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Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff; 1 April 1873 28 March 1943) was a Russian compo ser, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music. Early influence s of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and other Russian composers gave way to a thoroughly personal i diom that included a pronounced lyricism, expressive breadth, structural ingenuity, and a tonal palette of rich, distinctive orchestral colors. The piano is featured prominently in Rachmaninoff's compositional output. He mad e a point of using his own skills as a performer to explore fully the expressive possibilities of the instrument. Even in his earliest works he revealed a sure grasp of idiomatic piano writing and a striking gift for melody. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Rachmaninoff The Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, is a concerto for piano and orchest ra composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff between the autumn of 1900 and April 1901. The second and third movements were f irst performed with the composer as soloist on 2 December 1900. The complete work was premiered, again with the c omposer as soloist, on 27 October 1901, with his cousin Alexander Siloti conducting. This piece is one of Rachmaninoff's most enduringly popular pieces and establish ed his fame as a concerto composer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._2_(Rachmaninoff) The Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30, by Sergei Rachmaninoff (colloquiall y known as "Rach 3") is famous for its technical and musical demands on the performer. It has the reputation of bei ng one of the most technically challenging concertos in the standard piano repertoire. The concerto is one of the main focuses of the 1996 film Shine, based on the lif e of pianist David Helfgott. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._3_(Rachmaninoff)#In_film Label: Naxos Historical Release Date: Jan 1, 2000 Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 Performed by: Philadelphia Orchestra Composed by: Sergei Rachmaninov Conducted by: Leopold Stokowski Sergei Rachmaninov, piano Recording date: 10 and 13 April 1929 Produced by: Obert-Thorn, Mark 1.I. Moderato - Allegro - 09:45 2.II. Adagio sostenuto - 10:39 3.III. Allegro scherzando - 10:54 Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 Performed by: Philadelphia Orchestra Composed by: Sergei Rachmaninov Conducted by: Eugene Ormandy Sergei Rachmaninov, piano Recording date: 4 December 1939 and 24 February 1940

Produced by: Obert-Thorn, Mark 4.I. Allegro ma non tanto - 13:48 5.II. Intermezzo: Adagio - 08:35 6.III. Finale: Alla breve - 11:21 http://www.naxosdirect.co.uk/RACHMANINOV-Piano-Concertos-Nos-2-and-3-Rachmaninov -1929-1940/title/8110601/