Rakhmaninov S. Rapsody on the Theme by Paganini for piano and orchestra

Sergei Rakhmaninov (1873–1943) created his Rhapsody to Paganini's Theme, op. 43 in Summer 1934. That time the composer staid in his estate Senar (abbreviation of “Sergei and Natalia Rakhmaminovs”, having become the name of the allorment, bought by Rakhmaninov in 1930 and situated in Switzerland on the bank of the Vierwaldstaettersee near Luzern (Lake of Lucerne). The score was over during rather short time (from July 3 to August 18). Initially the composition was called “Symphonic Variations to Paganini's Theme”. Sometimes the author himself used the title “Phantasy” in the private letters.

Once Rakhmaninov had resorted already to the old popular folia to have made it the theme of his Variations to Corelli op. 42. This time the composer addressed to the twenty-fourth caprice by Niccolo Paganini for violin solo and turned in into the variations for piano and orchestra, revialing meanwhile the features of symphonic poem.

The Rhapsody was firstly performed on November 7, 1934 in Baltimore by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski. Sergei Rakhmaninov executed the piano part. Right the next day it was repeated in Washington by the same cast of musicians. Manchester and London were the first Europian cities to give the evidence of the Rhapsody to Paganini to be recorded to disc, the first one among Rakhmaninov's opuses created abroad (1934, the initial cast).