NANOSNET

Happy Friday!

As we round the bend to the end of August, I hope that you had a grand week!

Scott and I had the pleasure of attending a performance by one of my colleagues, Dr. Michael Slavin, at the PianoTexas International Festival and Academy Teachers/Amateur Concerto Concert held at Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. Michael is a two-time runner up in the International Van Cliburn Amateur competition and I try to attend his performances whenever he is in the area. He started playing the piano at age 5, including 10 years of rigorous study at Julliard's pre-college division but decided he needed to earn a living, so he became a neuro-ophthalmologist, a field in which he also excelled. He never gave up his passion for piano, though, and retired from medicine early to pursue his musical dreams. Michael has competed in -and won - amateur competitions around the world. He also has a great sense of humor. (Can you tell that he is one of my favorite people?)

We heard Michael play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor (beautifully) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in mid-June. One of the most entertaining aspects of the program was watching Miguel Harth-Bedoya conduct. He would turn around, lean on the lid of the Steinway and interact with the pianists during their performance with great facial expressions. We also had a chance to interact with the other pianists after the program. They all know each other and exuded friendship, camaraderie and support. They also have their own lingo – Rachmaninoff's Piano No 1 was referred to as "Rach (pronounced Rock) 1".

I always thought that Rachmaninoff was an 19^th century Russian composer, but he was much more contemporary than that, and he defected from Russia and became a U.S. citizen after the Russian Revolution. He is considered the last of the Russian Romantic composers.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (AKA Rach) was born in Russia to a distinguished lineage in 1873. Both of his parents were accomplished musicians, but his childhood circumstances were not great. Although his parents were well off, his father got into gambling debt and had to sell the family properties. His parents divorced a few years later. Sergei was talented enough to take lessons with professional piano teachers and entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1885 to study piano and composition. By then, he was already a virtuoso. He was also tall (6'3" or 190.5 cm) and had very large hands, a definite advantage for playing piano. He could play any piece, was a superb sight-reader and could replay a piece from memory years after first hearing it. Musical historian C. Schonberg described him as "dour, serious, taciturn and open to only a very few close friends. He was stubborn and would not be pushed around, even as a student". He graduated with honors in 1891 and won a gold medal prize for Aleko, a one-act opera that was praised by Tchaikovsky. He also wrote a tone poem called – yes - The Rock, dedicated to Rimsky-Korsakov.

Rachmaninoff was influenced by Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Richard Strauss, and wrote First Piano Concerto (AKA Rach 1) in 1890-1  The first public performance of a major work of Rachmaninoff 1897 was a disaster, likely because the conductor was drunk. One critic described his music as "disturbing" to critics and the public alike because of its integration of Russian, non-Russian and novel elements.  This threw Rachmaninoff into a major depression. He stopped composing for 3 years, earned a living conducting opera and "felt like a man who suffered a stroke and had lost the use of his head and hands". He overcame the depression with therapy and hypnosis and composed his Second Piano Concerto which was well received then and now.

He married his first cousin, honeymooned in Europe, had two daughters and worked as a conductor in the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. The family moved to Dresden for a while, then returned to Russia. He premiered his Third Piano Concerto in New York in 1909 and toured the U.S. and Europe. During the Russian Revolution in 1917 he and his family escaped to a concert tour in Europe, moved to Switzerland, then permanently emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. He wrote a letter that was published in the New York Times criticizing Soviet Russia, which resulted in his work being officially banned in Russia.

 Rachmaninoff concentrated on performance in the U.S. and toured extensively. He often spent summers in Europe and was regarded as perhaps the finest solo pianist.He leaned close to the keyboard when he played, minimizing any body movement other than his hands. He composed several pieces in the 1930s including Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphonic Dances and his Third Symphony.

His health declined in 1942 with high blood pressure, headaches, neuralgia and lower back pain with neuropathy. His doctor advised him to move to a warmer climate, so he and his wife moved from New York to Beverly Hills, California, close to Vladamir Horowitz with whom he often played duets. He and his wife became naturalized citizens of the U.S. in 1943. Despite his deteriorating health, he continued to compose but had to cut his touring short because of illness. He died of aggressive melanoma month after his last performance in 1943 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was interred in Valhalla, New York with his wife and daughter (near the graves of Lou Gehrig, Anne Bancroft, Tommy Dorsey and Ayn Rand). In 1915, Russia' culture minister sparked an international debate by asking that his body be exhumed and sent to Russia, but his great-granddaughter said "nyet".

As a special treat, I include the link to Michael's performance of Rach 1 for your personal enjoyment only. Please do not post it online or on social media for copyright reasons. Also, the magnificent second movement of Rach 2 played by Rach himself (1929), which was the inspiration for Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again". (You may need to cut and paste the link into your browser.)

Have a great weekend, including the long Labor Day weekend for those in the U.S.

Deb

Michael: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_s5mHr3ab3JqNVUkCn7C6bFfnVSwPg_/view?usp=sharing

Sergei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnqytVlbNL8

Happy Friday!

As we round the bend to the end of August, I hope that you had a grand week!

Scott and I had the pleasure of attending a performance by one of my colleagues, Dr. Michael Slavin, at the PianoTexas International Festival and Academy Teachers/Amateur Concerto Concert held at Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. Michael is a two-time runner up in the International Van Cliburn Amateur competition and I try to attend his performances whenever he is in the area. He started playing the piano at age 5, including 10 years of rigorous study at Julliard's pre-college division but decided he needed to earn a living, so he became a neuro-ophthalmologist, a field in which he also excelled. He never gave up his passion for piano, though, and retired from medicine early to pursue his musical dreams. Michael has competed in -and won - amateur competitions around the world. He also has a great sense of humor. (Can you tell that he is one of my favorite people?)

We heard Michael play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor (beautifully) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in mid-June. One of the most entertaining aspects of the program was watching Miguel Harth-Bedoya conduct. He would turn around, lean on the lid of the Steinway and interact with the pianists during their performance with great facial expressions. We also had a chance to interact with the other pianists after the program. They all know each other and exuded friendship, camaraderie and support. They also have their own lingo – Rachmaninoff's Piano No 1 was referred to as "Rach (pronounced Rock) 1".

I always thought that Rachmaninoff was an 19^th century Russian composer, but he was much more contemporary than that, and he defected from Russia and became a U.S. citizen after the Russian Revolution. He is considered the last of the Russian Romantic composers.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (AKA Rach) was born in Russia to a distinguished lineage in 1873. Both of his parents were accomplished musicians, but his childhood circumstances were not great. Although his parents were well off, his father got into gambling debt and had to sell the family properties. His parents divorced a few years later. Sergei was talented enough to take lessons with professional piano teachers and entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1885 to study piano and composition. By then, he was already a virtuoso. He was also tall (6'3" or 190.5 cm) and had very large hands, a definite advantage for playing piano. He could play any piece, was a superb sight-reader and could replay a piece from memory years after first hearing it. Musical historian C. Schonberg described him as "dour, serious, taciturn and open to only a very few close friends. He was stubborn and would not be pushed around, even as a student". He graduated with honors in 1891 and won a gold medal prize for Aleko, a one-act opera that was praised by Tchaikovsky. He also wrote a tone poem called – yes - The Rock, dedicated to Rimsky-Korsakov.

Rachmaninoff was influenced by Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Richard Strauss, and wrote First Piano Concerto (AKA Rach 1) in 1890-1  The first public performance of a major work of Rachmaninoff 1897 was a disaster, likely because the conductor was drunk. One critic described his music as "disturbing" to critics and the public alike because of its integration of Russian, non-Russian and novel elements.  This threw Rachmaninoff into a major depression. He stopped composing for 3 years, earned a living conducting opera and "felt like a man who suffered a stroke and had lost the use of his head and hands". He overcame the depression with therapy and hypnosis and composed his Second Piano Concerto which was well received then and now.

He married his first cousin, honeymooned in Europe, had two daughters and worked as a conductor in the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. The family moved to Dresden for a while, then returned to Russia. He premiered his Third Piano Concerto in New York in 1909 and toured the U.S. and Europe. During the Russian Revolution in 1917 he and his family escaped to a concert tour in Europe, moved to Switzerland, then permanently emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. He wrote a letter that was published in the New York Times criticizing Soviet Russia, which resulted in his work being officially banned in Russia.

 Rachmaninoff concentrated on performance in the U.S. and toured extensively. He often spent summers in Europe and was regarded as perhaps the finest solo pianist.He leaned close to the keyboard when he played, minimizing any body movement other than his hands. He composed several pieces in the 1930s including Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphonic Dances and his Third Symphony.

His health declined in 1942 with high blood pressure, headaches, neuralgia and lower back pain with neuropathy. His doctor advised him to move to a warmer climate, so he and his wife moved from New York to Beverly Hills, California, close to Vladamir Horowitz with whom he often played duets. He and his wife became naturalized citizens of the U.S. in 1943. Despite his deteriorating health, he continued to compose but had to cut his touring short because of illness. He died of aggressive melanoma month after his last performance in 1943 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was interred in Valhalla, New York with his wife and daughter (near the graves of Lou Gehrig, Anne Bancroft, Tommy Dorsey and Ayn Rand). In 1915, Russia' culture minister sparked an international debate by asking that his body be exhumed and sent to Russia, but his great-granddaughter said "nyet".

As a special treat, I include the link to Michael's performance of Rach 1 for your personal enjoyment only. Please do not post it online or on social media for copyright reasons. Also, the magnificent second movement of Rach 2 played by Rach himself (1929), which was the inspiration for Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again". (You may need to cut and paste the link into your browser.)

Have a great weekend, including the long Labor Day weekend for those in the U.S.

Deb

Michael: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_s5mHr3ab3JqNVUkCn7C6bFfnVSwPg_/view?usp=sharing

Sergei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnqytVlbNL8

Happy Friday!

As we round the bend to the end of August, I hope that you had a grand week!

Scott and I had the pleasure of attending a performance by one of my colleagues, Dr. Michael Slavin, at the PianoTexas International Festival and Academy Teachers/Amateur Concerto Concert held at Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. Michael is a two-time runner up in the International Van Cliburn Amateur competition and I try to attend his performances whenever he is in the area. He started playing the piano at age 5, including 10 years of rigorous study at Julliard's pre-college division but decided he needed to earn a living, so he became a neuro-ophthalmologist, a field in which he also excelled. He never gave up his passion for piano, though, and retired from medicine early to pursue his musical dreams. Michael has competed in -and won - amateur competitions around the world. He also has a great sense of humor. (Can you tell that he is one of my favorite people?)

We heard Michael play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor (beautifully) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in mid-June. One of the most entertaining aspects of the program was watching Miguel Harth-Bedoya conduct. He would turn around, lean on the lid of the Steinway and interact with the pianists during their performance with great facial expressions. We also had a chance to interact with the other pianists after the program. They all know each other and exuded friendship, camaraderie and support. They also have their own lingo – Rachmaninoff's Piano No 1 was referred to as "Rach (pronounced Rock) 1".

I always thought that Rachmaninoff was an 19^th century Russian composer, but he was much more contemporary than that, and he defected from Russia and became a U.S. citizen after the Russian Revolution. He is considered the last of the Russian Romantic composers.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (AKA Rach) was born in Russia to a distinguished lineage in 1873. Both of his parents were accomplished musicians, but his childhood circumstances were not great. Although his parents were well off, his father got into gambling debt and had to sell the family properties. His parents divorced a few years later. Sergei was talented enough to take lessons with professional piano teachers and entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1885 to study piano and composition. By then, he was already a virtuoso. He was also tall (6'3" or 190.5 cm) and had very large hands, a definite advantage for playing piano. He could play any piece, was a superb sight-reader and could replay a piece from memory years after first hearing it. Musical historian C. Schonberg described him as "dour, serious, taciturn and open to only a very few close friends. He was stubborn and would not be pushed around, even as a student". He graduated with honors in 1891 and won a gold medal prize for Aleko, a one-act opera that was praised by Tchaikovsky. He also wrote a tone poem called – yes - The Rock, dedicated to Rimsky-Korsakov.

Rachmaninoff was influenced by Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Richard Strauss, and wrote First Piano Concerto (AKA Rach 1) in 1890-1  The first public performance of a major work of Rachmaninoff 1897 was a disaster, likely because the conductor was drunk. One critic described his music as "disturbing" to critics and the public alike because of its integration of Russian, non-Russian and novel elements.  This threw Rachmaninoff into a major depression. He stopped composing for 3 years, earned a living conducting opera and "felt like a man who suffered a stroke and had lost the use of his head and hands". He overcame the depression with therapy and hypnosis and composed his Second Piano Concerto which was well received then and now.

He married his first cousin, honeymooned in Europe, had two daughters and worked as a conductor in the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. The family moved to Dresden for a while, then returned to Russia. He premiered his Third Piano Concerto in New York in 1909 and toured the U.S. and Europe. During the Russian Revolution in 1917 he and his family escaped to a concert tour in Europe, moved to Switzerland, then permanently emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. He wrote a letter that was published in the New York Times criticizing Soviet Russia, which resulted in his work being officially banned in Russia.

 Rachmaninoff concentrated on performance in the U.S. and toured extensively. He often spent summers in Europe and was regarded as perhaps the finest solo pianist.He leaned close to the keyboard when he played, minimizing any body movement other than his hands. He composed several pieces in the 1930s including Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphonic Dances and his Third Symphony.

His health declined in 1942 with high blood pressure, headaches, neuralgia and lower back pain with neuropathy. His doctor advised him to move to a warmer climate, so he and his wife moved from New York to Beverly Hills, California, close to Vladamir Horowitz with whom he often played duets. He and his wife became naturalized citizens of the U.S. in 1943. Despite his deteriorating health, he continued to compose but had to cut his touring short because of illness. He died of aggressive melanoma month after his last performance in 1943 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was interred in Valhalla, New York with his wife and daughter (near the graves of Lou Gehrig, Anne Bancroft, Tommy Dorsey and Ayn Rand). In 1915, Russia' culture minister sparked an international debate by asking that his body be exhumed and sent to Russia, but his great-granddaughter said "nyet".

As a special treat, I include the link to Michael's performance of Rach 1 for your personal enjoyment only. Please do not post it online or on social media for copyright reasons. Also, the magnificent second movement of Rach 2 played by Rach himself (1929), which was the inspiration for Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again". (You may need to cut and paste the link into your browser.)

Have a great weekend, including the long Labor Day weekend for those in the U.S.

Deb

Michael: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_s5mHr3ab3JqNVUkCn7C6bFfnVSwPg_/view?usp=sharing

Sergei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnqytVlbNL8

Happy Friday!

As we round the bend to the end of August, I hope that you had a grand week!

Scott and I had the pleasure of attending a performance by one of my colleagues, Dr. Michael Slavin, at the PianoTexas International Festival and Academy Teachers/Amateur Concerto Concert held at Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. Michael is a two-time runner up in the International Van Cliburn Amateur competition and I try to attend his performances whenever he is in the area. He started playing the piano at age 5, including 10 years of rigorous study at Julliard's pre-college division but decided he needed to earn a living, so he became a neuro-ophthalmologist, a field in which he also excelled. He never gave up his passion for piano, though, and retired from medicine early to pursue his musical dreams. Michael has competed in -and won - amateur competitions around the world. He also has a great sense of humor. (Can you tell that he is one of my favorite people?)

We heard Michael play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor (beautifully) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in mid-June. One of the most entertaining aspects of the program was watching Miguel Harth-Bedoya conduct. He would turn around, lean on the lid of the Steinway and interact with the pianists during their performance with great facial expressions. We also had a chance to interact with the other pianists after the program. They all know each other and exuded friendship, camaraderie and support. They also have their own lingo – Rachmaninoff's Piano No 1 was referred to as "Rach (pronounced Rock) 1".

I always thought that Rachmaninoff was an 19^th century Russian composer, but he was much more contemporary than that, and he defected from Russia and became a U.S. citizen after the Russian Revolution. He is considered the last of the Russian Romantic composers.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (AKA Rach) was born in Russia to a distinguished lineage in 1873. Both of his parents were accomplished musicians, but his childhood circumstances were not great. Although his parents were well off, his father got into gambling debt and had to sell the family properties. His parents divorced a few years later. Sergei was talented enough to take lessons with professional piano teachers and entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1885 to study piano and composition. By then, he was already a virtuoso. He was also tall (6'3" or 190.5 cm) and had very large hands, a definite advantage for playing piano. He could play any piece, was a superb sight-reader and could replay a piece from memory years after first hearing it. Musical historian C. Schonberg described him as "dour, serious, taciturn and open to only a very few close friends. He was stubborn and would not be pushed around, even as a student". He graduated with honors in 1891 and won a gold medal prize for Aleko, a one-act opera that was praised by Tchaikovsky. He also wrote a tone poem called – yes - The Rock, dedicated to Rimsky-Korsakov.

Rachmaninoff was influenced by Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Richard Strauss, and wrote First Piano Concerto (AKA Rach 1) in 1890-1  The first public performance of a major work of Rachmaninoff 1897 was a disaster, likely because the conductor was drunk. One critic described his music as "disturbing" to critics and the public alike because of its integration of Russian, non-Russian and novel elements.  This threw Rachmaninoff into a major depression. He stopped composing for 3 years, earned a living conducting opera and "felt like a man who suffered a stroke and had lost the use of his head and hands". He overcame the depression with therapy and hypnosis and composed his Second Piano Concerto which was well received then and now.

He married his first cousin, honeymooned in Europe, had two daughters and worked as a conductor in the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. The family moved to Dresden for a while, then returned to Russia. He premiered his Third Piano Concerto in New York in 1909 and toured the U.S. and Europe. During the Russian Revolution in 1917 he and his family escaped to a concert tour in Europe, moved to Switzerland, then permanently emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. He wrote a letter that was published in the New York Times criticizing Soviet Russia, which resulted in his work being officially banned in Russia.

 Rachmaninoff concentrated on performance in the U.S. and toured extensively. He often spent summers in Europe and was regarded as perhaps the finest solo pianist.He leaned close to the keyboard when he played, minimizing any body movement other than his hands. He composed several pieces in the 1930s including Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphonic Dances and his Third Symphony.

His health declined in 1942 with high blood pressure, headaches, neuralgia and lower back pain with neuropathy. His doctor advised him to move to a warmer climate, so he and his wife moved from New York to Beverly Hills, California, close to Vladamir Horowitz with whom he often played duets. He and his wife became naturalized citizens of the U.S. in 1943. Despite his deteriorating health, he continued to compose but had to cut his touring short because of illness. He died of aggressive melanoma month after his last performance in 1943 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was interred in Valhalla, New York with his wife and daughter (near the graves of Lou Gehrig, Anne Bancroft, Tommy Dorsey and Ayn Rand). In 1915, Russia' culture minister sparked an international debate by asking that his body be exhumed and sent to Russia, but his great-granddaughter said "nyet".

As a special treat, I include the link to Michael's performance of Rach 1 for your personal enjoyment only. Please do not post it online or on social media for copyright reasons. Also, the magnificent second movement of Rach 2 played by Rach himself (1929), which was the inspiration for Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again". (You may need to cut and paste the link into your browser.)

Have a great weekend, including the long Labor Day weekend for those in the U.S.

Deb

Michael: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_s5mHr3ab3JqNVUkCn7C6bFfnVSwPg_/view?usp=sharing

Sergei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnqytVlbNL8

Happy Friday!

As we round the bend to the end of August, I hope that you had a grand week!

Scott and I had the pleasure of attending a performance by one of my colleagues, Dr. Michael Slavin, at the PianoTexas International Festival and Academy Teachers/Amateur Concerto Concert held at Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. Michael is a two-time runner up in the International Van Cliburn Amateur competition and I try to attend his performances whenever he is in the area. He started playing the piano at age 5, including 10 years of rigorous study at Julliard's pre-college division but decided he needed to earn a living, so he became a neuro-ophthalmologist, a field in which he also excelled. He never gave up his passion for piano, though, and retired from medicine early to pursue his musical dreams. Michael has competed in -and won - amateur competitions around the world. He also has a great sense of humor. (Can you tell that he is one of my favorite people?)

We heard Michael play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor (beautifully) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in mid-June. One of the most entertaining aspects of the program was watching Miguel Harth-Bedoya conduct. He would turn around, lean on the lid of the Steinway and interact with the pianists during their performance with great facial expressions. We also had a chance to interact with the other pianists after the program. They all know each other and exuded friendship, camaraderie and support. They also have their own lingo – Rachmaninoff's Piano No 1 was referred to as "Rach (pronounced Rock) 1".

I always thought that Rachmaninoff was an 19^th century Russian composer, but he was much more contemporary than that, and he defected from Russia and became a U.S. citizen after the Russian Revolution. He is considered the last of the Russian Romantic composers.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (AKA Rach) was born in Russia to a distinguished lineage in 1873. Both of his parents were accomplished musicians, but his childhood circumstances were not great. Although his parents were well off, his father got into gambling debt and had to sell the family properties. His parents divorced a few years later. Sergei was talented enough to take lessons with professional piano teachers and entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1885 to study piano and composition. By then, he was already a virtuoso. He was also tall (6'3" or 190.5 cm) and had very large hands, a definite advantage for playing piano. He could play any piece, was a superb sight-reader and could replay a piece from memory years after first hearing it. Musical historian C. Schonberg described him as "dour, serious, taciturn and open to only a very few close friends. He was stubborn and would not be pushed around, even as a student". He graduated with honors in 1891 and won a gold medal prize for Aleko, a one-act opera that was praised by Tchaikovsky. He also wrote a tone poem called – yes - The Rock, dedicated to Rimsky-Korsakov.

