Piano Concerto No. 2 (Rachmaninoff)

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, is a concerto for piano and orchestra, composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff between the autumn of 1900 and April 1901. The second and third movements were first performed with the composer as soloist on 2 December 1900. The complete work was premiered, again with the composer as soloist, on 27 October 1901, with his cousin Alexander Siloti conducting.This piece is one of Rachmaninoff's most enduringly popular pieces, and established his fame as a concerto composer.At its 1897 premiere, Rachmaninoff's first symphony, though now considered a significant achievement, was derided by critics. Compounded by problems in his personal life, Rachmaninoff fell into a depression that lasted for several years. His second piano concerto confirmed his recovery from clinical depression and writer's block. The concerto was dedicated to Nikolai Dahl, a physician who had done much to restore Rachmaninoff's self-confidence.