Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

Devilishly difficult variations tinged with melancholy.

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Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2

Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov’s recent recording is simply astounding.

Rachmaninov under the auctioneer’s hammer

The autograph manuscript of Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony – the one with all the great tunes – has been sold at auction for £1.2 million. The 320-page score was presumed lost until it was discovered in the cellar of a Swiss collector in 2004.

Rachmaninov in retrospect

One summer, long ago, my French teacher invited some of her pupils to tea at her cottage in the Sussex countryside. In the garden we devoured strawberries and cream and in her front parlour I discovered a collection of recordings of classical music.