Rachmaninov’s Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra was a personal as well as a musical triumph for the composer. During his lifetime Rachmaninov suffered from depression. For three years, between 1897 and 1900, Rachmaninov had been in one of his deep depressions, and unable to compose. It was said that Rachmaninov could not even look at a blank piece of manuscript paper for two years. The trigger for all of this was the combined failure of a love affair and the critical disaster of his First Symphony.
In his Memoirs, the composer explained, “A paralyzing apathy possessed me. I did nothing at all and found no pleasure in anything. Half my days were spent on a couch. I had given up in great despair.” Even the consoling words from the great novelist Tolstoy failed to help him.
Finally, under the hypnosis treatment of Dr. Nikolai Dahl he recovered sufficiently to quit excessive drinking, to regain his will and ability to write.
After the treatment, Rachmaninov recorded; “I heard the same hypnotic formula repeated day after day while I lay half asleep in an armchair in Dahl’s study. ‘You will begin to write your concerto… You will work with great facility… The concerto will be of an excellent quality.’ It was always the same without interruption. Although it may sound incredible, this cure really helped me.”
Appropriately, Rachmaninov dedicated the work to his physician.
Listen now to pianist Yuja Wang as she performs this amazing work:
