Biography of Sergei Rachmaninoff

Running head: SERGEI RACHMANINOV
Biography of Sergei Rachmaninov
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Abstract
Sergey Vasilyevich Rachmaninov was a Russian pianist maestro whose musical prowess has immortalized his name among the stellar composers of his time. His musical career transcends a rich musical family history coupled with the best training from his childhood. Sergei brought freshness in musical composition by using his ingenuity and originality that he blended with the traditional Russian classical music composition combined with German and Finnish sounds to produce some of the of the internationally acclaimed symphony, Acapella, piano, orchestra etc. This paper critique Biography of Sergei and his musical career during his life time.
Introduction
Born in 1873 April in Russia, Sergey Vasilyevich Rachmaninov was blessed to have been raised in a musical family. The young Sergei received his first piano lessons as a young man from his mother who was also a pianist herself. From his grandfather to father and mother, Sergey was surrounded by people whose profound interest in music would later on come to influence the life of a young Sergei. He later moved to Moscow where he took piano lessons at the conservatory under the supervision of one strict disciplinarian Zverev. According to (Cunningham, 2001) Zverev was one of the excellent performers of his time. In essence it would be said that the young pianist was undergoing refinement through some of the finest in the trade. Sergei along side other two trainees; Leonid Maximov and Matvei Pressman were given early exposure to performances that Zverev described as giving his boys a cultural orientation into the authenticity of Russian music” (Cunningham, 2001) Zverev cultivated a classical music taste in the boys according to Cunningham ( 2001). The teacher brought in an elderly pianist, Belopolskaya who trained the boys on the classical and symphonic music. Zverev also exposed the boys to performance on Sundays and especially before accomplished musicians themselves noted (Cunningham, 2001). This kind of practice arguably instilled the musical character that was later to develop in the great pianist and composer.
Early years of Piano Training in Moscow
In his early years Sergei emerged as an astute composer whose works bore the marks finest quality of training instilled in him by the Zverev (Cunningham, 2001). Sergei composition was received with utmost fascination and a liking from the audiences across Moscow in his formative years. His first composition ever as a trainee was Aleko, an adaptation of Puskin’s poem Gypsies. Sergei performed this piece at the graduation party at the conservatory where he had been training. The masterpiece earned one of the highest awards at time. Sergei’s work was a fine blend of idiomatic zeal on writing and sure melody (Cunningham, 2001). Sergei was later placed under the mentorship of Tchaikovsky, a socialite of Moscow musical scene. After arranging what was an arguably the first challenging ballet assignment with an amazing ease, sleeping beauty. Seregei’s request to his old trainer to be allowed time and a favorable environment to venture in composition ironically would cut the budding rapport between t...