Nikolay Medtner
  • The first performance took place in Philadelphia in 1927, performed by the composer and the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski1
  • *Rachmaninov’s final piano concerto

About the Piece

  • Rachmaninov’s original score was remarkably long, which led the composer to make frantic cuts to the music shortly before the premiere in 1927. However, critics found the resulting piece jumbled and chaotic, ultimately leading to two revisions of the concerto.
    • The creation of this piano concerto followed an extensive period away from composing, which didn’t help Rachmaninov’s feelings of doubt and insecurity.
  • Listen for – echoes of Jazz in the second movement that likely influenced the composer as he had recently emigrated to New York.2

Sources

  1. “Piano Concerto No.4, Op.40 (Rachmaninoff, Sergei),” IMSLP, accessed August 21, 2023, https://imslp.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No.4%2C_Op.40_(Rachmaninoff%2C_Sergei).
  2. Jessica Schilling, “Piano Concerto No. 4,” L. A. Phil, accessed August 21, 2023, https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/2775/piano-concerto-no-4.

Cut IDs

40359 13456 22233