Sergei Rachmaninov
Sergei Rachmaninov, (1873-1943). Russian composer and pianist. Rachmaninov studied at the Moscow and St Petersburg Conservatoires and soon became famous as a pianist and composer both inside and outside Russia. His second piano concerto (1901) enjoyed great popularity. In 1917 he left Russia and spent the rest of his life in Paris, Switzerland, and the US. His compositions include piano works, symphonies, chamber music, songs, and the choral work The Bells (1913). In 1931 Rachmaninov’s music was banned in Russia as representing “the decadent attitude of the lower middle classes”, but it was later given more appreciative treatment.
