Piano Concerto no. 2 c minor op. 18

Rachmaninoff’s legendary Opus 18, often lovingly referred to as “Rach 2,” is for many the epitome of the Romantic piano concerto. Following its acclaimed premiere in Moscow in 1901, it proved to be a show-stopper around the globe, finally helping cement Rachmaninoff’s international reputation as a composer. To this day, the concerto’s enchanting themes and elegiac melodies in the strings are considered the trademark of Rachmaninoff, indeed, of Russian music in general.

For the first Urtext edition of this pivotal work, we were able to examine the original autograph score in Moscow’s Glinka Museum. Rachmaninoff’s own sound recordings were also consulted. The newly prepared piano reduction ensures good playability; it accords exactly with the also newly edited orchestral score and parts. Both of these are available from Breitkopf & Härtel.