Rachmaninoff was influenced by Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Richard Strauss, and wrote First Piano Concerto (AKA Rach 1) in 1890-1  The first public performance of a major work of Rachmaninoff 1897 was a disaster, likely because the conductor was drunk. One critic described his music as "disturbing" to critics and the public alike because of its integration of Russian, non-Russian and novel elements.  This threw Rachmaninoff into a major depression. He stopped composing for 3 years, earned a living conducting opera and "felt like a man who suffered a stroke and had lost the use of his head and hands". He overcame the depression with therapy and hypnosis and composed his Second Piano Concerto which was well received then and now.

He married his first cousin, honeymooned in Europe, had two daughters and worked as a conductor in the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. The family moved to Dresden for a while, then returned to Russia. He premiered his Third Piano Concerto in New York in 1909 and toured the U.S. and Europe. During the Russian Revolution in 1917 he and his family escaped to a concert tour in Europe, moved to Switzerland, then permanently emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. He wrote a letter that was published in the New York Times criticizing Soviet Russia, which resulted in his work being officially banned in Russia.

 Rachmaninoff concentrated on performance in the U.S. and toured extensively. He often spent summers in Europe and was regarded as perhaps the finest solo pianist.He leaned close to the keyboard when he played, minimizing any body movement other than his hands. He composed several pieces in the 1930s including Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphonic Dances and his Third Symphony.

His health declined in 1942 with high blood pressure, headaches, neuralgia and lower back pain with neuropathy. His doctor advised him to move to a warmer climate, so he and his wife moved from New York to Beverly Hills, California, close to Vladamir Horowitz with whom he often played duets. He and his wife became naturalized citizens of the U.S. in 1943. Despite his deteriorating health, he continued to compose but had to cut his touring short because of illness. He died of aggressive melanoma month after his last performance in 1943 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was interred in Valhalla, New York with his wife and daughter (near the graves of Lou Gehrig, Anne Bancroft, Tommy Dorsey and Ayn Rand). In 1915, Russia' culture minister sparked an international debate by asking that his body be exhumed and sent to Russia, but his great-granddaughter said "nyet".

As a special treat, I include the link to Michael's performance of Rach 1 for your personal enjoyment only. Please do not post it online or on social media for copyright reasons. Also, the magnificent second movement of Rach 2 played by Rach himself (1929), which was the inspiration for Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again". (You may need to cut and paste the link into your browser.)

Have a great weekend, including the long Labor Day weekend for those in the U.S.

Deb

Michael: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_s5mHr3ab3JqNVUkCn7C6bFfnVSwPg_/view?usp=sharing

Sergei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnqytVlbNL8

Happy Friday!

As we round the bend to the end of August, I hope that you had a grand week!

Scott and I had the pleasure of attending a performance by one of my colleagues, Dr. Michael Slavin, at the PianoTexas International Festival and Academy Teachers/Amateur Concerto Concert held at Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. Michael is a two-time runner up in the International Van Cliburn Amateur competition and I try to attend his performances whenever he is in the area. He started playing the piano at age 5, including 10 years of rigorous study at Julliard's pre-college division but decided he needed to earn a living, so he became a neuro-ophthalmologist, a field in which he also excelled. He never gave up his passion for piano, though, and retired from medicine early to pursue his musical dreams. Michael has competed in -and won - amateur competitions around the world. He also has a great sense of humor. (Can you tell that he is one of my favorite people?)

We heard Michael play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor (beautifully) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in mid-June. One of the most entertaining aspects of the program was watching Miguel Harth-Bedoya conduct. He would turn around, lean on the lid of the Steinway and interact with the pianists during their performance with great facial expressions. We also had a chance to interact with the other pianists after the program. They all know each other and exuded friendship, camaraderie and support. They also have their own lingo – Rachmaninoff's Piano No 1 was referred to as "Rach (pronounced Rock) 1".

I always thought that Rachmaninoff was an 19^th century Russian composer, but he was much more contemporary than that, and he defected from Russia and became a U.S. citizen after the Russian Revolution. He is considered the last of the Russian Romantic composers.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (AKA Rach) was born in Russia to a distinguished lineage in 1873. Both of his parents were accomplished musicians, but his childhood circumstances were not great. Although his parents were well off, his father got into gambling debt and had to sell the family properties. His parents divorced a few years later. Sergei was talented enough to take lessons with professional piano teachers and entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1885 to study piano and composition. By then, he was already a virtuoso. He was also tall (6'3" or 190.5 cm) and had very large hands, a definite advantage for playing piano. He could play any piece, was a superb sight-reader and could replay a piece from memory years after first hearing it. Musical historian C. Schonberg described him as "dour, serious, taciturn and open to only a very few close friends. He was stubborn and would not be pushed around, even as a student". He graduated with honors in 1891 and won a gold medal prize for Aleko, a one-act opera that was praised by Tchaikovsky. He also wrote a tone poem called – yes - The Rock, dedicated to Rimsky-Korsakov.

Rachmaninoff was influenced by Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Richard Strauss, and wrote First Piano Concerto (AKA Rach 1) in 1890-1  The first public performance of a major work of Rachmaninoff 1897 was a disaster, likely because the conductor was drunk. One critic described his music as "disturbing" to critics and the public alike because of its integration of Russian, non-Russian and novel elements.  This threw Rachmaninoff into a major depression. He stopped composing for 3 years, earned a living conducting opera and "felt like a man who suffered a stroke and had lost the use of his head and hands". He overcame the depression with therapy and hypnosis and composed his Second Piano Concerto which was well received then and now.

He married his first cousin, honeymooned in Europe, had two daughters and worked as a conductor in the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. The family moved to Dresden for a while, then returned to Russia. He premiered his Third Piano Concerto in New York in 1909 and toured the U.S. and Europe. During the Russian Revolution in 1917 he and his family escaped to a concert tour in Europe, moved to Switzerland, then permanently emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. He wrote a letter that was published in the New York Times criticizing Soviet Russia, which resulted in his work being officially banned in Russia.

 Rachmaninoff concentrated on performance in the U.S. and toured extensively. He often spent summers in Europe and was regarded as perhaps the finest solo pianist.He leaned close to the keyboard when he played, minimizing any body movement other than his hands. He composed several pieces in the 1930s including Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphonic Dances and his Third Symphony.

His health declined in 1942 with high blood pressure, headaches, neuralgia and lower back pain with neuropathy. His doctor advised him to move to a warmer climate, so he and his wife moved from New York to Beverly Hills, California, close to Vladamir Horowitz with whom he often played duets. He and his wife became naturalized citizens of the U.S. in 1943. Despite his deteriorating health, he continued to compose but had to cut his touring short because of illness. He died of aggressive melanoma month after his last performance in 1943 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was interred in Valhalla, New York with his wife and daughter (near the graves of Lou Gehrig, Anne Bancroft, Tommy Dorsey and Ayn Rand). In 1915, Russia' culture minister sparked an international debate by asking that his body be exhumed and sent to Russia, but his great-granddaughter said "nyet".

As a special treat, I include the link to Michael's performance of Rach 1 for your personal enjoyment only. Please do not post it online or on social media for copyright reasons. Also, the magnificent second movement of Rach 2 played by Rach himself (1929), which was the inspiration for Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again". (You may need to cut and paste the link into your browser.)

Have a great weekend, including the long Labor Day weekend for those in the U.S.

Deb

Michael: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_s5mHr3ab3JqNVUkCn7C6bFfnVSwPg_/view?usp=sharing

Sergei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnqytVlbNL8

I was a poor young N-O at the time and didn't get to go to very many international meetings. These are amazing stories!!!

Deb

Happy Friday!

As we round the bend to the end of August, I hope that you had a grand week!

Scott and I had the pleasure of attending a performance by one of my colleagues, Dr. Michael Slavin, at the PianoTexas International Festival and Academy Teachers/Amateur Concerto Concert held at Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. Michael is a two-time runner up in the International Van Cliburn Amateur competition and I try to attend his performances whenever he is in the area. He started playing the piano at age 5, including 10 years of rigorous study at Julliard's pre-college division but decided he needed to earn a living, so he became a neuro-ophthalmologist, a field in which he also excelled. He never gave up his passion for piano, though, and retired from medicine early to pursue his musical dreams. Michael has competed in -and won - amateur competitions around the world. He also has a great sense of humor. (Can you tell that he is one of my favorite people?)

We heard Michael play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor (beautifully) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in mid-June. One of the most entertaining aspects of the program was watching Miguel Harth-Bedoya conduct. He would turn around, lean on the lid of the Steinway and interact with the pianists during their performance with great facial expressions. We also had a chance to interact with the other pianists after the program. They all know each other and exuded friendship, camaraderie and support. They also have their own lingo – Rachmaninoff's Piano No 1 was referred to as "Rach (pronounced Rock) 1".

I always thought that Rachmaninoff was an 19^th century Russian composer, but he was much more contemporary than that, and he defected from Russia and became a U.S. citizen after the Russian Revolution. He is considered the last of the Russian Romantic composers.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (AKA Rach) was born in Russia to a distinguished lineage in 1873. Both of his parents were accomplished musicians, but his childhood circumstances were not great. Although his parents were well off, his father got into gambling debt and had to sell the family properties. His parents divorced a few years later. Sergei was talented enough to take lessons with professional piano teachers and entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1885 to study piano and composition. By then, he was already a virtuoso. He was also tall (6'3" or 190.5 cm) and had very large hands, a definite advantage for playing piano. He could play any piece, was a superb sight-reader and could replay a piece from memory years after first hearing it. Musical historian C. Schonberg described him as "dour, serious, taciturn and open to only a very few close friends. He was stubborn and would not be pushed around, even as a student". He graduated with honors in 1891 and won a gold medal prize for Aleko, a one-act opera that was praised by Tchaikovsky. He also wrote a tone poem called – yes - The Rock, dedicated to Rimsky-Korsakov.

Rachmaninoff was influenced by Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Richard Strauss, and wrote First Piano Concerto (AKA Rach 1) in 1890-1  The first public performance of a major work of Rachmaninoff 1897 was a disaster, likely because the conductor was drunk. One critic described his music as "disturbing" to critics and the public alike because of its integration of Russian, non-Russian and novel elements.  This threw Rachmaninoff into a major depression. He stopped composing for 3 years, earned a living conducting opera and "felt like a man who suffered a stroke and had lost the use of his head and hands". He overcame the depression with therapy and hypnosis and composed his Second Piano Concerto which was well received then and now.

He married his first cousin, honeymooned in Europe, had two daughters and worked as a conductor in the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. The family moved to Dresden for a while, then returned to Russia. He premiered his Third Piano Concerto in New York in 1909 and toured the U.S. and Europe. During the Russian Revolution in 1917 he and his family escaped to a concert tour in Europe, moved to Switzerland, then permanently emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. He wrote a letter that was published in the New York Times criticizing Soviet Russia, which resulted in his work being officially banned in Russia.

 Rachmaninoff concentrated on performance in the U.S. and toured extensively. He often spent summers in Europe and was regarded as perhaps the finest solo pianist.He leaned close to the keyboard when he played, minimizing any body movement other than his hands. He composed several pieces in the 1930s including Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphonic Dances and his Third Symphony.

His health declined in 1942 with high blood pressure, headaches, neuralgia and lower back pain with neuropathy. His doctor advised him to move to a warmer climate, so he and his wife moved from New York to Beverly Hills, California, close to Vladamir Horowitz with whom he often played duets. He and his wife became naturalized citizens of the U.S. in 1943. Despite his deteriorating health, he continued to compose but had to cut his touring short because of illness. He died of aggressive melanoma month after his last performance in 1943 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was interred in Valhalla, New York with his wife and daughter (near the graves of Lou Gehrig, Anne Bancroft, Tommy Dorsey and Ayn Rand). In 1915, Russia' culture minister sparked an international debate by asking that his body be exhumed and sent to Russia, but his great-granddaughter said "nyet".

As a special treat, I include the link to Michael's performance of Rach 1 for your personal enjoyment only. Please do not post it online or on social media for copyright reasons. Also, the magnificent second movement of Rach 2 played by Rach himself (1929), which was the inspiration for Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again". (You may need to cut and paste the link into your browser.)

Have a great weekend, including the long Labor Day weekend for those in the U.S.

Deb

Michael: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_s5mHr3ab3JqNVUkCn7C6bFfnVSwPg_/view?usp=sharing

Sergei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnqytVlbNL8

I was a poor young N-O at the time and didn't get to go to very many international meetings. These are amazing stories!!!

Deb

Happy Friday!

As we round the bend to the end of August, I hope that you had a grand week!

Scott and I had the pleasure of attending a performance by one of my colleagues, Dr. Michael Slavin, at the PianoTexas International Festival and Academy Teachers/Amateur Concerto Concert held at Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. Michael is a two-time runner up in the International Van Cliburn Amateur competition and I try to attend his performances whenever he is in the area. He started playing the piano at age 5, including 10 years of rigorous study at Julliard's pre-college division but decided he needed to earn a living, so he became a neuro-ophthalmologist, a field in which he also excelled. He never gave up his passion for piano, though, and retired from medicine early to pursue his musical dreams. Michael has competed in -and won - amateur competitions around the world. He also has a great sense of humor. (Can you tell that he is one of my favorite people?)

We heard Michael play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor (beautifully) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in mid-June. One of the most entertaining aspects of the program was watching Miguel Harth-Bedoya conduct. He would turn around, lean on the lid of the Steinway and interact with the pianists during their performance with great facial expressions. We also had a chance to interact with the other pianists after the program. They all know each other and exuded friendship, camaraderie and support. They also have their own lingo – Rachmaninoff's Piano No 1 was referred to as "Rach (pronounced Rock) 1".

I always thought that Rachmaninoff was an 19^th century Russian composer, but he was much more contemporary than that, and he defected from Russia and became a U.S. citizen after the Russian Revolution. He is considered the last of the Russian Romantic composers.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (AKA Rach) was born in Russia to a distinguished lineage in 1873. Both of his parents were accomplished musicians, but his childhood circumstances were not great. Although his parents were well off, his father got into gambling debt and had to sell the family properties. His parents divorced a few years later. Sergei was talented enough to take lessons with professional piano teachers and entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1885 to study piano and composition. By then, he was already a virtuoso. He was also tall (6'3" or 190.5 cm) and had very large hands, a definite advantage for playing piano. He could play any piece, was a superb sight-reader and could replay a piece from memory years after first hearing it. Musical historian C. Schonberg described him as "dour, serious, taciturn and open to only a very few close friends. He was stubborn and would not be pushed around, even as a student". He graduated with honors in 1891 and won a gold medal prize for Aleko, a one-act opera that was praised by Tchaikovsky. He also wrote a tone poem called – yes - The Rock, dedicated to Rimsky-Korsakov.

