Known for his innovative, challenging piano technique, Sergei Rachmaninoff was born in 1873 and began his study of the instrument in Russia under his mother’s tutelage. He continued his studies at the Conservatory in St. Petersburg. With poor academic grades threatening his career, Rachmaninoff went to study with Nikolay Zverev at the Moscow Conservatory. A stern taskmaster, Zverev brought the young Rachmaninoff technique and discipline needed to excel in the competitive world of Russian classical music.

Rachmaninoff’s evolving style, initially influenced by Tchaikovsky, combined a lengthy hand stretch with rhapsodic elements emphasizing rhythm and drive. Melodies consisted of a refined legato or a smooth and flowing style with minimal breaks between notes. Rachmaninoff wove complex pieces that offer precision and clarity by interweaving these elements.

Upon graduating from the Moscow Conservatory, Rachmaninoff entered into a publishing contract that led to the breakthrough success of his piano prelude in C# minor, which remains a beloved work. Though he went on to compose symphonies and even an unfinished opera, the piano remained Rachmaninoff’s primary focus, and he kept an instrument donated by the American manufacturer Steinway at his Swiss home, Villa Senar. This piano was used in a riveting 2013 performance at the Music Hall in Lucerne of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto.