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    Rachmaninov

    Guides

    A lasting legacy

    This image appears in the gallery:
    Rachmaninov: 15 facts about the great composer

    Sergei Rachmaninov

    15. A lasting legacy

    Only a decade after Rachmaninov’s death, the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians predicted that the ‘enormous popular success some few of Rachmaninov’s works had in his lifetime is not likely to last, and musicians never regarded them with much favour.’ They could not have been more wrong.

    1. Image 1: Sergei Rachmaninov
    2. Image 2: Glazunov
    3. Image 3: Brief Encounter
    4. Image 4: Rachmaninov daughter Irina
    5. Image 5: Rachmaninov drawing Pasternak
    6. Image 6: Young Rachmaninov
    7. Image 7: Rachmaninov playing piano
    8. Image 8: Shine Helfgott movie Rachmaninov
    9. Image 9: Sergei Rachmaninov composer
    10. Image 10: Russian Revolution 15 images

    See the full gallery: Rachmaninov: 15 facts about the great composer

    Rachmaninov latest

    See more Rachmaninov latest

    Sir Karl Jenkins and Sergei Rachmaninov take the top two spots in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2025

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    Classic FM Hall of Fame

    Ruth Slenczynska

    100-year-old piano virtuoso Ruth Slenczynska is the last surviving pupil of Sergei Rachmaninov

    Yuja Wang, Nicola Benedetti and Yo-Yo Ma

    What does ‘concerto’ mean in classical music, and what is its history?

    Discover Music

    Here’s why Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is an unassailably epic work of genius

    Here’s why Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is an unassailably epic work of genius

    This Rachmaninov melody was recorded by Frank Sinatra and Bob Dylan – and no, it’s not ‘All By Myself’

    This Rachmaninov melody was recorded by Frank Sinatra and Bob Dylan – and no, it’s not ‘All By Myself’

    Glenn Gould, Mitsuko Uchida, Yuja Wang: exploring the 25 greatest pianists of all time

    The 25 best pianists of all time

    Discover Music

    Yunchan Lim plays Rachmaninov in the competition final

    Who is Yunchan Lim? Piano sensation’s debut Chopin album, competitions and best performances

    Discover Music

    Performance by musicians from military orchestras in Moscow, Russia

    Russian republic announces ban on music that is too slow or too fast

    Yuja Wang’s heart rate results revealed, after marathon Rachmaninov performance.

    Yuja Wang wore a heart rate monitor in Rachmaninov marathon, with astonishing results

    Yuja Wang

    Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 is voted as the No.1 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2024, for the second year in a row.

    Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 crowned nation’s favourite for second year running

    Classic FM Hall of Fame

    Best classical music

    See more Best classical music

    The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

    The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

    Discover Music

    Best symphonies: Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonin Dvorak and Florence Price

    The 15 greatest symphonies of all time

    Discover Music

    4 eras of classical music

    The 4 eras of classical music: a quick guide

    Discover Music

    A young Marin Alsop, Sir Simon Rattle, and Seiji Ozawa conduct their respective orchestras.

    The 25 greatest conductors of all time

    Discover Music

    Hildegard von Bingen, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Edward Elgar among the greatest composers in classical music history.

    The 30 greatest classical music composers of all time

    Latest on Classic FM

    Alfred Brendel is remembered as one of the world’s most celebrated pianists

    Beloved Austrian pianist Alfred Brendel has died aged 94

    Alfred Brendel

    Nicola Benedetti to host a new six-part series on Classic FM

    Nicola Benedetti to host six-part Classic FM series revealing ‘The Truth About Classical Music’

    Nicola Benedetti

    A boy plays the trumpet at a No Kings protest in San Diego

    ‘Goosebumps’ as young boy plays Star-Spangled Banner on his trumpet at San Diego protest

    Discover Music

    Donald Trump says he could have been a ‘brilliant musician’ after receiving flute lessons as a boy.

    Donald Trump’s flute-playing career cut short: ‘I didn’t particularly like it, wasn’t for me’

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    Julie D'Aubigny

    Meet the sword-fighting opera singer who burnt down a convent to rescue her gay lover

    Discover Music

    LA Philharmonic cancels concerts as city curfew enforced after protests

    LA Philharmonic cancels concerts as city curfew enforced after protests

    LA Phil

    Composer proposes to his partner with live 78-piece orchestra at Abbey Road studios

    Composer proposes to his partner with live 78-piece orchestra at Abbey Road studios

    Videos

    Jamie Barton, John Holiday and Adrian Angelico: just three of the incredible performers who also happen to be lighting up opera stages around the world with rainbow colours.

    20 brilliant LGBTQ+ opera stars you should know

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    Inventor creates piano doorbell

    Inventor replaces his ‘boring’ doorbell with a miniature piano

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    Pak chois grow better with classical music

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