Rachmaninoff was influenced by Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Richard Strauss, and wrote First Piano Concerto (AKA Rach 1) in 1890-1  The first public performance of a major work of Rachmaninoff 1897 was a disaster, likely because the conductor was drunk. One critic described his music as "disturbing" to critics and the public alike because of its integration of Russian, non-Russian and novel elements.  This threw Rachmaninoff into a major depression. He stopped composing for 3 years, earned a living conducting opera and "felt like a man who suffered a stroke and had lost the use of his head and hands". He overcame the depression with therapy and hypnosis and composed his Second Piano Concerto which was well received then and now.

He married his first cousin, honeymooned in Europe, had two daughters and worked as a conductor in the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. The family moved to Dresden for a while, then returned to Russia. He premiered his Third Piano Concerto in New York in 1909 and toured the U.S. and Europe. During the Russian Revolution in 1917 he and his family escaped to a concert tour in Europe, moved to Switzerland, then permanently emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. He wrote a letter that was published in the New York Times criticizing Soviet Russia, which resulted in his work being officially banned in Russia.

 Rachmaninoff concentrated on performance in the U.S. and toured extensively. He often spent summers in Europe and was regarded as perhaps the finest solo pianist.He leaned close to the keyboard when he played, minimizing any body movement other than his hands. He composed several pieces in the 1930s including Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphonic Dances and his Third Symphony.

His health declined in 1942 with high blood pressure, headaches, neuralgia and lower back pain with neuropathy. His doctor advised him to move to a warmer climate, so he and his wife moved from New York to Beverly Hills, California, close to Vladamir Horowitz with whom he often played duets. He and his wife became naturalized citizens of the U.S. in 1943. Despite his deteriorating health, he continued to compose but had to cut his touring short because of illness. He died of aggressive melanoma month after his last performance in 1943 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was interred in Valhalla, New York with his wife and daughter (near the graves of Lou Gehrig, Anne Bancroft, Tommy Dorsey and Ayn Rand). In 1915, Russia' culture minister sparked an international debate by asking that his body be exhumed and sent to Russia, but his great-granddaughter said "nyet".

As a special treat, I include the link to Michael's performance of Rach 1 for your personal enjoyment only. Please do not post it online or on social media for copyright reasons. Also, the magnificent second movement of Rach 2 played by Rach himself (1929), which was the inspiration for Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again". (You may need to cut and paste the link into your browser.)

Have a great weekend, including the long Labor Day weekend for those in the U.S.

Deb

Michael: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_s5mHr3ab3JqNVUkCn7C6bFfnVSwPg_/view?usp=sharing

Sergei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnqytVlbNL8

Happy Friday!

As we round the bend to the end of August, I hope that you had a grand week!

Scott and I had the pleasure of attending a performance by one of my colleagues, Dr. Michael Slavin, at the PianoTexas International Festival and Academy Teachers/Amateur Concerto Concert held at Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. Michael is a two-time runner up in the International Van Cliburn Amateur competition and I try to attend his performances whenever he is in the area. He started playing the piano at age 5, including 10 years of rigorous study at Julliard's pre-college division but decided he needed to earn a living, so he became a neuro-ophthalmologist, a field in which he also excelled. He never gave up his passion for piano, though, and retired from medicine early to pursue his musical dreams. Michael has competed in -and won - amateur competitions around the world. He also has a great sense of humor. (Can you tell that he is one of my favorite people?)

We heard Michael play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor (beautifully) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in mid-June. One of the most entertaining aspects of the program was watching Miguel Harth-Bedoya conduct. He would turn around, lean on the lid of the Steinway and interact with the pianists during their performance with great facial expressions. We also had a chance to interact with the other pianists after the program. They all know each other and exuded friendship, camaraderie and support. They also have their own lingo – Rachmaninoff's Piano No 1 was referred to as "Rach (pronounced Rock) 1".

I always thought that Rachmaninoff was an 19^th century Russian composer, but he was much more contemporary than that, and he defected from Russia and became a U.S. citizen after the Russian Revolution. He is considered the last of the Russian Romantic composers.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (AKA Rach) was born in Russia to a distinguished lineage in 1873. Both of his parents were accomplished musicians, but his childhood circumstances were not great. Although his parents were well off, his father got into gambling debt and had to sell the family properties. His parents divorced a few years later. Sergei was talented enough to take lessons with professional piano teachers and entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1885 to study piano and composition. By then, he was already a virtuoso. He was also tall (6'3" or 190.5 cm) and had very large hands, a definite advantage for playing piano. He could play any piece, was a superb sight-reader and could replay a piece from memory years after first hearing it. Musical historian C. Schonberg described him as "dour, serious, taciturn and open to only a very few close friends. He was stubborn and would not be pushed around, even as a student". He graduated with honors in 1891 and won a gold medal prize for Aleko, a one-act opera that was praised by Tchaikovsky. He also wrote a tone poem called – yes - The Rock, dedicated to Rimsky-Korsakov.

Rachmaninoff was influenced by Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Richard Strauss, and wrote First Piano Concerto (AKA Rach 1) in 1890-1  The first public performance of a major work of Rachmaninoff 1897 was a disaster, likely because the conductor was drunk. One critic described his music as "disturbing" to critics and the public alike because of its integration of Russian, non-Russian and novel elements.  This threw Rachmaninoff into a major depression. He stopped composing for 3 years, earned a living conducting opera and "felt like a man who suffered a stroke and had lost the use of his head and hands". He overcame the depression with therapy and hypnosis and composed his Second Piano Concerto which was well received then and now.

He married his first cousin, honeymooned in Europe, had two daughters and worked as a conductor in the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. The family moved to Dresden for a while, then returned to Russia. He premiered his Third Piano Concerto in New York in 1909 and toured the U.S. and Europe. During the Russian Revolution in 1917 he and his family escaped to a concert tour in Europe, moved to Switzerland, then permanently emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. He wrote a letter that was published in the New York Times criticizing Soviet Russia, which resulted in his work being officially banned in Russia.

 Rachmaninoff concentrated on performance in the U.S. and toured extensively. He often spent summers in Europe and was regarded as perhaps the finest solo pianist.He leaned close to the keyboard when he played, minimizing any body movement other than his hands. He composed several pieces in the 1930s including Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphonic Dances and his Third Symphony.

His health declined in 1942 with high blood pressure, headaches, neuralgia and lower back pain with neuropathy. His doctor advised him to move to a warmer climate, so he and his wife moved from New York to Beverly Hills, California, close to Vladamir Horowitz with whom he often played duets. He and his wife became naturalized citizens of the U.S. in 1943. Despite his deteriorating health, he continued to compose but had to cut his touring short because of illness. He died of aggressive melanoma month after his last performance in 1943 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was interred in Valhalla, New York with his wife and daughter (near the graves of Lou Gehrig, Anne Bancroft, Tommy Dorsey and Ayn Rand). In 1915, Russia' culture minister sparked an international debate by asking that his body be exhumed and sent to Russia, but his great-granddaughter said "nyet".

As a special treat, I include the link to Michael's performance of Rach 1 for your personal enjoyment only. Please do not post it online or on social media for copyright reasons. Also, the magnificent second movement of Rach 2 played by Rach himself (1929), which was the inspiration for Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again". (You may need to cut and paste the link into your browser.)

Have a great weekend, including the long Labor Day weekend for those in the U.S.

Deb

Michael: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_s5mHr3ab3JqNVUkCn7C6bFfnVSwPg_/view?usp=sharing

Sergei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnqytVlbNL8

Happy Friday!

