During the period between 1890 -1895, Rachmaninoff's career as a composer suffered two major setbacks, the failure of the First Piano Concerto in F-sharp minor followed by the equally emphatic failure of his First Symphony. Convinced that he was without talent and, as a result, close to a complete nervous breakdown, Rachmaninoff enlisted the help of a prominent physician by the name of Dr.Dahl. Through the powers of autosuggestion, Dr. Dahl succeeded in restoring the composer's shattered confidence and the will to compose
The second Concerto for Piano and Orchestra was written in this period of revived self-confidence and appropriately the concerto was dedicated to Dr.Dahl. The second and third movements were composed and performed with great success pior to the completion of the concerto.
The first movement was assed in 1901 and the premier performance of the entire concerto was given on October 27, 1901 with the composer as sololist with the Moscow Philharmonic Society. The concerto was a triumph and assured Rachmaninoff's reputation as a composer throughout the world of music.
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