Piano Concerto No. 3 (Rachmaninoff)

Rachmaninoff composed the concerto in Dresden[5] completing it on September 23, 1909. Contemporary with this work are his First Piano Sonata and his tone poem The Isle of the Dead.

Owing to its difficulty, the concerto is respected, even feared, by many pianists. Josef Hofmann, the pianist to whom the work is dedicated, never publicly performed it, saying that it "wasn't for" him. Gary Graffman lamented he had not learned this concerto as a student, when he was "still too young to know fear".[6]

Due to time constraints, Rachmaninoff could not practice the piece while in Russia. Instead, he practiced it on a silent keyboard that he brought with him while en route to the United States. The concerto was first performed on Sunday, November 28, 1909, at the New Theatre in New York City. Rachmaninoff was the soloist, with the New York Symphony Society with Walter Damrosch conducting. The work received a second performance under Gustav Mahler on January 16, 1910, an "experience Rachmaninoff treasured".[7] Rachmaninoff later described the rehearsal to Riesemann:

At that time Mahler was the only conductor whom I considered worthy to be classed with Nikisch. He devoted himself to the concerto until the accompaniment, which is rather complicated, had been practiced to perfection, although he had already gone through another long rehearsal. According to Mahler, every detail of the score was important – an attitude too rare amongst conductors. ... Though the rehearsal was scheduled to end at 12:30, we played and played, far beyond this hour, and when Mahler announced that the first movement would be rehearsed again, I expected some protest or scene from the musicians, but I did not notice a single sign of annoyance. The orchestra played the first movement with a keen or perhaps even closer appreciation than the previous time.[8]

The score was first published in 1910 by Gutheil. Rachmaninoff called the Third the favorite of his own piano concertos, stating that "I much prefer the Third, because my Second is so uncomfortable to play."

Public opinion regarding the Third Concerto was mixed following the premiere in New York. On November 30, 1909, two days after the premiere, a critic for the New York Sun wrote "Sound, reasonable music this, though not a great nor memorable proclamation." The New York Times, a few months later, included a review of Rachmaninoff's work: "On this occasion the favorable impression it had made when it was played before was deepened. It is more mature, more finished, more interesting in its structure, and more effective than Rachmaninoff's other compositions in this form…but it was felt by many yesterday…that many another pianist could play it better than the composer."[9]

However, by 1919, public perception of the concerto (as well as Rachmaninoff's pianistic capabilities) turned more positive. He was increasingly praised for his commitment to resonance and musicality rather than a display of technique and virtuosity. The concerto was "affected by this new appreciation for his convictions", according to Ruby Cheng.[9] In a 1930 letter, Rachmaninoff's brother-in-law Vladimir Satin expressed a feeling of nostalgia for a "lost Russia", thanking him for allowing listeners to live in the "good past" and forget the "bad future". Rachmaninoff became a symbol of an old, nationalistic identity of Russia; many believed he was among the last. The Third Concerto served the same purpose as the Second in this way: he "spoke directly to the Russian soul."[10] The concerto soon became more popular in the United States than the Second Concerto, partially due to the fact that Rachmaninoff wrote the Third specifically for his American tour.[11]

Vladimir Horowitz's 1930 studio recording of the concerto brought immense popularity to the piece around the world. In 1927, Horowitz met with Rachmaninoff in New York, where he performed the piece for him. By receiving feedback from the composer, Horowitz's interpretation of the concerto "most closely resembled Rachmaninoff's performance in its finely chiseled, almost steely delivery." Ruby Cheng writes, "With these expansions of musical expression and pianism, Horowitz brought the Third Concerto into a prominence that broke through any listener resistance."[9] Horowitz later said "Without false modesty, I brought this concerto to light. I brought it to life, and everywhere!"

Russian critic Grigory Prokofiev wrote "The new concerto mirrored the best sides of [Rachmaninoff's] creative power - sincerity, simplicity and clarity of musical thought."[12] According to Varazdat Khachatryan, the Third Concerto was more piano-centric than Rachmaninoff's previous concertos, presenting the solo pianist as the main attraction, rather than the ensemble as a whole. Much of the structure of the Third Concerto echoes that of the Second, and further develops Rachmaninoff's writing style. The piece is far more structurally complex, however; advanced polyrhythms and texture feature throughout. Boris Asafiev writes that the Third Concerto departs from the "naive romantic features" seen in his earlier compositions, namely the Second Concerto. In addition, the three movements of the Third Concerto, in terms of motives and theme, resemble the cyclic form of the classical symphony, unlike his Second.

It is generally agreed that the melodic density and complexity found in the concerto, namely the ossia cadenza of the first movement, is among the most challenging in all of Rachmaninoff's works. The composition is seen by many as the pinnacle of Rachmaninoff's career as a composer.[12]