5 Facts You Didn't Know about Rachmaninoff | #classicalmusic #musichistory

In today's Short, we've compiled 5 facts you (maybe) didn't know about Sergei Rachmaninoff.

1. He was a musical genius.
As a child, he was already a prodigy and his teachers were amazed by his innate ability as a pianist and composer. His Piano Concerto No. 1, written when he was barely 18, is still remembered today.

2. He was also a great conductor.
He was a sublime conductor as well as pianist. He was appointed Conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre for two seasons in 1904 and many years later he was also offered to conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra, but he declined.

3. He had big hands.
He was known for having enormous hands, which is why some of his pieces can be almost impossibly difficult to play. He could span 12 piano keys from the tip of his little finger to the tip of his thumb.

4. He moved to America.
When he first moved to the US, in 1918, he was already in great demand. Between November 1922 and March 1923, he performed more than 70 times.
He was so busy that he could only compose music in the summer.

5. He lived a life of luxury.
Thanks to his extraordinary success in the US he could afford to have a replica of his Moscow home built in Los Angeles. He also had a passion for fast cars and speedboats and was the first in his neighbourhood to own a car.

Music:
14 Romances, Op. 34, No. 14: Vocalise
Massimiliano Martinelli, Jonathan Floril