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Before writing his Second Piano Concerto, Rachmaninov had achieved more setbacks than triumphs. He had personally found his First Piano Concerto disappointing and the premiere of his First Symphony was conducted by the (reportedly less than sober) composer Glazunov and mishandled completely. Even the elderly novelist Leo Tolstoy gave the following withering response to Rachmaninov’s music: ‘Who needs it?’. Eventually, Rachmaninov broke his writers block by going to visit a music-loving doctor who practised in therapeutic hypnosis. Thank goodness.

Rachmaninov spent the summer of 1900 mostly in Milan putting his ideas for the new concerto in order. He finally wrote this second movement and the third when back home in Russia. The concerto’s popularity grew and grew after its premiere in 1901 and the main theme and melodies have been reworked by many different composers and song writers across the years. This second movement is a wonder to listen to. Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto has remarkably been performed at the Proms more than 70 times in the last 120 years.

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