Richard Farrell plays Rachmaninov Variations on a Theme of Corelli Op. 42

Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42, is a group of 20 variations on Arcangelo Corelli’s Sonata for violin, violone, and harpsichord (Op. 5, No. 12), composed by Rachmaninoff in 1931. Corelli’s work was itself a set of variations on the Folia theme, which was popularly used as the basis for variations in Baroque music. Richard Farrell (30 December 1926 -- 27 May 1958) was a gifted New Zealand classical pianist who achieved almost legendary status, but whose flourishing career was cut short in a road accident at the age of 31. He has been described as New Zealand’s “greatest classical pianist“.