Academic So St Petersburg - Sergei Rachmaninov: Made in Germany

Made in Germany. Maybe it sounds strange at first glance to headline a symphony of the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov like this. However, if one looks closer to the genesis of his Second Symphony there is some good reason for it since he wrote it during his stay in Dresden. When he came to the baroque metropole upon Elbe in 1906 he had created an international stir with his Second Piano Concerto. But in Russia, his star was waning. The premiere of his First Symphony, conducted in St. Peterburg in 1897 by Alexander Glasunov, was a total flop. In  consequence Rachmaninov fell into a deep depression and contested his skills as a symphonic composer. In Dresden he intended to come to rest and brace his energies. And it worked out. The cultural atmosphere of the town with its magnificent baroque architecture and the famous Semper Opera, led to a powerful comeback of creativity. Some of his best works found their origin in Saxonia, among which are his First Piano Sonata and the Symphonic Poem Isle of the Deadand, of course, the Second Symphony.