As we round the bend to the end of August, I hope that you had a grand week!

Scott and I had the pleasure of attending a performance by one of my colleagues, Dr. Michael Slavin, at the PianoTexas International Festival and Academy Teachers/Amateur Concerto Concert held at Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. Michael is a two-time runner up in the International Van Cliburn Amateur competition and I try to attend his performances whenever he is in the area. He started playing the piano at age 5, including 10 years of rigorous study at Julliard's pre-college division but decided he needed to earn a living, so he became a neuro-ophthalmologist, a field in which he also excelled. He never gave up his passion for piano, though, and retired from medicine early to pursue his musical dreams. Michael has competed in -and won - amateur competitions around the world. He also has a great sense of humor. (Can you tell that he is one of my favorite people?)

We heard Michael play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor (beautifully) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in mid-June. One of the most entertaining aspects of the program was watching Miguel Harth-Bedoya conduct. He would turn around, lean on the lid of the Steinway and interact with the pianists during their performance with great facial expressions. We also had a chance to interact with the other pianists after the program. They all know each other and exuded friendship, camaraderie and support. They also have their own lingo – Rachmaninoff's Piano No 1 was referred to as "Rach (pronounced Rock) 1".

I always thought that Rachmaninoff was an 19^th century Russian composer, but he was much more contemporary than that, and he defected from Russia and became a U.S. citizen after the Russian Revolution. He is considered the last of the Russian Romantic composers.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (AKA Rach) was born in Russia to a distinguished lineage in 1873. Both of his parents were accomplished musicians, but his childhood circumstances were not great. Although his parents were well off, his father got into gambling debt and had to sell the family properties. His parents divorced a few years later. Sergei was talented enough to take lessons with professional piano teachers and entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1885 to study piano and composition. By then, he was already a virtuoso. He was also tall (6'3" or 190.5 cm) and had very large hands, a definite advantage for playing piano. He could play any piece, was a superb sight-reader and could replay a piece from memory years after first hearing it. Musical historian C. Schonberg described him as "dour, serious, taciturn and open to only a very few close friends. He was stubborn and would not be pushed around, even as a student". He graduated with honors in 1891 and won a gold medal prize for Aleko, a one-act opera that was praised by Tchaikovsky. He also wrote a tone poem called – yes - The Rock, dedicated to Rimsky-Korsakov.

Rachmaninoff was influenced by Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Richard Strauss, and wrote First Piano Concerto (AKA Rach 1) in 1890-1  The first public performance of a major work of Rachmaninoff 1897 was a disaster, likely because the conductor was drunk. One critic described his music as "disturbing" to critics and the public alike because of its integration of Russian, non-Russian and novel elements.  This threw Rachmaninoff into a major depression. He stopped composing for 3 years, earned a living conducting opera and "felt like a man who suffered a stroke and had lost the use of his head and hands". He overcame the depression with therapy and hypnosis and composed his Second Piano Concerto which was well received then and now.

He married his first cousin, honeymooned in Europe, had two daughters and worked as a conductor in the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. The family moved to Dresden for a while, then returned to Russia. He premiered his Third Piano Concerto in New York in 1909 and toured the U.S. and Europe. During the Russian Revolution in 1917 he and his family escaped to a concert tour in Europe, moved to Switzerland, then permanently emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. He wrote a letter that was published in the New York Times criticizing Soviet Russia, which resulted in his work being officially banned in Russia.

 Rachmaninoff concentrated on performance in the U.S. and toured extensively. He often spent summers in Europe and was regarded as perhaps the finest solo pianist.He leaned close to the keyboard when he played, minimizing any body movement other than his hands. He composed several pieces in the 1930s including Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphonic Dances and his Third Symphony.

His health declined in 1942 with high blood pressure, headaches, neuralgia and lower back pain with neuropathy. His doctor advised him to move to a warmer climate, so he and his wife moved from New York to Beverly Hills, California, close to Vladamir Horowitz with whom he often played duets. He and his wife became naturalized citizens of the U.S. in 1943. Despite his deteriorating health, he continued to compose but had to cut his touring short because of illness. He died of aggressive melanoma month after his last performance in 1943 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was interred in Valhalla, New York with his wife and daughter (near the graves of Lou Gehrig, Anne Bancroft, Tommy Dorsey and Ayn Rand). In 1915, Russia' culture minister sparked an international debate by asking that his body be exhumed and sent to Russia, but his great-granddaughter said "nyet".

As a special treat, I include the link to Michael's performance of Rach 1 for your personal enjoyment only. Please do not post it online or on social media for copyright reasons. Also, the magnificent second movement of Rach 2 played by Rach himself (1929), which was the inspiration for Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again". (You may need to cut and paste the link into your browser.)

Have a great weekend, including the long Labor Day weekend for those in the U.S.

Deb

Michael: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_s5mHr3ab3JqNVUkCn7C6bFfnVSwPg_/view?usp=sharing

Sergei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnqytVlbNL8

Happy Friday!

As we round the bend to the end of August, I hope that you had a grand week!

Scott and I had the pleasure of attending a performance by one of my colleagues, Dr. Michael Slavin, at the PianoTexas International Festival and Academy Teachers/Amateur Concerto Concert held at Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. Michael is a two-time runner up in the International Van Cliburn Amateur competition and I try to attend his performances whenever he is in the area. He started playing the piano at age 5, including 10 years of rigorous study at Julliard's pre-college division but decided he needed to earn a living, so he became a neuro-ophthalmologist, a field in which he also excelled. He never gave up his passion for piano, though, and retired from medicine early to pursue his musical dreams. Michael has competed in -and won - amateur competitions around the world. He also has a great sense of humor. (Can you tell that he is one of my favorite people?)

We heard Michael play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor (beautifully) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in mid-June. One of the most entertaining aspects of the program was watching Miguel Harth-Bedoya conduct. He would turn around, lean on the lid of the Steinway and interact with the pianists during their performance with great facial expressions. We also had a chance to interact with the other pianists after the program. They all know each other and exuded friendship, camaraderie and support. They also have their own lingo – Rachmaninoff's Piano No 1 was referred to as "Rach (pronounced Rock) 1".

I always thought that Rachmaninoff was an 19^th century Russian composer, but he was much more contemporary than that, and he defected from Russia and became a U.S. citizen after the Russian Revolution. He is considered the last of the Russian Romantic composers.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (AKA Rach) was born in Russia to a distinguished lineage in 1873. Both of his parents were accomplished musicians, but his childhood circumstances were not great. Although his parents were well off, his father got into gambling debt and had to sell the family properties. His parents divorced a few years later. Sergei was talented enough to take lessons with professional piano teachers and entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1885 to study piano and composition. By then, he was already a virtuoso. He was also tall (6'3" or 190.5 cm) and had very large hands, a definite advantage for playing piano. He could play any piece, was a superb sight-reader and could replay a piece from memory years after first hearing it. Musical historian C. Schonberg described him as "dour, serious, taciturn and open to only a very few close friends. He was stubborn and would not be pushed around, even as a student". He graduated with honors in 1891 and won a gold medal prize for Aleko, a one-act opera that was praised by Tchaikovsky. He also wrote a tone poem called – yes - The Rock, dedicated to Rimsky-Korsakov.

