Description

Sergei Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini was his final and most significant work for piano and orchestra. As a set of variations on Paganini's 24th Caprice from Opus 1, it continues the tradition of great compositions based on this famous theme by Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms. According to a New Yorker review of an early performance with the composer at the piano, the work features "a succession of pianistic brilliances, dramatic allusions to the Dies Irae, lush string writing, and old-fashioned virtuosity." Alongside Rachmaninoff's Second and Third Piano Concertos, this brilliant composition is among his most frequently performed today. For this Urtext edition, the editor consulted both the autograph manuscript held by the Library of Congress and the first printed edition supervised by the composer. In addition to the solo piano part, the publication includes a very playable piano reduction of the orchestral score. This edition was produced in collaboration with Breitkopf & Härtel.