Rocky III?

Synopsis

If you believe what you see in the movies, this is the most difficult piano concerto ever written, dubbed “Rach III” by the intimidated piano students in the movie “Shine.” You’d think, since this was Hollywood, the characters in that popular movie of the ‘90s would have called Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto “Rocky III”—ah, but that’s show biz!

The Russian composer and dazzling piano virtuoso Sergei Rachmaninoff composed this concerto for his 1909 North American tour, and played the first performance himself with the New York Symphony on today’s date that year. Walter Damrosch conducted that performance, and shortly afterward played it again that season, with the rival New York Philharmonic under the baton of Gustav Mahler.

Beyond the technical difficulties of the solo part, it’s a question of sheer stamina that makes Rachmaninoff’s Third Concerto so difficult. It seems that the soloist is always “on,” always playing.

Rachmaninoff’s own interpretation is preserved on a vintage Philadelphia Orchestra recording conducted by Eugene Ormandy, and subsequent Russian virtuosos like Vladimir Horowitz and Vladimir Ashkenazy also made fantastic recordings of “Rach III”.

Music Played in Today's Program

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943) Piano Concerto No. 3 Van Cliburn, piano; Symphony of the Air; Kirill Kondrashin, cond. Philips 456 748

On This Day

Births

• 1784 - Baptismal date of German composer and pianist Ferdinand Ries, in Bonn;

• 1829 - Russian composer and pianist Anton Rubinstein, in Vikhvatinets, Podolia (see Julian date: Nov. 16);

Deaths

• 1972 - British composer Havergal Brian, age 96, in Shoreham-by-Sea; He composed 32 symphonies between 1919-1968 (most remained unperformed during his lifetime);

Premieres

• 1723 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 61 ("Nun komm der Heiden Heiland" I) performed on the 1st Sunday in Advent as part of Bach's first annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1723/24);

• 1811 - Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Johann Philip Christian Schultz conducting, and Friedrich Schneider as the soloist;

• 1895 - Rimsky-Korsakov: opera “Christmas Eve,” in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Dec. 10);

• 1896 - Mussorgsky: opera “Boris Godunov” (Rimsky-Korsakov version), in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Dec. 10);

• 1909 - Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3, in Carnegie Hall, composer at piano, Walter Damrosch conducting New York Symphony Society Orchestra;

• 1919 - Charles Tomlinson Griffes: "The Pleasure Dome of Kublai Khan," Pierre Monteux conducting Boston Symphony Orchestra;

• 1930 - Hanson: Symphony No. 2 ("Romantic"), by the Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitzky conducting;

• 1930 - Kodály: "Marosszék Dances," in Dresden;

• 1940 - Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 20, in Moscow;

• 1990 - Christopher Rouse: “Concerto per Corde” (Concerto for Strings), at Avery Fisher Hall in New York, by the American Symphony Orchestra, Catherine Comet conducting;