Quick Facts
- Composed and premiered in 1913; published in 1914
- *REVISED in 1931
- The composition of Piano Sonata No. 2 overlapped with the composition of his Choral Symphony, “Kolokola.”
- Three movements:
- Allegro agitato
- Non allegro—Lento
- Allegro molto
- Dedicated to Matvey Presman, a childhood friend of Rachmaninov1
About the Piece
- Following his emigration to the U.S., Rachmaninov took to revising several of his earlier works, including his Piano Sonata No. 2. In a letter, the composer wrote,
- “I look at my early works and see how much there is that is superfluous. Even in this sonata so many voices are moving simultaneously, and it is too long. Chopin’s Sonata lasts nineteen minutes, and all has been said.”
- Fun fact: Chopin‘s Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 35 was one of Rachmaninov’s favorite works. He played it frequently at concerts.
- Today, some pianists are loyal to the original 1913 version, while others see the advantages of the 1931 revision. Pianist Vladimir Horowitz was dissatisfied with both versions and made an arrangement using and combining portions of both scores (with Rachmaninov’s permission).2
- “I look at my early works and see how much there is that is superfluous. Even in this sonata so many voices are moving simultaneously, and it is too long. Chopin’s Sonata lasts nineteen minutes, and all has been said.”
Sources
- Dominik Rahmer, “Piano Sonata no. 2 b flat minor op. 36,” G. Henle Verlag, accessed July 18, 2024, https://www.henle.de/us/Piano-Sonata-no.-2-b-flat-minor-op.-36-Versions-1913-and-1931/HN-1256.
- Ibid.
Cut IDs
41324 49820 49600