Evgeny Kissin plays Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2, first movement (Moderato) with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, with Sir Andrew Davis conducting. To anime lovers: Does the music sound familiar? This was one of the pieces Shinichi Chiaki played in the anime Nodame Cantabile with the A Orchestra. I will post Part 2 soon! COMPOSER BIOGRAPHY: Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (April 1, 1873- March 28, 1943) was a Russian pianist, composer, and conductor. He was a very great pianist and was one of the last composers to represent Romanticisim in his music. Born near Veliky Novogorod, he studied at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. In his early years, he was awarded a gold medal in composition for his opera, Aleko, his First Piano Concerto, and a set of piano pieces. Rachmaninoff suffered a long period of depression after the failure of his First Symphony. He recovered during a visit to Dr.Nikolai Dahl in 1902 and wrote this Second Piano Concerto after that. In 1918, he came to America and became a citizen in 1943. He died that year.