Rachmaninoff was influenced by Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Richard Strauss, and wrote First Piano Concerto (AKA Rach 1) in 1890-1  The first public performance of a major work of Rachmaninoff 1897 was a disaster, likely because the conductor was drunk. One critic described his music as "disturbing" to critics and the public alike because of its integration of Russian, non-Russian and novel elements.  This threw Rachmaninoff into a major depression. He stopped composing for 3 years, earned a living conducting opera and "felt like a man who suffered a stroke and had lost the use of his head and hands". He overcame the depression with therapy and hypnosis and composed his Second Piano Concerto which was well received then and now.

He married his first cousin, honeymooned in Europe, had two daughters and worked as a conductor in the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. The family moved to Dresden for a while, then returned to Russia. He premiered his Third Piano Concerto in New York in 1909 and toured the U.S. and Europe. During the Russian Revolution in 1917 he and his family escaped to a concert tour in Europe, moved to Switzerland, then permanently emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. He wrote a letter that was published in the New York Times criticizing Soviet Russia, which resulted in his work being officially banned in Russia.

 Rachmaninoff concentrated on performance in the U.S. and toured extensively. He often spent summers in Europe and was regarded as perhaps the finest solo pianist.He leaned close to the keyboard when he played, minimizing any body movement other than his hands. He composed several pieces in the 1930s including Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphonic Dances and his Third Symphony.

His health declined in 1942 with high blood pressure, headaches, neuralgia and lower back pain with neuropathy. His doctor advised him to move to a warmer climate, so he and his wife moved from New York to Beverly Hills, California, close to Vladamir Horowitz with whom he often played duets. He and his wife became naturalized citizens of the U.S. in 1943. Despite his deteriorating health, he continued to compose but had to cut his touring short because of illness. He died of aggressive melanoma month after his last performance in 1943 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was interred in Valhalla, New York with his wife and daughter (near the graves of Lou Gehrig, Anne Bancroft, Tommy Dorsey and Ayn Rand). In 1915, Russia' culture minister sparked an international debate by asking that his body be exhumed and sent to Russia, but his great-granddaughter said "nyet".

As a special treat, I include the link to Michael's performance of Rach 1 for your personal enjoyment only. Please do not post it online or on social media for copyright reasons. Also, the magnificent second movement of Rach 2 played by Rach himself (1929), which was the inspiration for Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again". (You may need to cut and paste the link into your browser.)

Have a great weekend, including the long Labor Day weekend for those in the U.S.

Deb

Michael: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_s5mHr3ab3JqNVUkCn7C6bFfnVSwPg_/view?usp=sharing

Sergei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnqytVlbNL8

Happy Friday!

As we round the bend to the end of August, I hope that you had a grand week!

Scott and I had the pleasure of attending a performance by one of my colleagues, Dr. Michael Slavin, at the PianoTexas International Festival and Academy Teachers/Amateur Concerto Concert held at Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. Michael is a two-time runner up in the International Van Cliburn Amateur competition and I try to attend his performances whenever he is in the area. He started playing the piano at age 5, including 10 years of rigorous study at Julliard's pre-college division but decided he needed to earn a living, so he became a neuro-ophthalmologist, a field in which he also excelled. He never gave up his passion for piano, though, and retired from medicine early to pursue his musical dreams. Michael has competed in -and won - amateur competitions around the world. He also has a great sense of humor. (Can you tell that he is one of my favorite people?)

We heard Michael play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor (beautifully) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in mid-June. One of the most entertaining aspects of the program was watching Miguel Harth-Bedoya conduct. He would turn around, lean on the lid of the Steinway and interact with the pianists during their performance with great facial expressions. We also had a chance to interact with the other pianists after the program. They all know each other and exuded friendship, camaraderie and support. They also have their own lingo – Rachmaninoff's Piano No 1 was referred to as "Rach (pronounced Rock) 1".

I always thought that Rachmaninoff was an 19^th century Russian composer, but he was much more contemporary than that, and he defected from Russia and became a U.S. citizen after the Russian Revolution. He is considered the last of the Russian Romantic composers.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (AKA Rach) was born in Russia to a distinguished lineage in 1873. Both of his parents were accomplished musicians, but his childhood circumstances were not great. Although his parents were well off, his father got into gambling debt and had to sell the family properties. His parents divorced a few years later. Sergei was talented enough to take lessons with professional piano teachers and entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1885 to study piano and composition. By then, he was already a virtuoso. He was also tall (6'3" or 190.5 cm) and had very large hands, a definite advantage for playing piano. He could play any piece, was a superb sight-reader and could replay a piece from memory years after first hearing it. Musical historian C. Schonberg described him as "dour, serious, taciturn and open to only a very few close friends. He was stubborn and would not be pushed around, even as a student". He graduated with honors in 1891 and won a gold medal prize for Aleko, a one-act opera that was praised by Tchaikovsky. He also wrote a tone poem called – yes - The Rock, dedicated to Rimsky-Korsakov.

Rachmaninoff was influenced by Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Richard Strauss, and wrote First Piano Concerto (AKA Rach 1) in 1890-1  The first public performance of a major work of Rachmaninoff 1897 was a disaster, likely because the conductor was drunk. One critic described his music as "disturbing" to critics and the public alike because of its integration of Russian, non-Russian and novel elements.  This threw Rachmaninoff into a major depression. He stopped composing for 3 years, earned a living conducting opera and "felt like a man who suffered a stroke and had lost the use of his head and hands". He overcame the depression with therapy and hypnosis and composed his Second Piano Concerto which was well received then and now.

He married his first cousin, honeymooned in Europe, had two daughters and worked as a conductor in the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. The family moved to Dresden for a while, then returned to Russia. He premiered his Third Piano Concerto in New York in 1909 and toured the U.S. and Europe. During the Russian Revolution in 1917 he and his family escaped to a concert tour in Europe, moved to Switzerland, then permanently emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. He wrote a letter that was published in the New York Times criticizing Soviet Russia, which resulted in his work being officially banned in Russia.

 Rachmaninoff concentrated on performance in the U.S. and toured extensively. He often spent summers in Europe and was regarded as perhaps the finest solo pianist.He leaned close to the keyboard when he played, minimizing any body movement other than his hands. He composed several pieces in the 1930s including Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphonic Dances and his Third Symphony.

His health declined in 1942 with high blood pressure, headaches, neuralgia and lower back pain with neuropathy. His doctor advised him to move to a warmer climate, so he and his wife moved from New York to Beverly Hills, California, close to Vladamir Horowitz with whom he often played duets. He and his wife became naturalized citizens of the U.S. in 1943. Despite his deteriorating health, he continued to compose but had to cut his touring short because of illness. He died of aggressive melanoma month after his last performance in 1943 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was interred in Valhalla, New York with his wife and daughter (near the graves of Lou Gehrig, Anne Bancroft, Tommy Dorsey and Ayn Rand). In 1915, Russia' culture minister sparked an international debate by asking that his body be exhumed and sent to Russia, but his great-granddaughter said "nyet".

As a special treat, I include the link to Michael's performance of Rach 1 for your personal enjoyment only. Please do not post it online or on social media for copyright reasons. Also, the magnificent second movement of Rach 2 played by Rach himself (1929), which was the inspiration for Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again". (You may need to cut and paste the link into your browser.)

Have a great weekend, including the long Labor Day weekend for those in the U.S.

Deb

Michael: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_s5mHr3ab3JqNVUkCn7C6bFfnVSwPg_/view?usp=sharing

Sergei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnqytVlbNL8