Latest stories
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Vasily Petrenko and the RPO hear the chimes at midnight
14th Nov 2025by David Smith
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 2025by Katherine Cooper
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.
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John Wilson completes his cycle of Rachmaninoff symphonies
16th May 2025by James Longstaffe
John Wilson and Sinfonia of London present the third and final album in their survey of Rachmaninoff’s symphonies, offering a dramatic reading of the early Symphony No. 1 (notoriously a disaster at its first performance in 1895) alongside an exquisite account of the Symphonic Dances.
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Sergei Babayan on Rachmaninoff for Two
16th Jan 2025by Katherine Cooper
The Armenian-American pianist talks about the art of transcription, late nights with Martha Argerich, recording with his former pupil Daniil Trifonov - and why he believes that teachers can learn as much from their students as vice versa...
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Russian Romances from Piotr Beczała and Helmut Deutsch
25th Aug 2023by Katherine Cooper
The Polish tenor and German pianist are both at the top of their considerable games in an eloquent and imaginative recital of songs by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, released today on Pentatone.
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John Wilson conducts Rachmaninoff
7th Apr 2023by Katherine Cooper
The spotlight is squarely on the strings on this clear-eyed, almost Classical account of Rachmaninoff's 1908 symphony, with balance and restraint the order of the day until the final few minutes of the piece...
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Sergei Rachmaninoff Russian composer
1st Apr 2023by David Smith
A selection of some of the finest recent recordings of the Russian colossus, to mark his 150th anniversary.
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Martin James Bartlett on Rachmaninov and Gershwin
14th Mar 2022by David Smith
The pianist talks about his new album that draws links between two giants of the early twentieth century, via Earl Wild and the New York jazz scene in the 1920s.
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MUSE from Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason
5th Nov 2021by Katherine Cooper
The siblings' contrasting musical personalities complement one another quite beautifully in sonatas by Barber and Rachmaninov, plus a well-chosen selection of songs by both composers.
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Julia Sitkovetsky on Rachmaninov
30th Apr 2020by Katherine Cooper
The British/American coloratura soprano talks to Katherine about her debut album, out tomorrow on Hyperion, and about establishing her own musical identity in a family of 'big artistic personalities'.
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Daniil Trifonov brings freshness and clarity to Rachmaninov's Piano Concertos
12th Oct 2018by James Longstaffe
Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov brings his customary thoughtfulness and virtuosity to an impressive new account of one of the most familiar of all piano concertos.
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Rachmaninov's Études-tableaux from Steven Osborne
3rd Aug 2018by Katherine Cooper
Katherine is mesmerised by the Scottish pianist’s introspective but evocative accounts of Rachmaninov’s two sets of ‘study-pictures’, out now on Hyperion.
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Vladimir Ashkenazy on Rachmaninov and the Philharmonia
12th Sep 2017by Katherine Cooper
As the first instalment of a new symphonic cycle is released on Signum, the great pianist and conductor talks to Katherine about a composer and orchestra which have played a seminal role in his career.
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Boris Giltburg on Rachmaninov
7th Sep 2017by Katherine Cooper
The Russian-born Israeli pianist talks to Katherine about his recording of the Second Piano Concerto, out tomorrow on Naxos.
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Jayson Gillham on Medtner and Rachmaninov
31st Aug 2017by Katherine Cooper
The Australian pianist talks to Katherine about the two Russian concertos which feature on his new recording with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
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Grigory Sokolov performs piano concertos by Mozart and Rachmaninov
10th Mar 2017by James Longstaffe
James enjoys the rare delight of a pair of concerto recordings by the Russian pianist, with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and BBC Philharmonic Orchestra accompanying.
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Presto Personal Favourites from 2015
18th Dec 2015by Chris O'Reilly
The Editorial team pick out their "ones that got away" from 2015 - the discs that slipped through the net but which we feel deserve a mention in despatches…
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Sergei Rachmaninov
30th Jan 2015by David Smith
David picks out some recordings of the works of Rachmaninov, perhaps the greatest composer for the piano of the Twentieth Century.
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Rachmaninov from Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker
26th Aug 2013by James Longstaffe
The Berliners afford luxurious treatment to the choral symphony The Bells (with soloists Luba Orgonášová and Mikhail Petrenko), whilst Rattle’s spacious approach to the Symphonic Dances pays huge dividends.
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Rachmaninov's Second Symphony
28th Mar 2011by Chris O'Reilly
Antonio Pappano and the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia bring unrivaled passion and commitment to the 1907 symphony in this live recording made in Rome in 2009.