Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43

Composer: RACHMANINOV, Sergei
  • Rachmaninoff composed this piano and orchestra work in 1934. He played the premiere on November 7, 1934, at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland. He was joined by the Philadelphia Orchestra and Leopold Stokowski.1
  • The complete work contains an introduction, theme, and 24 variations.2
  • The theme is taken from Paganini’s 24th Caprice, which had already formed the theme for variation sets by Schumann, Liszt, and Brahms.3
  • Besides Paganini’s theme, there is another motif that recurs in the Rhapsody: the piece frequently quotes the Dies irae plainchant. (Rachmaninoff uses the Dies irae melody in no less than 17 of his compositions.)4
  • The famous, lyrical 18th variation uses an inverted iteration of Paganini’s theme. Rachmaninoff could tell that it would be a hit, and said, “This one’s for my agent.”5

Sources

  1. “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op.43, (Rachmaninov, Sergei),” IMSLP, accessed April 1, 2021, https://imslp.org/wiki/Rhapsody_on_a_Theme_of_Paganini%2C_Op.43_(Rachmaninoff%2C_Sergei).
  2. Ibid.
  3. Jonathan James, “Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,” Music Teacher Magazine (November 2019), accessed April 1, 2021, https://www.rhinegold.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/MT_SoW_1119_IB.pdf. 
  4. Ibid.
  5. Ibid.

Cut IDs

40382 48892 17765 41720 13453 49800 15103 18614 20695 43552 48601 49808