Sergei Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer and pianist who lived from 1873 to 1943. He was one of the great pianists of his time, with hands so large that he could play chords few others could reach. His music is full of long, sweeping melodies and the sound of Russian church bells. The best first piece for a child is the 18th variation from his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
Quick facts
- Born: 1873, near Novgorod, Russia
- Died: 1943, in Beverly Hills, California
- Era: Romantic
- Played: piano
- Known for: the Piano Concerto No. 2, the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, the Prelude in C-sharp minor, and the Vocalise
The life in short
Rachmaninoff began piano lessons with his mother at four. His family lost its money and its country estates, and his parents separated.
At 12, he was sent to Moscow to live in the house of a strict piano teacher. The students rose early and practiced for hours each day. He went on to the Moscow Conservatory and finished with its highest prize, a gold medal.
At 19, he wrote a short piano piece, the Prelude in C-sharp minor. It became so popular that audiences called for it at the end of every concert he gave for the rest of his life. He grew tired of it.
At 23, he heard the first performance of his Symphony No. 1. The performance was poor, and the reviews were cruel. He lost his confidence and wrote almost nothing for three years.
A doctor helped him. Over several months of daily visits, the doctor told him again and again that he would write a concerto and that it would be good. In 1901, Rachmaninoff finished his Piano Concerto No. 2. He dedicated it to the doctor. It is still one of the most often played piano concertos.
In 1917, revolution came to Russia. Rachmaninoff left with his wife and two daughters, crossing into Finland by sled in the snow. He never went home again.
He settled in the United States and earned his living as a concert pianist. He played dozens of concerts every year and had little time to compose.
He loved fast cars and speedboats, and he built a house beside a lake in Switzerland. He became an American citizen a few weeks before he died.
What the music sounds like
Rachmaninoff wrote long melodies that rise and fall like a deep breath. His piano parts are thick with notes, and they call for big hands and great strength.
Bells ring all through his music. He grew up with the sound of Russian church bells and never forgot it.
Four pieces to play first
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Variation 18. Rachmaninoff took a quick, spiky tune by Paganini and turned it upside down. Read Paganini for kids. The result is a slow, glowing melody for piano and strings.
Prelude in C-sharp minor. Three heavy notes toll like a great bell. Then the chords pile up, louder and louder.
Vocalise. A song with no words. The singer uses one vowel sound the whole way through. It is also played on violin, cello, and many other instruments.
Piano Concerto No. 2, first movement. The piano begins alone with eight chords that grow from a whisper to full strength, like a bell coming closer. Then the strings sweep in.
Things to do together
Upside down. Play Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 for violin, then Variation 18. Tell your child they are the same tune, flipped. Draw a zigzag line and then draw it upside down.
Toll the bell. Play the Prelude in C-sharp minor. Swing your arms like a heavy bell on the three opening notes each time they return.
Measure a hand. Rachmaninoff could stretch across twelve white keys with one hand. Measure how many keys your child can reach, and how many you can.
Sing with no words. After the Vocalise, sing a favorite song on “ah” only.
Print and play
Fill in a composer study notebook page for Rachmaninoff. For how his instrument works, read piano for kids. His hero Tchaikovsky has a page too. For what a concerto is, see symphony, concerto, and sonata explained.
For more composers from the same country, read Russian composers for kids. For more composers by era, see classical composers for kids.
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Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.