The first performance of this concerto was given in the year 1901.
The first movement (Moderato – Allegro) opens with dark, paired chords for the soloist, building into stormy runs. Only later does the orchestra join in with the first of the main melodies, rich and lyrical, while the soloist provides color and sparkle. A second theme, more rapturous than turbulent, appears. More demonstrably assertive ideas develop, though the movement will close in gentle demeanor.
By contrast, the second movement (Adagio sostenuto) is sweetly romantic in the spirit of a candlelit dinner. Frequently, Rachmaninoff gives peacefully flowing themes to the woodwinds, with the solo piano set to elaborating upon those themes with light passagework. Ultimately, the main theme takes on its richest form with the strings, the pianist again providing decorative details.
Drama returns with the final movement (Allegro scherzando), with a march-like beat in the first bars, demanding runs for the soloist, and at last a grand, flowing melody to support that bravura keyboard activity. Rachmaninov builds a strong sense of motion that drives all the way to the final bars. More often than not, it is the orchestra—not the soloist—that has the melodies, though the soloist colors and underscores the action, drawing the eye and ear, even if it is with the orchestra that a listener is humming.
Here is Yuja Wang to play this wonderful concerto for you:
