Rachmaninoff, Variation 18, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Lugansky

Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-1943) Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in A minor, Op. 43 (1934), Variation 18: Andante cantabile Nikolai Lugansky, soloist Stanislav Kochanovsky conducting Orchestre de Paris, 2019 “Unlike any other piano concertos, “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” is a thing of its own. Rachmaninoff pays homage to the legendary Paganini by composing 24 variations on the theme of his 24th caprice, but in the end he sends his hero straight to hell. The composer injects jazz colors into the score, as if engaging a dialogue with Gershwin but unlike the American composer, he clearly feels no enthusiasm for it! Of the many who wrote variations of this caprice, Rachmaninoff is the first to turn it upside down and as a result - one of the most beautiful melodies in the world is born, next to which even its original source pales.” Moscow Philharmonic Society, 100 Words for a Classic