Rachmaninov - 2nd Piano Concerto

The first item in the programme is the gloriously romantic Piano Concerto No 2 by Rachmaninov, played by Misha Kaploukhii, conducted by Michal Oren.

There is no more recognisable opening in all of classical music than the eight dark, brooding piano chords that begin this concerto. Like the tolling of heavy bronze bells, these chords build a tension that eventually becomes one of the most soaring melodies written for strings. Today, this work is an unassailable titan of the repertoire and was recently voted the greatest piece of classical music ever written in the Classic FM Hall of Fame. Yet, for the composer, this masterpiece was more than a success; it was a desperate professional resurrection.

In 1897, a young Rachmaninov suffered a catastrophic blow when critics viciously panned the premiere of his first symphony. The performance was a shambles. Conducted by an allegedly drunken Alexander Glazunov, it plunged Rachmaninov into a three-year spiral of depression and writer’s block. He composed almost nothing during this time, describing himself as a man who had lost the use of his head and hands.

Recovery eventually came from an unlikely source: neurologist Nikolai Dahl. Using hypnotherapy, Dahl repeated a simple formula to the composer: “You will write a Concerto… You will work with great facility… It will be excellent”. The treatment worked, and Rachmaninov began composing again, dedicating this, his second piano concerto, to Dahl for restoring his health and confidence.

The concerto’s technical brilliance established Rachmaninov’s fame at the time, but it is its cinematic connections that have cemented it in the public’s heart. Director David Lean used the second movement in his 1945 masterpiece Brief Encounter. The music captures the unexpressed longing and impossible romance between star-crossed lovers, Alec and Laura, as they meet at a fictional railway station.

In stark contrast, and less well known, the concerto serves a comedic purpose in Billy Wilder’s The Seven Year Itch (1955). The opening chords signal the lecherous daydreams of Richard Sherman as he fantasises about seducing “The Girl,” played by Marilyn Monroe. Monroe’s character famously asks, “Is this what they call classical music?” as she dips potato chips in champagne while the record plays.

Musically, the concerto is a journey from the sombre depths of C minor to a triumphant, thundering climax in C major. It is famously difficult to perform, requiring the full range of a virtuoso’s skill. Rachmaninov himself had enormous hands that could span 12 piano keys, a physical trait that enabled him to write widely spaced chords that remain a challenge for smaller-handed musicians.

To hear this work live is to witness a pianist navigate a maelstrom of themes—from the stormy first movement to the high emotion of the second. It is not just a concert; it is a shared experience of lush, eloquent, and frequently exciting Romanticism.