Sergey Vassilievich Rachmaninoff
Born: 1st April 1873, Starorussky Uyezd
Died: 28th March 1943, Beverly Hills
Nationality: Russian
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music. Early influences of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and other Russian composers gave way to a thoroughly personal idiom notable for its song-like melodicism, expressiveness, dense contrapuntal textures, and rich orchestral colours. The piano is featured prominently in Rachmaninoff's compositional output and he used his skills as a performer to fully explore the expressive and technical possibilities of the instrument.
Born into a musical family, Rachmaninoff began learning the piano at the age of four.
Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Rachmaninoff
Browse: Rachmaninoff
Further Reading: Rachmaninoff
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Vasily Petrenko and the RPO hear the chimes at midnight
14th Nov 2025
An unlikely-looking diptych of Rachmaninoff's The Bells and Elgar's Falstaff puts the RPO and chorus through their paces; Vasily Petrenko brings to the surface the common ground the two works share.
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Vasily Petrenko on Elgar and Rachmaninoff
6th Nov 2025
Ahead of the release of their debut recording on Harmonia Mundi next week, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's Music Director reflects on the parallels between two works which were premiered in 1913 - Elgar's Falstaff and Rachmaninoff's The Bells.
Popular Genres: Rachmaninoff
Popular Works: Rachmaninoff
- Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19 (172)
- Daisies, Op. 38 No. 3 (94)
- Étude-Tableau, Op. 39 No. 5 in E flat minor (60)
- Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 39 (63)
- How fair this spot, Op. 21 No. 7 (75)
- Lilacs, Op. 21 No. 5 (99)
- Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Op. 31 (44)
- Moments Musicaux, Op. 16 (132)
- Ne poy, krasavitsa, pri mne, Op. 4 No. 4 (45)
- Piano Concerto No. 1 in F sharp minor, Op. 1 (148)
- Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 (377)
- Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 (292)
- Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor, Op. 40 (111)
- Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 28 (63)
- Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 36 (184)
- Polka de V.R. (52)
- Prelude Op. 3 No. 2 in C sharp minor (185)
- Prelude Op. 23 No. 2 in B flat major (47)
- Prelude Op. 23 No. 4 in D major (79)
- Prelude Op. 23 No. 5 in G minor (162)
- Prelude Op. 32 No. 5 in G major (86)
- Prelude Op. 32 No. 12 in G sharp minor (153)
- Preludes Op. 23 Nos. 1-10 (75)
- Preludes Op. 32 Nos. 1-13 (69)
- Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 (195)
- Spring torrents, Op. 14 No.11 (55)
- Suite No. 1 (Fantaisie-tableaux), Op. 5 (56)
- Suite No. 2 for Two Pianos, Op. 17 (66)
- Symphonic Dances, Op. 45 (147)
- Symphony No. 1 in D minor, Op. 13 (58)
- Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 (150)
- Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44 (90)
- The Bells, Op. 35 (54)
- The Isle of the Dead - Symphonic Poem, Op. 29 (88)
- The Rock - Fantasy for Orchestra, Op. 7 (47)
- Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor, Op. post. (65)
- Variations on a Theme of Chopin, Op. 22 (50)
- Variations on a theme of Corelli, Op. 42 (143)
- Vespers, Op. 37 (52)
- Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14 (498)
Recent Best Sellers: Rachmaninoff
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New. Stephen Hough's Piano Postcards
Stephen Hough (piano)
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Gramophone Magazine, August 2026, Editor's Choice
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BBC Music Magazine, September 2026, Instrumental Choice
CD: $17.75Download from $16.75 -
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Rachmaninoff: The Bells & Symphonic Dances
Dmytro Popov (tenor), Kristina Mkhitaryan, Alexander Vinogradov (bass), Netherlands Radio Choir, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Karina Canellakis
CD: $19.00Download from $10.25 -
New. Shall We Gather
VOCES8 and Ringmasters
CD: $13.25Download from $10.00 -
Special offer. Rachmaninov - Etudes tableaux, Op. 33 & Op. 39
Rustem Hayroudinoff (piano)
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Building a Library, July 2008, First Choice
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BBC Music Magazine Awards, 2008, Instrumental Finalist
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BBC Music Magazine, January 2007, Instrumental Choice
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Presto Favourites, Recommended Recording
Presto CD: Original price $17.00 Reduced $13.60Download from $7.00 -
New Releases: Rachmaninoff
View all new releases-
New. Alexis Weissenberg: The Complete Warner Classics Edition
Alexis Weissenberg (piano)
37 CDs: $132.75 -
New. Rendez-Vous With Martha Argerich, Vol. 4
Martha Argerich (piano)
5 CDs: $74.25Download from $11.00 -
New. Shall We Gather
VOCES8 and Ringmasters
CD: $13.25Download from $10.00 -
New. Stephen Hough's Piano Postcards
Stephen Hough (piano)
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Gramophone Magazine, August 2026, Editor's Choice
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BBC Music Magazine, September 2026, Instrumental Choice
CD: $17.75Download from $16.75 -
Future Releases: Rachmaninoff
View all future releases-
Coming soon. Still Waters
The Mancunium Consort, Ischia Gooda (vocalist), Laura Crooks (vocalist), Merel-Magali Cox (vocalist), Toluwani Idowu (vocalist), Joseph Taylor (vocalist), Brennan Alleyne (vocalist), Harry Mobbs (vocalist), Joshua McCullough (vocalist), The Mancunium Consort & Blake Morgan
CD: $13.25 -
Coming soon. Sviatoslav Richter | Tchaikovsky - Mussorgsky - Rachmaninoff
Sviatoslav Richter (piano), Wiener Symphoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Kurt Sanderling
2 CDs: $22.25Download from $10.00 -
Coming soon. Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3
Takao Tsukada, Nagoya University of the Arts Student Orchestra with Nagoya University of the Arts Philharmonic Orchestra, Yuha Hoshino
Download from $10.00 -
Coming soon. Very Best of St John's College Choir
Choir of St John's College Cambridge, Christopher Robinson
Download from $7.00
