The Piano Concerto #3 by Rachmaninov has earned a reputation as one of the most technically daunting of all the standard piano concertos, and pianists have often cited it as a sort of Everest they feel compelled to vanquish, no matter the colossal effort required.
Rachmaninov himself maintained that his Third Concer- to was “more comfortable” to play than his Second. Perhaps it proved so for the composer, whose hands individually spanned the interval of a thirteenth and whose keyboard stamina was apparently limitless, but it was not more comfortable for most other pianists.
Rachmaninov composed this concerto for his own use, and specifically for his debut North American tour, which he undertook in 1909 with trepidation, since he had devoted the preceding three years to composing rather than performing.
Nonetheless, the composer was able to show off his dizzying pianist skills to great advantage, and his ever-increasing experience as a composer yielded a work in which the solo and orchestral parts are melded with remarkable skill.
Here is Yuja Wang to perform this amazing music for you:
