page_title: Piano Concerto No. 2 (Rachmaninoff)
section_title: Moderato: C minor
hierarchical_section_title: Piano Concerto No. 2 (Rachmaninoff) / Composition / Moderato: C minor
caption_attribution_description: Thème du premier mouvement du concerto pour piano n° 2 de Serguei Rachmaninov (aux cordes) Principal theme of the first movement of Rachmaninov's piano concerto No. 2 (strings)
context_page_description: 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 9 November 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.
context_section_description: The opening movement begins with a series of chromatic bell-like tollings on the piano that build tension, eventually climaxing in the introduction of the main theme. This leads into the key and main theme of the piece, C minor. In this first section, the orchestra carries the Russian-character melody, while the piano provides an accompanimental role, consisting of rapid oscillating arpeggios between both hands. After the statement of the long first theme, a quick and virtuosic "piu mosso" pianistic figuration transition leads into the lyrical second theme in E♭ major, the relative key. The second theme is first stated by the solo piano, with light accompaniment coming from the upper wind instruments. A transition which follows the chromatic scale eventually leads to the final reinstatement of the second theme, this time with the full orchestra at a piano dynamic. The exposition ends with an agitated closing section with scaling arpeggios on the E♭ major scale in both hands.
  The agitated and unstable development borrows motives from both themes, changing keys very often and giving the melody to different instruments while a new musical idea is slowly formed. The sound here, while focused on a particular tonality, has ideas of chromaticism. Two sequences of pianistic figurations lead to a placid, orchestral reinstatement of the first theme in the dominant 7th key of G. The development furthers with motifs from the previous themes, climaxing towards a B♭ major "piu vivo" section. A triplet arpeggio section leads into the accelerando section, with the accompanying piano playing chords in both hands, and the string section providing the melody reminiscent of the second theme. The piece reaches a climax with the piano playing dissonant fortississimo (fff) chords, and with the horns and trumpets providing the syncopated melody.
  While the orchestra restates the first theme, the piano, that on the other occasion had an accompaniment role, now plays the march-like theme that had been halfly presented in the development, thus making a considerable readjustment in the exposition, as the main theme, the arpeggios in the piano serve as an accompaniment. This is followed by a piano-solo which continues the first theme and leads into a descending chromatic passage to a pianississimo A♭ major chord. Then the second theme is heard played with a horn solo. The entrance of the piano reverts the key back into C minor, with triplet passages played over a mysterious theme played by the orchestra. Briefly, the piece transitions to a C major glissando in the piano, and is placid until drawn into the agitated closing section in which the movement ends in a C minor fortissimo.
caption: Main theme first played by the two violin sections, viola section and first clarinet
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